The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress

Chapter 436

In that moment, Hilda's emotions were a tangled mess-she was proud of her

daughter's brilliance, but at the same time, a gnawing fear crept in: what if Citrine no longer needed her at all?

"Citrine." Hilda hesitated for a second, but in the end, she called out to her daughter.

Both Citrine and Raymond stopped at the sound of her voice.

Raymond recognized Hilda immediately-she was the woman who had spoken up for Citrine at the party. He nodded to her politely. "Thank you for standing up for my daughter earlier."

"It was nothing," Hilda replied offhandedly, though her eyes remained fixed on Citrine with an intensity she couldn't hide.

Citrine only looked back at her, silent.

A pang of discomfort twisted in Hilda's chest. She pressed her lips together, struggling to find the right words. There was so much she wanted to say, yet nothing came out but a quiet confession of regret: "Citrine, I'm sorry." Her voice trembled. If only she'd protected her better-if only Citrine hadn't been lost to her for all those years.

to respond when she noticed the dark circles under Hilda's eyes, the weariness

because of

really

Something inside Citrine wavered.

determined not to let herself go soft, but her tone softened anyway. "You don't need to apologize. Like I

disappointment flickered in her eyes, but she forced herself to smile-though the expression

already done her homework on Hilda: a formidable businesswoman, the head of the Saunders family,

sudden surge of irritation. Hilda wasn't supposed to be like this—she should be radiant,

to explain, "I just mean it's getting

awkward it sounded. She hesitated, then corrected herself, "Actually, it's fine. If you want to find

in Hilda's eyes

Hilda's face, Citrine found herself unable to refuse. She nodded, almost despite

herself to dislike this woman. Maybe it was because Hilda was her mother. There was a warmth when she looked at her, a sense of familiarity that made

that feeling, but