The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress

Chapter 749

Citrine was silent for a while, but eventually she gave in and nodded.

Sebastian just smiled, saying nothing, and an awkward tension settled between them.

After a long pause, Sebastian finally broke the silence. "It's getting late. You should try to get some sleep."

Citrine didn't reply. She was exhausted after the long day, and her eyelids grew heavier until, before she knew it, she drifted off.

Sebastian waited, listening for her voice, but after a while, the only sound was her steady, peaceful breathing.

"Completely carefree, aren't you?" he murmured with a quiet laugh.

With that, he lay down as well.

The beach at night was perfectly still, the only sound the gentle hush of the waves outside. Lying there, Sebastian became acutely aware of Citrine's soft breathing beside him.

He couldn't see anything in the pitch-dark tent, so he turned carefully onto his side, facing her.

Sleep seemed impossible. With her sleeping so close, his mind was racing and his heart wouldn't settle. He wished this moment could last a little longer.

tiredness finally began to creep in. Just as he was about to drift off, something

restlessly at him, tickling his

heart flutter. He reached out, intending to gently straighten her head, but before he could,

froze, every muscle tense. He stared wide-eyed into the darkness, feeling her breath on his

a moment, he honestly didn't know where to put his

midnight now-and the thin blanket they shared did little to keep the

softly, dawn light slipping in through the tent's seams. Citrine woke slowly, blinking against the pale glow. She shifted, trying

head-and her

tightly

pounding, reached

about to touch him,

her gaze, and she looked

amused smile as he regarded her. "It was freezing last night," he said lightly. "You kept snuggling closer. I tried to resist, but you

wanted to protest, but then she remembered her notoriously restless

must have been

she lowered her gaze, unable to meet Sebastian's eyes. "Sorry... I'm a terrible sleeper. I

humbled and apologetic was a rare sight. Sebastian found it oddly