NovelUSAChapter 549 At that moment, everyone in the Saunders family was sitting in stony silence, their faces drawn and pale. Beneath the shock and disbelief in their eyes, there was a deep well of worry and heartbreak.
Monica and Wade stared down at the floor, looking ghostly white.
Only now did Monica truly understand what Hilda had meant.
It really was too cruel-asking someone who was already drowning in their own pain to empathize with someone else's suffering.
Especially when her own sister had endured even worse.
An eleven-year-old child, sent away to a place like that... No one really knew how she'd survived.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtBut everyone understood, in their hearts, that Citrine must have gone through unimaginable hardship just to stay alive.
After a long, heavy silence, Hilda finally spoke, her voice thick with guilt. "If I'd just watched Citrine more closely back then, the nanny wouldn't have taken her. She wouldn't have suffered at the Iversons', and she never would have ended up at Mirage Cay. This is all my fault-l failed her." The Saunders family looked at Hilda, wanting to comfort her, but none of them could find the words. The sbitter regret weighed on every heart in the room.
Verona Heights.
After sending Sawyer away, Raymond rolled up his sleeves and cooked a full dinner for his daughter-four dishes and a pot of soup.
When he'd finished, he headed to wake her for the meal, but just as he walked into the living room, his phone began to ring.
Assuming it was his own, Sawyer hurried over to grab it.
"It's Citrine's," Sawyer said, glancing at the phone on the table. It wasn't his after all.
Raymond was about to put it back down when a new message popped up on the screen.
Monica: Citrine, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those things the other day. I shouldn't have meddled and tried to force you to empathize with Aunt Hilda.
Ever since learning Hilda was Citrine's biological mother, Raymond had thoroughly investigated the Saunders family.
So the moment he saw Monica's nand read the message-his expression changed instantly.
He hurried into the kitchen and called over the housekeeper. "Could you go wake Citrine and tell her dinner's ready? I have something to take care of." Without another word, Raymond grabbed his coat and left.
He drove straight from Verona Heights to the Saunders house.
When he arrived, the entire Saunders family was gathered in the living room, staring in surprise to see him show up unannounced.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmHilda had already told her family everything about Citrine-including the truth about her real father. Now everyone knew Raymond was Citrine's father-the man Hilda had had a one-night stand with all those years ago. sŵ Hilda had made it clear to her parents that it had all been a mistake and that neither she nor Raymond had known the truth back then. As a result, Herschel and¶nez didn't blRaymond for what had happened.
On the contrary, after hearing from Hilda how well this man had treated Citrine, the elderly couple actually found themselves warming to him.
Now, exchanging a glance, Herschel and Inez nodded to each other before Herschel called out, "Let's get stea ready for our guest." He stopped a maid in the hallway and added, "Bring out the new tea set I just bought at the Magnolia auction." Compared to Herschel and Inez's enthusiasm, Hilda's attitude was much cooler- borderline irritable, even.
Why wasn't he with Citrine at a tlike this? What was he doing here? Raymond entered the room, giving a polite nod to Herschel and Mrs.
Saunders. Inez greeted him warmly. "President Carmichael, please, have a seat."
Hilda, on the other hand, hardly bothered to hide her annoyance! She glanced at him and asked, "What brings you here?"
Raymond gave a cold snort, clearly displeased. "Why am I here? I'm\hère hy I to ask what your dear niece said to my daughter." Monica was taken aback. She hadn't expected Raymond to cfor her.
She looked up at him uncertainly. "I'm sorry, I don't understand what you mean." Raymond ignored her confusion, sitting down on the sofa and fixing her with a steely glare. "I saw the message you sent. I want to know exactly what you said to Citrine."
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