The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress novel Chapter 616

As the conversation went on, the nurse’s anger boiled over until she was muttering curses under her breath.

“Unbelievable. One’s her father, the other her boyfriend, and I honestly can’t figure out what their hearts are made of. Their own daughter and girlfriend just lost a kidney—she barely made it out alive—and neither of them bothered to visit, let alone send someone to look after her. Instead, they spent all their time fussing over that other woman—the one who’s perfectly fine, bouncing around, could’ve left the hospital days ago. Are they blind or just heartless?”

“Bastards, both of them. I’ve never seen a father or boyfriend act like this. People like that don’t deserve to live.”

The nurse’s words spilled out in rapid-fire bursts, like a machine gun—she just couldn’t stop herself.

A few days later, Theo and Sawyer showed up to take Jeanette home. It was as if Citrine no longer existed to them; they left her completely on her own in that hospital room.

Once she felt strong enough, Citrine handled her own discharge paperwork and left the hospital by herself.

Raymond’s consciousness had been following Citrine the whole time.

After leaving, Citrine returned to her apartment. The place was shrouded in darkness, everything decorated in somber shades. Thick curtains blocked out every trace of sunlight, making the rooms feel stifling and oppressive. Raymond felt it as soon as he entered—he couldn’t see a thing.

But Citrine moved through the gloom as if she’d lived in it forever, making her way straight to the balcony without hesitation.

Raymond followed.

He caught up just in time to see her light a cigarette. She stood in the darkness, facing the night, her silhouette narrow and fragile. The ember at her fingertips glowed and faded, red and then gone, flickering in the haze of smoke curling around her. Whatever she was feeling, her face didn’t betray a thing.

The heaviness in the air settled over Raymond like a weight. Just watching her, he could feel the pain pressing down on that small frame.

What was she thinking, standing there in the dark?

Raymond kept her company for as long as she stood on that balcony, sharing her silent vigil until the sky began to lighten.