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.

curled up on the balcony flinched instinctively

with hunger. Gritting her teeth, she summoned her courage and called out,

man, half-gone with whiskey, grew

not dead, you

glass shattering with a violent crash.

eyes slowly lost their light. She knew what came next-another

her knees, she wished time would slow down, or that just this once the man might

stomped across the living room. He flung open

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

gave you a spot to sleep, out here on the balcony-that's more than you

with merciless force. He didn't stop until Citrine's sobs faded and she lay limp and silent on the floor. Finding ho satisfaction in

expected the man to

girl's motionless body, thinking she probably wouldn't survive the

looked toward the living room,

of the balcony, where the wind and