The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress

Chapter 554

Theo followed their gazes and glanced over, pausing in surprise when he saw the woman's face.

"Jeanette? What's she doing here?"

Remembering she was a friend of his younger sister, he hesitated for a moment, then made his way over and sat across from her.

Jeanette's heart was pounding with excitement, but she forced herself to act oblivious, pretending to be tipsy and out of sorts.

"Who... who are you? Why are you sitting here?" she slurred, looking up at him with feigned confusion.

Theo frowned. "This isn't the kind of place you should be hanging around. Go home, Jeanette."

Jeanette threw her hands in the air in wild exaggeration. "Go home? Go where? The house is gone, my father's in jail, my mother left... I don't have a home anymore."

Only then did Theo remember the recent events, the headlines from earlier that day. He pressed his lips together. "Then you should at least get a room at a hotel for the night."

Jeanette shook her head stubbornly. "I... I haven't had enough to drink yet."

Theo's frown deepened. "You're already drunk. I'll have someone take you back."

leave, but suddenly Jeanette grabbed

"Don't go," she pleaded.

pull away, but her grip was surprisingly

they struggled, something slipped from beneath the collar of Jeanette's shirt, catching the

from her neck—a battered old locket-and demanded urgently, "Where did you

with a sly, triumphant look, though it

confusion. "What are you talking about? This

you have it since you were

Jeanette replied, giving him

the locket, tracing the intricate pattern and the single deep scratch across its surface-a mark he remembered all too well. Memories rushed back,

the first time he visited Havencrest with Talbot. Talbot had work to do, so Theo

color, and Theo-restless and

the street, hawking their wares to a swirl of locals and tourists. In the chaos, Theo didn't notice the

alley when they jumped him, shoving a burlap sack over

hard as he could, but

for, a little girl charged out

staggered back,