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.

think-it would be deliciously

learned about Citrine's

blood donor, his sister's safety would be

Theo decided to bring the matter to his father.

the entire city. More importantly, he controlled an enormous underground network, which

him to bring other elite families—the Coopers, the Aldridges, and several others-under his sway, sometimes

Talbot moved quickly, reaching out

my

exceedingly generous, but Citrine didn't

getting his way, used to looking down from his throne. No one, especially not someone

bastard, and tried to be as cautious as possible, but there was only so much she could do. The next few

a stranger

keep dodging threats forever. There was only one

to think twice before acting. Businessmen like him didn't make reckless moves unless they were sure

her identity in a few days.