The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress novel Chapter 583

Everyone was left speechless by Ingrid’s bold move.

After seeing Ingrid take so many selfies with Citrine, Jane and Lisa exchanged a glance, unwilling to be outdone. “Citrine, we want a picture with you too!” they chimed in, grinning.

The two of them rushed over, flanking Citrine on either side as they snapped their own set of photos.

Once everyone had their turn, Raymond stepped forward to corral the group toward the backyard. “All of you are my daughter’s friends—just relax and have fun. The Carmichael family isn’t big on formalities.”

Ingrid, ever the social butterfly, flashed him a bright smile. “Don’t worry, Mr. Carmichael. We plan on making ourselves right at home.”

Raymond chuckled and handed Citrine the knife to start cutting the cake.

Not wanting the adults to overshadow the teens and make them feel awkward, Raymond arranged for Weston and the rest of the parents to play cards in the living room after cake. He made a point of leaving the younger crowd to their own devices.

He couldn’t help thinking about how busy Citrine had been at the hospital lately. She was only eighteen, an age meant for carefree fun, but his precious daughter had thrown herself into work without a second thought. As a father, his heart ached for her.

Out in the garden, Citrine and her friends were gathered around the grill. Travis, along with Sylvan and the other guys, had taken it upon themselves to handle all the skewers and grilling, happily serving the girls, who didn’t have to lift a finger—just wait and eat.

Amelia, who hadn’t seen Citrine in ages, had misty eyes from the moment Citrine walked in. Her biggest regret in life was choosing to attend Havencrest University. If only she’d applied to Crestwood, she could have stayed by Citrine’s side.