Chapter 14
After that, Sawyer simply decided to adopt the little one.”
Two lost souls, clinging to each other for warmth.
It was the lowest point in Sawyer’s life, a time when he had nothing to his name. And yet, with that small bundle of joy by his side, he found a ram, precious comfort he’d never known before.
Though it all happened more than a decade ago, Sawyer remembered every detail, as if it had just happened yesterday.!!
Back then, that little girl had eyes only for him–she’d cling to his leg, refusing to let go until he picked her up. Now, that same girl was demanding to sever all ties, as if their father–daughter bond meant nothing at all.
And just like that, she’d found her biological father.
The thought that Raymond was her real dad left Sawyer feeling unexpectedly hollow inside.
That night, he didn’t sleep a wink.
Meanwhile, after returning home, Raymond immediately ordered someone to investigate Citrine’s time overseas.
Sawyer had mentioned she’d lived abroad–and the child’s reaction had been anything but normal!!
Raymond, too, found himself unable to sleep that night–a rare occurrence for him.
Only Citrine slept soundly drifting into a peaceful, dreamless slumber.
She hadn’t slept well in ages. Ever since her return six months ago, she hadn’t had a single restful night at the Iversons‘ estate. Who would have thought she’d finally sleep so well under the Carmichaels‘ roof?
Maybe the Iverson family was just bad luck for her
The next morning, when Citrine came down for breakfast, she learned that Raymond had already left early for the office
She didn’t give i
it much thought. After finishing her meal, she headed off to school.
As soon as she walked into the classroom, she spotted Amelia slumped over her desk, looking utterly miserable.
“What’s wrong?” Citrine asked. It was rare to see Amelia so downcast
“Citrine, the monthly exams are next week.” Amelia lifted her head, looking
oking as if the life had been sucked out of her..
Only then did Citrine notice the dark circles under her eyes. “Don’t tell me you didn’t sleep all night?
Amelia nodded. She’d spent the entire night poring over her textbooks, but nothing seemed to stick.!!
“If I’m at the bottom of the class again this time, I be forced to leave,” Amelia said, sniffling, clearly upset.
Havencrest Preparatory Academy had a notoriously strict rule; if a student ranked in the bottom five for three consecutive monthly exams, they’d be expelled and have to find another school.
There was one slightly more forgiving policy, though–any student who wanted to transfer in from another Havencrest campus could take the entrance exam at any time. As long as they passed, they’d be admitted.
Of course, that entrance exam was notoriously tough!!
Citrine thought about all this, then rummaged through her desk and pulled out a notebook, handing it to Amelia
“Don’t worry. You’re not getting expelled,” she said with quiet confidence.
There was something about Citrine–a calm assurance that always made people believe her. Amelia’s nerves eased a little.
She stared at the notebook. “What’s this?“.
“These are my class notes from before. If you go through them, you’ll be fine in the exam.”
But these weren’t ordinary notes–Citrine had put together her own ways of solving every type of problem, with tips and shortcuts to make even the trickiest concepts easier to understand.X
Amelia doubted they’d help, but if Citrine said so, she was willing to try. She happily accepted the notebook–honestly, Citrine could’ve handed her a pile of junk and she’d still be grateful
Suddenly, a mocking laugh sounded from the next row.
The girl wasn’t much to look at, but she canied herself with a certain arrogance. Dressed in head–to–toe designer labels, she was the very picture of a spoiled heiress
Arms folded, she looked down her nose at Citrine and Amelia. “The sixth–lowest scorer teaching the fifth–lowest how to study? That’s hilarious”
Amelia’s cheeks burned with embarrassment, but remembering Citrine’s encouragement, she straightened her back
“So what? Citrines ranking never changes, and that’s something, isn’t it?” she shot back, voice wavering but determined.
Alicia Chase just sneered. “Keep telling yourself that. We’ll see if you’re still smiling when the test results come in.”
As Citrine looked at the girl in front of het memones from a much darker time came rushing back, unbidden.
