The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress novel Chapter 427

Citrine blinked in surprise, not expecting that to be Hilda’s concern.

She pressed her lips together and said quietly, “Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself. The Glenwood family can’t do anything to me.”

Hilda gave a cold snort, her eyes flashing dangerously.

The steely side of her—the one she used to take charge at work—slipped out as she growled, “Relax. As long as I’m around, if he ever tries anything, he’ll have to answer to me first. I don’t care if I have to go down with the Glenwoods.”

Aunt, calm down, you’re going to scare Citrine.

Monica, fighting back her own fear of her aunt, kept pinching Hilda’s thigh under the table to warn her. But Hilda was too worked up to notice; she even pinched Monica’s hand, hard, in annoyance.

Monica yanked her hand back, her face twisted in pain, red nail marks blooming across her skin.

Right now, Hilda’s entire world was her daughter.

She stared at Citrine, silently cursing the Glenwood family and all their ancestors for eight generations.

If they thought they could bully her precious girl, old Talbot must have lost his mind. She wondered if the Glenwoods had already picked out a coffin for that fossil—if not, she’d be happy to supply one herself.

Citrine, meanwhile, was watching Hilda intently, silent and unmoving.

Hilda finally noticed Citrine’s gaze, her face going stiff as she self-consciously touched her own cheek. “Why… why are you looking at me like that?”

And then it hit her.

Oh God. She’d done it again.

She’d always been a force of nature, intimidating everyone who crossed her path. That fierce expression must have scared Citrine half to death.

Just thinking about how the younger kids in the family ran from her like frightened mice made Hilda’s heart sink. Her daughter was so sweet, so gentle—there was no way she wasn’t terrified right now.

Lost for words, Hilda could only blurt out, “Citrine, I’m not usually like this, I swear… Please, don’t be afraid of me.”

Monica stared, wide-eyed, too shocked to stop her aunt.

Once Hilda finished, both women looked anxiously to Citrine, waiting for her reaction.