The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress

Chapter 423

Back home, Citrine uncorked a bottle of red wine. Settling onto the sofa with her cat curled up on her lap, she absentmindedly stroked its fur with one hand and sipped her wine with the other, her thoughts gradually growing hazy.

In her previous life, after their first bitter falling out, the hostility from Hastings and Quentin had only intensified with each passing day.

They made it their mission to humiliate her-pulling childish pranks, setting her up to embarrass herself, hurling insults at every opportunity. It became a relentless campaign of ridicule.

The moment that seared itself most deeply in her memory happened at Theo's birthday party. That day, in front of everyone, Hastings jabbed a finger in her face and spat out:

"You're nothing but Theo's pathetic lapdog, always at his beck and call. Living off his charity like some worthless parasite, and you actually think you matter? I can't stand women like you-no self-respect, all vanity and cheapness."

For some reason, of all the things from her past life, Hastings' words remained crystal clear in her mind.

So much so, that the first time she saw Hastings in this life, she found herself scheming.

If Hastings despised women without dignity, why not let him experience it himself? Let him become the lapdog, the one stripped of pride, the very thing he loathed

most.

help but think-it would

Theo learned about Citrine's blood type, he'd

a backup blood donor, his sister's

Theo decided to bring the matter to his father. He knew that if his father acted,

stretched over the entire city. More importantly, he controlled an

families—the Coopers, the Aldridges, and several others-under his sway, sometimes even

heard about the situation, Talbot moved quickly, reaching

Be my daughter's designated

exceedingly generous, but Citrine didn't

especially not someone of the younger generation, had ever dared turn him down

had expected trouble from refusing the old bastard, and tried to be as cautious as possible, but there was only so much she could do. The next few days

her on the street. Then someone followed her, trying to corner her. After that, a stranger tried

she couldn't keep dodging threats forever. There

like him didn't make reckless moves unless

in a few