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.

the balcony flinched instinctively at the

half-numb from the cold, her stomach aching with hunger. Gritting her teeth, she summoned her

grew even more

well. You're still not

glass shattering with

eyes slowly lost their light. She knew what came

face in her knees, she wished time would slow down, or that just this once the man might have a change of heart and

across the living room. He flung open the balcony

worthless runt! Go a couple days without food and you're already whining?

on the balcony-that's more than you deserve! Try asking

stop until Citrine's sobs faded and she lay limp and silent on

man to be so cruel-even to

at the girl's motionless body, thinking

slowly, the little one's eyes fluttered open. She looked toward the living

to the far corner of the balcony, where the wind and