Chapter 13
The realization struck Sawyer like a blow to the chest–a dull, lingering ache he couldn’t ignore.
For some reason, his mind drifted back to memories of Citrine as a child.§
Back then, Sawyer had nothing–no money, no connections. He was just starting his company, which had already lost a fortune on its first projects, leaving him drowning in debt. He spent months in a haze of despair, convinced he’d reached rock bottom.!!
That was when he met Citrine.X
young Citrine.!
One night, after drinking far too much, he stumbled down the street on his way home. That’s when he saw y
She couldn’t have been more than thren, dressed in ragged clothes that made her look like a little street urchin, Head held high, she called
out to him.
“Daddy”
Her eyes sparkled–bright and clear, as if holding a whole galaxy inside.
Sawyer had never dealt with such a young child before. For the first time in a long while, he stopped in his tracks.
He answered, his tone oddly serious, “Kid, I’m not your dad.”
Citrine stared back at him, her gaze far too wise for her age. “But could you be?” she asked.
Worried he wouldn’t believe her, she went on, “My dad says I’m a burden, so he hates me. I want a new dad. Could you be my dad?”
Her childish honesty loosened something in Sawyer’s chest, easing the tension that had been wound tight for months.
“Kid, you’re really latching onto me, aren’t you?” he replied, half amused.!!
But he didn’t give her words much thought.&
It wasn’t until he was nearly home that he realized Citrine had been following him the whole way.
“You’ve been tailing me this whole time?” he asked, surprised.
Citrine nodded.)
“Don’t you know how dangerous that is?” For once, Sawyer found himself scolding someone else.
“Where do you live? 111 take you home.”
Sensing he was upset, Citrine mumbled un address
Her home was in a narrow alley, overflowing with trash and reeking of sewage. She lived in a rundown apartment building at the end. “This is my home” Citrine said, knocking on the door
Before Sawyer could react, a man swung the door open and immediately kicked Citrine out onto
ther
pavement!
He cursed, demanding. You useless brat, where’s my money?”
Citrine barely flinched. She just picked herself up, pulled a handful of crumpled bills from her pocket, and handed them over
“That’s all?” the man growled, clearly unsatisfied. He grabbed a chair from the doorway and swung it at her?
Sawyer rushed forward, blocking the blow and landing a punch squarely on the man’s face.ll
“What the hell is wrong with you? She’s your daughter Sawyer shouted, Jabbing a finger at the man’s nose.X
“Daughter? She’s nothing but a worthless drain,” the man spat, clutching his face.
In the end, Sawyer couldn’t get the man to let them inside l
He couldn’t leave Citrine with someone like that. After contacting the police, he learned the grim truth: Citrine had been trafficked and wasn’t even the man’s child ||
With no other choice, Sawyer took her home with him.X
But he was broke, buried in debt–there were days when Instant noodles were all he could afford. It was hardly the life for a child.
“Citrine, would you like a new mom and dad?” Sawyer asked gently, holding her close.X
Citrine hesitated, silent
Sawyer took her silence as agreement.
The next day, he started reaching out to adoption agencies, hoping to find her a better home.
But while he was out making arrangements, Citrine disappeared.
He came home to an emply apartment. Panic set in as he searched everywhere for her, frantic
He finally found her lugging a huge plastic bag, overflowing with bottles, cans, and scraps of cardboard.
Her face was smudged with dirt, like a little stray kitten.
When she spotted him, she broke into a run, grinning from ear to ear
Her big, violet eyes–clear as glass grapes–looked up at him with such hope and longing. “Daddy, look! I can earn money. I’m not a burden.
She pressed a few crumpled bills into his hand
The bills were warm from her pocket and her small hand. Whatever words of reprimand he’d meant to say caught in his throat
He should have realized it sooner Citrine was clever and sensitive; she’d known from the start that he was planning to send her away
