The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress

Chapter 582

Ever since school let out for the holidays, she'd been living in the Carmichaels' Crestwood villa. After so much time, going back there had started to feel routine.

By the time Citrine returned that evening, darkness had already settled over most of the sky. She wondered if everyone had already gone to bed.

Not wanting to wake anyone, Citrine tiptoed to the front door and quietly entered the security code.

She eased the door open. The villa was pitch black, not a single light on.

Assuming everyone had called it a night, Citrine let out a silent sigh of relief and reached for the light switch. But before she could turn it on, a burst of cheerful music filled the air. One by one, soft lights flickered on around the grand hall.

Gone was the usual minimalist decor. The whole house was strung with twinkling lights and fresh flowers, pale pinks everywhere. Wisps of white fog curled across the floor, making the villa look more like a fairytale castle, dreamy and unreal.

At that moment, Citrine spotted a gigantic music box spinning toward her, topped with an enormous bouquet of roses.

Were those real or fake?

She'd never seen roses so large. Eyes wide, she stepped closer, reaching out to touch them.

Suddenly, with a loud pop, the bouquet burst open. Red roses began leaping out, showering the room in a continuous cascade-a veritable rainstorm of blooms.

that each rose

shower, masquerading as a

But

be, the music swelled, and

"Surprise!"

"Happy birthday, Citrine!"

giant flower, so the rest of them

at all the faces, it finally

she'd hardly celebrated

allowed herself to

and overtime, she'd simply

Sylvan,

al

Even her three college

could hardly believe they'd been invited; they felt like they'd won

ordinary families and with nothing extraordinary in their resumes, they'd

attending the birthday party of the CICI

was