The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress novel Chapter 57

Travis was infamous among the city's elite—a notorious troublemaker and the black sheep of his family.

Weston Carmichael had always held his own to the highest standards. Under his iron-fisted upbringing, his two sons flourished, both becoming exemplary heirs to the Carmichael legacy.

Travis, on the other hand, was the son of Manley Carmichael's mistress. Manley had initially refused to acknowledge him, but the woman had gone straight to the Carmichael estate, demanding recognition. When Weston saw that the child was a boy, he paid the woman off and took Travis in.

After all, Travis was his only biological grandson. Weston had intended to raise him into a worthy successor, but the boy proved utterly hopeless with his studies and had zero business acumen. Over time, Weston's disappointment soured into outright disdain.

Travis had long since grown used to being looked down upon in the Carmichael household. So when the girl in front of him called him "brother" in a soft, sweet voice, he was momentarily stunned.

"Uh, yeah." Travis answered awkwardly, glancing at her pretty face.

The Carmichael family was small, so the family dinner started quickly.

Weston's adopted twins, Vicente and Regina Carmichael, sat at the table, volleying jokes and witty remarks that had the old man beaming with laughter.

No one else at the table seemed surprised by the scene. Unless Weston singled someone out, the rest of the family rarely spoke up during meals.

Aside from the twins' banter and Weston's genuine laughter, the dining room was quiet.

Citrine kept her head down, quietly eating and doing her best to make herself invisible.

But suddenly, Regina shifted the conversation and turned her attention to Citrine.

"Citrine, where do you go to school?" Regina smiled warmly, her eyes fixed on the girl.

The last time they'd seen each other was at Weston's birthday party, and even from across the room, Regina had found Citrine's beauty striking.

Her tone was light, almost dismissive. She didn't even spare Regina another look, but her words stung with their breezy arrogance.

Regina was taken aback. She'd always assumed Citrine was a pushover, but apparently she had a spine.

Regina forced a smile. "You really are something, little sister."

She paused, then added, "Unlike me—I'm just muddling through at Elegance Peak Academy."

Citrine had dealt with girls like Regina plenty of times before—after all, the Iverson family, where she'd grown up, had one just like her.

Citrine arched a brow and smiled. "Well, then, I guess you really are useless."

At that, the entire table turned to her in stunned silence.