The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress

The next day, Citrine went to visit Vester with Sebastian Vesper.

Vester was in good spirits. Despite just coming out of surgery, he actually looked healthier and more energized than before.

When he saw Citrine, his expression softened noticeably.

Citrine didn't notice the change in his eyes. She settled onto the sofa, her tone casual and professional, as if she were just checking in on another patient.

"How are you feeling? Any discomfort anywhere?"

Vester shook his head. "No, nothing hurts."

Citrine offered a gentle reminder, "Just stick to the rehab plan I laid out for you. If all goes well, you should be able to get out of that wheelchair in about three months."

"Three months." For a moment, hope flickered in Vester's eyes. He looked at Citrine, his gratitude unmistakable. "Thank you, Dr. Carmichael."

"I'm just doing my job." Citrine's expression remained composed, but as a doctor, seeing her patient's steady recovery brought her real satisfaction.

She had given him a second chance, and Vester was deeply thankful. He hadn't felt this happy in years.

Of course, he was well aware this wasn't charity-there were strings attached.

Thinking back to their last conversation, Vester's face grew serious. "Dr. Carmichael, I imagine you've got something you want to say to me?"

He hesitated, then added, "Those three conditions from the start-and the promise I made the other night-they all still stand."

Citrine smiled faintly. "Since you're being so straightforward, Mr. Vester, I won't beat around the bush either."

She fixed her gaze on him and asked, "Do you know anything about Mirage Cay?"

At the mention of those words, Vester's relaxed demeanor vanished; his whole body tensed, and an unmistakable look of disgust flashed in his eyes.

He glanced at Citrine, clearly guessing at her intentions.noveldrama

After a long pause, he offered a word of caution. "It's not that I don't want to tell

you, Dr. Carmichael. But honestly, the less you know, the better."

"So you do know quite a bit, then." Citrine hadn't missed his reaction, and it didn't seem to surprise her at all.

Vester fell silent, his face clouded and grim.

Citrine wasn't about to let it drop. She pressed on, "I used to be one of the people from Mirage Cay."

"Now, Mr. Vester, will you tell me what you know?"

With someone this guarded, sometimes honesty was her best move.

She just had to take a risk and bet that he'd help her.

Vester's expression was pure disbelief. "That's impossible."

Citrine read his thoughts easily, a faint, knowing smile on her lips. "Surprised I made it out alive, aren't you?"

She spoke plainly, "I escaped years ago. And I survived."

Vester looked at her, his face complicated. "The old man forced everyone at Mirage Cay to take a drug his company developed. It doesn't hurt your organs, but unless you get the antidote every month, you'll die—just like that. No one's ever gotten out alive, and even if they did, they wouldn't last long."

Citrine's voice was soft but confident. "He forgot I'm a doctor. If their company could make that poison, I could make the antidote."

Vester struggled to contain his shock. After a moment, he asked quietly, "Aren't you afraid I'll go straight to Darius Archer? He is my father, after all."

Citrine met his gaze and, suddenly, she smiled.

“I am afraid. But I don't think you will. I'm betting you're not like him—that you don't even think of him as your father."

She admitted to herself that she'd hesitated more than once about confiding in Vester. At first, she hadn't dared to take the risk-until, right before Vester's surgery she learned something by accident.

That day, a boy had come to the house, saying he was the

chauffeur's son. His father had been in a car accident, so he was there to

take some time off on his behalf. As have it, he ran into

would ended up being

humiliated.