The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress

Chapter 635

Weston's eyes widened in disbelief, his glare sharp and unkind as he stared down the elderly gentleman standing beside Nathanael. “Grandfather? Are you kidding me? I'm right here! What makes this old man think he's Citrine's grandfather?"

He could have understood if it were Inez or Herschel, but this stranger? He'd never even seen the man before, didn't have the faintest clue where he'd sprung from-yet the moment he appeared, he was claiming to be Citrine's grandfather.

Weston was her real grandfather, her only grandfather by blood. And to make matters worse, Citrine had never even called him Grandpa. Hmph. What right did this old codger have?

Trying to steal his granddaughter? Over his dead body.

Nathanael almost forgot, for a split second, that Weston Carmichael was the chairman's true grandfather. He shot an awkward glance at Ogden, standing

nearby.

Ogden's expression was stone-cold, his silence icy and foreboding, like the calm before a storm.

Nathanael knew better than to provoke either of these titans.

The tension in the room was so thick it was suffocating, as if the air itself had frozen.

Nathanael's gaze darted nervously between the two men, painfully aware of the awkwardness.

He swallowed hard and attempted a weak smile, fumbling for an explanation. "Mr. Ogden and the chairman have known each other for a very long time. She's always... held him in high regard—”

finish. "Nathanael, there's no need to explain anything to

should have insisted that Citrine come live with me in Crestwood from the

was unmistakable in his voice. He couldn't believe it-he'd only been out of the country for a short while, and in his absence, his

he felt when he got that

chartered a private

wracked with guilt over Citrine, fell silent, unable

in their defense

seeing Citrine, but Raymond

Ogden alone

was just about to rest when she heard someone enter. Assuming it was

close the curtains? I

some sleep."

never

Citrine so frail; his eyes welled up

he turned away,

before anyone

knew how frightened he'd been when Nathanael told him to

his granddaughter-maybe not by blood, but their bond ran deeper than any

for Nathanael to

Nathanael had gone, Ogden sat quietly by the bedside, saying nothing, simply watching