The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress novel Chapter 331

As dusk settled in, Norton slipped out of CICI Group’s headquarters, looking thoroughly defeated. Without hesitation, he booked the next flight back to Havencrest and was on a plane that very night.

When Sawyer opened the door later that evening and saw Norton standing there, he almost jumped. “What are you doing back here?”

Clifford was home as well. Noticing Norton’s grim expression, he hurried over, concern written all over his face. “What happened, man? You look terrible.”

Norton sank into the couch, hollow-eyed and silent for a long moment before finally speaking. “The person pulling the strings behind CICI Group—it’s Citrine.”

Sawyer blinked, dumbfounded. “What? Have you been drinking?”

Clifford stared at him in disbelief. “You have to be kidding. Right?”

“Citrine just turned eighteen. How could she possibly pull that off? Don’t listen to nonsense,” Sawyer said, shaking his head. The very idea was absurd.

Clifford agreed, nodding. “Exactly. When CICI Group was founded, Citrine was still in school. Where would she even find the time?”

Norton could hardly blame them. When he first learned the truth, he didn’t want to believe it either.

He looked at them both, his face deadly serious. “I’m not joking. I interviewed at CICI Group today for the general manager position. I saw it with my own eyes—Citrine is the one behind everything. I confirmed it myself.”

Norton was never one to make light of serious matters. Seeing how grave he was, Sawyer and Clifford started to believe him.

Sawyer’s eyes darkened slightly. “If it’s really Citrine, why would she go after our family?”

Clifford added, “Yeah, that doesn’t make sense. Citrine would never do that.”

Norton lowered his gaze, letting out a heavy sigh. “I asked her. She admitted it herself.”

Sawyer’s chest tightened at Norton’s words. He looked lost. “But why?”

After airing out this bombshell, Norton told them about running into Jeanette at the Crestwood Bar.

Sawyer’s face darkened. “That spiteful woman Aline—does she want to ruin her own daughter? If you hadn’t told me, I’d never have guessed Jeanette had fallen so far under her mother’s influence.”

Norton’s eyes shadowed as he recalled Jeanette pretending not to know him that night. “Yeah. She’s nothing like she used to be. Jeanette was never vain before.”

He turned to Sawyer, deadly earnest. “Dad, we can’t just let this go on. We have to bring Jeanette home. If she stays with Aline any longer, she’ll be lost for good.”

Sawyer said nothing, lost in thought. He remembered the things Jeanette had said to him that day, and his heart went cold.

Clifford’s words from before echoed in his mind, still fresh and painful.

Unless Jeanette herself wanted to come back, he wouldn’t go looking for her again.