The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress

Chapter 623

A moment ago, the little girl's face was clouded with sorrow, but in the blink of an eye, something shifted-now her eyes glimmered with a trace of resentment.

How could a child so young swing between emotions so quickly, and harbor such complicated thoughts? The more Hilda watched her, the more uneasy she felt.

She kept a close eye on the girl's expressions, searching for some clue, but before she could make sense of the sudden change, the child's innocent, sing- song voice broke the silence.

"Mommy, since you've become a beautiful star, why can't you take me with you?"

"I want to be a star too. Then I wouldn't be cold anymore, or hurt so much."

Her voice was soft and fragile, filled with desperate hope. For all its childishness, the words hit Hilda like a punch to the gut.

Suddenly, a man's rough, drunken yelling shattered the quiet of the living room.

"What's with all the noise? Shut your trap, or I swear I'll toss you in the fryer!" His voice was harsh, thick with anger.

up on the balcony flinched instinctively

aching with hunger. Gritting her teeth, she summoned

with whiskey, grew even

not dead, you

to the floor, the glass shattering with a violent crash. Citrine

light. She knew what came next-another

just this once the man might have a change of heart and

living room. He flung open the balcony

Go a couple days without food and you're already whining? Not dead yet, are

here on the balcony-that's more than you deserve! Try asking for more and I'll beat you to

faded and she lay limp

hadn't expected the man to be so cruel-even to

at the girl's motionless body,

the living room, waited until she was sure the man was

far corner of the balcony, where the wind and snow couldn't reach, and lifted