The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress novel Chapter 438

“Dad, what makes you so sure Citrine is closer to you than to me? I’m her actual father, you know. She told me herself—I’m not like everyone else.”

Honestly, he couldn’t figure out where his father’s confidence came from. What made the old man think he ranked higher in Citrine’s heart than her own dad?

Weston, stumped, could only bluster. “Well, I’m her grandfather! Of course I’m the one she’s closest to.”

Raymond couldn’t be bothered to argue. He just pulled out his phone and started scrolling.

Manley, on the other hand, had already seen what his niece was capable of. He’d been shocked to learn she was the CEO of CICI Group, but it wasn’t hard for him to accept given her network and talents.

It was Weston and Salome who were truly floored.

Weston was still struggling to process the news, while Salome paced the living room, hands clasped behind her back, beaming with pride.

“No wonder she’s my granddaughter. With a kid like her, the Carmichael family must have some guardian angel looking out for us.”

“I swear, from now on, people are going to have to treat me with respect just for being her granddad.”

Weston had never imagined that the things he’d chased all his life—things he’d never managed to accomplish—would be achieved so spectacularly by his granddaughter.

He thought back to when CICI Group first launched its medical robots, those cutting-edge devices and pharmaceuticals, and now, their breakthrough in cosmeceuticals. Just thinking about it left Weston in awe. Each generation really does outshine the last.

Thanks to Citrine, the whole family had just leapt up a rung on the social ladder.

——

The moment news broke that Citrine was the CEO of CICI Group, eagle-eyed reporters dug up even more: she was a student at Crestwood University, and, according to insiders, also the wildly popular online novelist known as Obsidian.

Within hours, someone found Citrine’s Instagram. Her follower count skyrocketed from a modest couple hundred thousand to a staggering eighty million—outpacing even most celebrities.

Her Instagram comments section exploded.

That afternoon, when Citrine returned to her dorm, her three roommates stared at her in stunned silence.

“Why are you all looking at me like that?” Citrine paused, rubbing her cheek self-consciously.

Ingrid swallowed, wide-eyed. “We saw your Instagram, Citrine. Honestly, our hearts are still racing.”

It was awkward. Suddenly, the girl they’d lived with day-in and day-out was the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Ingrid had no idea how she was supposed to act around her now.

The other two girls stood stiffly at attention, hands pressed to their sides like they were reporting to their boss.

Jane, especially, looked overwhelmed. Getting into CICI Group had always been her dream, her ultimate career goal. She never imagined her own roommate would turn out to be the company’s CEO.

Citrine sighed, exasperated. “I told you before, didn’t I? I said I was CICI Group’s CEO, but you all thought I was joking.”

As soon as she said it, their memories clicked into place. Citrine really had mentioned it in passing, but not one of them had believed her—they’d all thought she was just kidding around.