The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress

Chapter 669

Sometimes, when words fail you, they really do.

Citrine almost laughed out of sheer exasperation. "Theo? Are you naive, or just hopelessly innocent?"

"So you think starting over just wipes away all the pain from our last lives? That everything I suffered just disappears?"

Theo pressed his lips together, only now realizing how impatient he sounded. He rushed to apologize. "I'm sorry, Citrine. I... that's not what I meant."

He quickly tried to explain himself, words tumbling out. "I know what I did before was unforgivable. I'm not expecting you to forget any of it. I just want you to know that this time around, I want to make it right. I want to atone for what I've done- with my actions, not just words."

Atone? Atone for what, you jerk.

If it weren't for the fact that she'd had a decent education, she would've cussed him out right then and there.

Citrine was at the end of her patience, her voice turning sharp. "You just said yourself what you did was unforgivable. So tell me why should I forgive you? Why should I give you another shot just so you can 'atone' for your sins? What am I, your prop? Is this just a chance for you to make yourself feel better-using your so-called redemption as an excuse to keep making me miserable? Spare me. Just stay the hell away from me."

She paused, an unpleasant memory flashing through her mind. "Theo, have you forgotten about you making me give Kali a transfusion-both last time and this time around? Or the little kidnapping stunt you and your father pulled on me not long ago?"

to her chest. "I took a bullet-right here because of you and your father. I

dry. He stared at her,

wasn't finished. "Don't kid yourself. It's not just that I can't stand you-l hate you. We

had me dragged off to Mirage Cay, tortured me, stole every scrap of my research. I'd love nothing more than to see

hesitated for a moment, then

for your father, don't worry-he's next on my list. I'll make sure he repays every

sink, slow and heavy. The things he'd tried so hard to avoid, she'd finally

then asked the question gnawing at him. "When did you find out Mirage Cay was connected to

flatly,

thudded. He pressed, "When

it took me about a year to find the first clue. I

didn't finish the sentence, but Theo

after the Glenwoods was because of

not that I didn't go after your family. I just didn't dig as deep as

then she'd