The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress (Citrine) novel Chapter 237

Citrine lay perfectly still, eyes closed, pretending to be asleep. She could feel Raymond’s gentle hand carefully wiping her face, each stroke so light it tickled, making her expression shift ever so slightly despite her efforts.

Eventually, she couldn’t keep up the act. With a reluctant sigh, she slowly opened her eyes.

“Raymond, stop it. That tickles,” she said, staring straight at him, her brow furrowing.

Raymond smiled, putting the washcloth aside before settling softly on the edge of the hospital bed. “So you’re finally awake.”

“I wasn’t sleeping,” Citrine replied coolly, her gaze unreadable.

She searched Raymond’s eyes, looking for any trace of irritation or disappointment. There was none. Instead, all she saw was warmth and a quiet fondness.

Raymond’s voice was gentle. “Are you tired? Do you want to rest a little more?”

He wasn’t upset. He didn’t even ask why she hadn’t answered him, even though she’d clearly been awake.

“You’re not mad? I ignored you,” Citrine asked, a hint of surprise in her voice.

Raymond chuckled. “There’s nothing you could do that would make me angry.” In truth, he’d known she was faking from the moment he came in, but he’d played along anyway.

“Why?” Citrine’s confusion was genuine.

“Because I’m your father,” Raymond said, his tone impossibly gentle as he looked at his innocent little girl. “A father never gets mad at his own child.”

Suddenly, Citrine thought of Sawyer—how he had never once lost his temper with Jeanette Iverson.

Raymond didn’t notice her drifting off for a moment. Instead, something else caught his eye: the bandage on her wrist had come loose.

He reached out, intending to tighten it, but the moment his fingers brushed her skin, Citrine yanked her hand back, eyeing him with a wary, almost frightened look.