The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress

The next morning, Citrine woke up early.

The fuzzy-headed exhaustion from the night before was long gone. Her mind felt clear, sharper than ever.

She sat up in bed, moving slowly as memories from yesterday flickered through her thoughts. Most of the details had faded, but she could recall drinking with Sebastian and watching a late-night show together. At the end, there'd been a couple onstage-hearts in their eyes-confessing their feelings and becoming a couple, the audience erupting in applause. Citrine remembered feeling dizzy after that, insisting she needed to go home. Sebastian had escorted her back, making sure she was safe.

Beyond that, there was only a vague recollection of a dream—something about Hastings. The specifics were a blur, and honestly, she had no interest in digging deeper into any dreams about him.

Rising promptly, she washed up and decided to head out for breakfast.

But the moment she opened her door, she found Hastings and Quentin standing right there in the hallway. Sebastian was there too, leaning casually against his own doorway, chatting with them. All three heads turned her way as soon as she appeared.

Seeing Hastings first thing in the morning-especially after dreaming about him— put Citrine in a sour mood. She eyed them, her patience already thin. "What are you two doing here?"

Hastings, careful not to mention anything about last night, forced a smile. "Citrine, I brought diving gear. Let's grab some breakfast, then head out to the water together."

Quentin's hopeful gaze flickered toward her. He huffed, feigning indifference. "Let's go. I'll let bygones be bygones about you stripping me down at Havencrest."

not with these two. Right now, they just felt like a pair of lingering ghosts. If she'd known they'd be here, she'd never have picked this spot for

a

she brushed past

a

Hastings looked utterly dejected. "What does

retreating back,

restaurant. Once breakfast was served, Citrine

remember much from her tipsy antics. He smiled. "Of course. It

reached out and placed a small, warm croissant on her plate. "Try this. It's the house specialty-I think you'll like

gaze. Something about it felt different, but

more open-his eyes lingering on her just a moment longer than usual. It was

"I don't really remember what happened last night. I didn't do anything embarrassing,

paused, recalling

Vele