The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress

Chapter 608

Citrine caught a glimpse of Talbot's movement out of the corner of her eye. She paused for a moment before turning away and speaking, her voice calm but cold.

"Talbot, I know you've given up on life. But I suggest you think about your son. If you lay a finger on anyone, your son will go down as your accomplice. He'll be executed right along with you."

Talbot stiffened, his hands freezing mid-motion. Whatever fight he had left seemed to drain out of him in an instant; he looked as if he'd aged a decade in the span of a breath.

Just then, several members of the Vermillion Vanguard came down from the sniper's perch, moving with crisp precision as they approached Citrine. They stopped before her and raised their hands in salute.

"Boss."

"Well done." Citrine nodded, her voice warm yet authoritative.

Hastings Cooper stood nearby with the others, but unlike the rest-whose eyes shone with awe and respect-his gaze was fixed solely on Citrine, intense and burning.

The details of this mission had been kept tightly under wraps. The higher-ups had only said it was a rescue operation, with the Boss working in tandem from inside. Hastings hadn't realized the truth until he spotted Citrine's face from the sniper's nest and couldn't help but ask the seasoned veterans beside him. They, all loyal subordinates of the Boss, had told him everything.

Until that moment, Hastings had never imagined that Citrine was actually Boss C -the legendary, undefeated leader of the Vermillion Vanguard.

faced no small amount of pressure when he insisted on enlisting. But his one driving goal in joining the Vermillion Vanguard had always been the Boss-this war hero, this living legend, was his role model. Because of her, he had

watched Citrine, his eyes brimmed with admiration and something close to reverence. So much so, he barely even

collar and shoved him toward one of the Vanguard soldiers. "Keep him under close

caught Talbot

Hastings snap back to the present, realizing that the ringleader in custody was

Hastings a look, a subtle signal. "That other old

and found Theo staring at

Hastings' face, his voice tight and pale with disbelief. "Theo? Why? Why

just hung

face darkened as he dragged Theo forward, disappointment heavy in every line of his posture. The two stood side by side, both

them quietly, her expression

just arrested his closest friend; the other had just been arrested

what must be going through their

dwell on it, Sherman appeared, leading a group of Vanguard soldiers

out from a

but everyone in