The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress

Chapter 305

By midday, Citrine's fever had finally broken. The fog in her mind slowly lifted, and as she blinked awake, a familiar silhouette came into focus.

Raymond? That couldn't be. Wasn't he supposed to be in Havencrest? There was no way he'd be here-she must still be delirious.

But then that unmistakable figure stepped right up to her bedside, the surprise clear in his voice. "Citrine, you're awake! Are you hungry?"

It wasn't a dream. She was suddenly, acutely aware of that.

"What are you doing here?" she blurted out, still confused. He was supposed to be in Havencrest-why was he standing in her hospital room?

Raymond just sighed, a blend of exasperation and affection in his words. "Silly girl. You're sick. Of course your dad's here to take care of you."

When Citrine tried to sit up, he was quick to help, adjusting the bed and arranging the pillows behind her so she'd be comfortable.

"What would you like to eat? I'll go grab it for you." He hadn't seen her for only two days, but Raymond was sure she'd lost weight. The thought tugged at his heart.

Citrine said, her voice scratchy and soft. Maybe it was the

that stripped away her usual defenses. Hearing her father's gentle fussing, she

said, his smile warm and a little proud. He loved fussing over his daughter. "I'll get it for

froze. She'd just let her guard down in front of her father-shown

toward independence, away from everything she'd known. This was exactly the path she

she stared blankly out the window, her thoughts

minutes later, Raymond returned with a piping hot beef pie. Citrine hadn't moved-she was still lost

bringing her slowly back to

first: she needed

"This is really good," she said,

pang of melancholy hit him-she'd be at university for four years. Four years of being apart, of seeing her only on rare

pause, he spoke up. "Citrine, I've been thinking about moving the company to Crestwood. What

already made up his