The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress novel Chapter 263

After meeting with Patten Reed, Citrine finally headed to Manley’s hospital room.

The moment she stepped inside, her eyes fell on a mountain of fruit piled high in the corner—clearly it had been sitting there for days.

She couldn’t help but recall the scene from an hour earlier at the grocery store with Travis.

Citrine had been staring helplessly at a shelf full of health supplements, uncertain what to buy. With a sigh, she turned to Travis for help. “Hey, what does Uncle Manley actually like to eat? Should we buy him something special?”

Travis glanced at the box of supplements in her hand, then looked up at the price tag—four digits.

Without hesitation, he took the box from her and put it right back on the shelf.

Citrine stared at him, confused.

Travis shook his head earnestly. “Trust me, my dad hates this stuff. No need to waste your money.”

“Then what does Uncle Manley like?” Citrine asked, taking him at his word.

Travis frowned in concentration, then nodded with conviction. “He likes fruit. Simple, healthy, and not expensive. That’s all he ever wants.”

The seriousness in his eyes was almost comical, but Citrine believed him. In the end, they each bought a bag of fruit.

Now, seeing the fruit mountain in Manley’s room, Citrine froze for a split second.

“Citrine, come in!” Manley called out, snapping her back to reality.

Forcing a smile, she set her bag of apples on the nightstand. “Uncle Manley, I brought you some fresh fruit.”

Manley shrugged, unbothered. “I still want the bag Citrine brought.”

Citrine could only stand there, at a loss for words.

“Fine, I’ll wash your precious apple,” Travis grumbled, shoving his own apple back into the bag a little too forcefully. He stomped over to the nightstand, yanked an apple from Citrine’s bag, and stalked off to the sink.

Whenever Citrine visited, Manley’s spirits always improved. Even the bland hospital food seemed to taste like a gourmet meal when she was there.

After lunch, Manley and Citrine got to talking, and once they started, there was no stopping them.

Citrine’s knowledge seemed boundless—whether Manley brought up history, business intrigue, the latest corporate projects, or even medical issues, she always had something insightful to say.

And every word carried weight. In just a few sentences, she could pinpoint the flaws in a new business venture and casually suggest solutions, as if they were simply having a friendly chat.