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.

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

nudged restlessly at him, tickling

He reached out, intending to gently straighten her head, but before he could, Citrine pressed even

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

didn't

shared did little to keep the chill away. After hesitating, Sebastian finally relented, wrapping his arms

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

her eyes widened in

was nestled right up against Sebastian, his arms wrapped tightly

lips together and, heart pounding, reached out tentatively as

to touch him, Sebastian's eyes

and she looked away,

"It was freezing last night," he said lightly. "You kept snuggling closer. I

wide. She wanted to protest, but then she remembered her notoriously restless

must have

she lowered her gaze, unable to meet Sebastian's eyes. "Sorry... I'm a terrible sleeper. I really didn't mean

humbled and apologetic was a rare sight.