NovelFinishChapter 78 She never imagined their next meeting would happen like this. With her face buried against her knees, Alicia felt her eyes sting; tears slowly seeped into her black dress, dampening the fabric.
A moment later, she sensed something draped across her shoulders.
Citrine had slipped off her coat and gently placed it over Alicia's back.
"You should head home. Be careful-there are sreal creeps out at this hour." Noticing Alicia had no interest in conversation, Citrine didn't press. She left her with that parting warning and turned to go.
As Citrine's footsteps faded into the distance, a surge of indescribable loneliness washed over Alicia.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtShe clutched the coat tighter, then suddenly stood and called after her, "Citrine!" Hearing her name, Citrine turned around, familiar yet changed.
"It's really you?" Alicia met Citrine's gaze, searching her face for traces of the girl she used to know. Citrine looked calm, almost indifferent, though there was a flicker of surprise in her eyes.
"Thank you for helping me," Alicia said, holding Citrine's eyes, her own heart in turmoil.
Citrine's features hadn't changed much-still echoing the girl from their childhood -but now there was a coldness about her, a distance that kept Alicia firmly on the outside.
"Surprised it's me?" Alicia gave a bitter smile.
Once the golden child everyone envied, she had fallen so far, reduced to a plaything for others' amusement. Of all people, it had to be Citrine who saw her at her lowest. She must think Alicia deserved every bit of it.
"Yeah. What rotten luck." Citrine's reply was blunt, with no attempt to soften the blow.
Citrine glanced at her coat, wincing inwardly; it was designer, expensive. But now that it was draped over Alicia's shoulders, she couldn't bring herself to ask for it back.
Alicia froze, feeling as if a piece of her heart had been carved out. She pressed her lips together and forced herself to speak. "Do you regret saving me, now you know it was me?" "Of course. If I'd known, I wouldn't have bothered." Citrine answered without hesitation.
She never forgot the pain Alicia had caused her. Citrine was not one to forgive or forget.
Citrine's words cut deep, like a knife. Alicia's voice trembled. "You must be enjoying this, seeinglike this, aren't you?" Citrine just stared at her in silence.
Alicia bit her lip, forcing another bitter smile. "I never thought my father-the man I thought loved me-would forceto drink with his clients." "Ever since the Chase family fell apart, my parents have becugly strangers. The hI loved is gone. I have nothing left..." She poured out everything she'd bottled up, all the humiliation and betrayal of the past weeks.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmCitrine listened, unmoved. "That's not my problem." Her coldness stung more than any insult.
Everything that had happened lately had shattered Alicia's entire world. The father who once doted on her he eptertain his business now hit her parties to associates—even tried to force her into bed with an overweight, leering old man. The mother who used to be so gentle had grown distant and cold, even plotting with her father to marry Alicia off to that sman.
Alicia had always believed she was blessed, cherished by the perfect family. Only after the Chase family collapsed did she realize it was all a lie. Years of love and loyalty-fake.
Night after night, she dreamed of the fire: young Citrine carrying her out Q through the smoke, shielding her "The from the explosion. Even when Citrine lost hearing in her left ear, she'd never blamed Alicia. She'd said it was her own choice.
They weren't even related by blood-just friends. But Citrine had risked everything for her.
Thinking of her own parents and relatives, Alicia could only laugh at herself. She'd been blind. She'd lost the best person in her world-Citrine-and now, it was too late.
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