The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress novel Chapter 300

Citrine smiled lightly. “I’m not worried. He won’t be coming after me again.”

She turned to Ingrid. “Hey, Ingrid, did you get the whole thing on video for me?”

Ingrid nodded. “Don’t worry, I recorded everything just like you asked.”

Ever since he’d lost to Citrine, Hastings had sat at his spot with a stormy look, silent and brooding. He stayed that way until the evening activities wrapped up and everyone was dismissed. Only then did he finally leave.

Hastings had barely disappeared down the hallway when Citrine quietly followed.

“Mr. Cooper,” she called, waiting until they were alone in a deserted corridor.

Hastings, who’d just sunk onto a bench, looked up in surprise. He hadn’t expected Citrine to come after him, and he stared at her warily. “Why are you following me?”

Citrine approached with an easy smile and sat down beside him. She tilted her head, her lips curling with a hint of mischief. “Mr. Cooper, care to explain why you spent the whole day picking on me?”

He froze, caught off guard. For a long moment, he said nothing.

Citrine didn’t seem bothered by his silence. She simply watched him, calm and patient. “Is it because of Kali?”

At that, Hastings’ eyes widened as if she’d struck a nerve. “What—what the hell are you talking about?”

Citrine couldn’t help but laugh at his reaction—a sharp, amused sound. “Protective, aren’t you? You really are her loyal puppy.”

Gone was the sweet, harmless girl everyone knew from the group. In this moment, Citrine’s presence was magnetic, dangerous—a mystery with an edge that sent a chill down his spine.

She paused, then added, “I’ve never met anyone so generous—getting rid of your crush’s rival for her, that’s impressive. If it were me, I’d make sure to keep the person I liked close, never letting her pine for someone else.”

Hastings sneered at her suggestion, his voice cold. “You don’t get it at all. Kali’s the best girl in the world. All I want is for her to be happy. I’m not selfish like you.”

Suddenly, Citrine stood and seized his chin, forcing him to look at her. Her eyes were intense, almost hypnotic. “Kali’s not even half as pretty as me. If you’re going to play the loyal dog, you’d be better off serving me.”

Hastings found himself trapped in her gaze, unable to move or look away. For a moment, he forgot to protest—her eyes seemed to draw him in, deep and inescapable.

His gaze drifted from her eyes to her delicate, porcelain face. His throat went dry, and his heart skipped a beat. The innocent little bunny everyone saw in Citrine was gone; what sat before him was a carnivorous flower, dangerous and alluring.

He was just about to say something when Citrine let go and drawled, “Just kidding. I wouldn’t want a dog that’s already belonged to Kali. That’s just gross.”