The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress

Monday morning, Citrine woke up early and, after a quick breakfast, grabbed her suitcase and headed out the door.

This time, the company had organized a special team-building retreat and even chartered a bus, which now waited out front.

By the time Citrine arrived with her luggage, most of the employees were already gathered, chatting in small groups near the bus.

As soon as they spotted her, everyone seemed to perk up, quickly making their way over.

"Good morning, President Carmichael!”

"President Carmichael, did you have breakfast? I brought a croissant for you, just in case."

"President Carmichael, please, you should get on first."

"Here, let me take your bag, President Carmichael."

One by one, her employees greeted her with genuine warmth, eager to help.

Sebastian Vesper stood off to the side, silently taking it all in. When he'd first joined CICI Group, he'd been surprised-almost skeptical-of how the staff treated Citrine. At first, he'd assumed they were just trying to curry favor with the boss. But as time went on, seeing more of how things worked, he realized it wasn't about flattery.

Citrine genuinely cared about her team. She made sure they had the best benefits and treated everyone with real respect. The staff remembered her kindness and worked hard, treating Citrine almost like family.

For Sebastian, it was the first time he'd seen such a relationship between a leader and her team, the first time he'd felt the warmth of CICI Group. It was nothing like any other company he'd known; there was a real sense of humanity here.noveldrama

He watched as Citrine, surrounded by her employees, boarded the bus. A faint smile played at his lips, and he followed after her.

Citrine settled into a window seat near the back, pulling out her phone. She was scrolling through messages when she suddenly noticed someone blocking the light. Looking up, she found Sebastian standing beside her.

"Mind if I sit here?" he asked with a small, easy smile.

Before she could answer, Sebastian had already dropped into the seat next to her, making himself comfortable.

Citrine tried to explain, "Actually, this seat-"

But before she could finish, a young woman appeared, holding out a small container. "President Carmichael, I brought you some fresh fruit."

She glanced politely at Sebastian. "Good morning, Mr. Vesper."

Without another word, she picked up her phone from the little tray in front of Sebastian and slipped away.

Citrine let it go and turned back to her phone.

A few minutes later, the bus rumbled to life, and they set off.

Citrine hadn't slept enough the night before, and her eyelids felt heavy. She leaned back, closing her eyes, hoping to recharge a little on the ride.

Sebastian noticed she wasn't asleep and spoke up quietly, "Rough night?"

She opened her mouth, her voice barely above a whisper. "Not really rough. Just not enough sleep. Got a headache."

"Want me to help with that?" Sebastian's gaze flicked to her gently parted lips. He didn't think twice before the words slipped out.

Citrine blinked, not quite catching his meaning. Before she could ask, his cool fingertips were already pressing lightly at her temples. He'd leaned in so close that she could catch a hint of his fresh, cedarwood scent.

"What are you doing?" Her lashes fluttered as she opened her eyes, startled.

She found herself staring straight into his eyes, amusement sparking in their depths.

It was only then that Citrine realized how close he'd gotten-half his body angled toward her, the space between them almost nonexistent. To a passerby, it might look like they were about to kiss.

Kiss.

The word flitted through her mind before she could stop it.

Embarrassed, she turned her head away, her gaze darting out the window as she pushed against his shoulder.

But Sebastian didn't budge.

"Sit up," she said, her voice flustered in a way she didn't quite recognize.

He didn't move his hand. "Trust me. Close your eyes. This'll help," he murmured, his tone gentle, almost coaxing.