The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress

The scenery on Azure Isle was breathtaking-so beautiful that it felt like a crime not to capture it.

Citrine led Sebastian Vesper down to the lighthouse by the sea. Handing him her camera, she grinned, "Here, take a few nice pictures of me, will you?"

"Of course." Sebastian took the camera without hesitation, his expression soft with affection.

Citrine struck a few casual poses beneath the lighthouse, changing them up easily. Sebastian bent slightly to find the perfect angle, snapping away.

"Perfect."

"Beautiful."

"Chin down a bit."

After each shot, he offered a word of encouragement, occasionally suggesting a small adjustment. His tone was always gentle, never impatient.

Nearby, a couple was having a much less pleasant experience. The girl scrolled through her boyfriend's attempts at photography, her face growing stormy.

"What is this? I look awful. Forget it, I'm done," she snapped, turning to walk away.

Her boyfriend rolled his eyes behind her back, grumbling under his breath, “That's just how you look. What do you want me to do—make you look like a movie star? Give me a break."

Despite his irritation, a few seconds later he hurried after her.

Watching the scene unfold, Citrine realized it was the first time she truly noticed how patient Sebastian was with her. No matter what, his temper never seemed to flare around her.

Once they'd taken enough photos, Sebastian waved her over. "All right, come take a look."

Citrine walked up and took the camera from his hands. As she flipped through the photos, her face shifted from cool indifference to delighted surprise. Every picture was gorgeous, the style and composition exactly what she'd hoped for.

She didn't even bother looking through the rest; she'd already seen enough to know she'd be happy with all of them.

Grinning at Sebastian, she teased, "With skills like yours, it's a waste not to be a professional photographer."

He smiled back, eyes earnest. "If you ever need one, I'll be your personal photographer."

Just for you.

Citrine laughed and waved him off. "That's far too much talent wasted."

Sebastian thought to himself: it wouldn't be a waste at all. He'd do it gladly. But he kept those words to himself.

It was still early, so they wandered off to see more of the island. The scenery was so enchanting that they lost track of time entirely.

By the time they thought to head back, the last ferry had already departed-they were officially stranded for the night.

Not that you could blame them. If anything, the island grew more magical as evening set in. Lights flickered on in the hotels and

guesthouses, dotting the dark

like stars scattered across the night. The whole place looked mysterious and one-of-a-kind.

Sebastian took in the view before speaking. "There are inns and hotels here. We'll

just have to stay the night."

"Alright." Citrine nodded. There wasn't much choice.

The ocean air was chilly after dark, and the wind whipped around them, making Citrine shiver. Sebastian noticed and, without a word, pulled a jacket from his bag and draped it over her shoulders.

"It gets cold at night. Don't catch a cold," he said gently.noveldrama

Citrine blinked, a little taken aback, then sniffed and smiled. "Thank you."

She really was cold, so she didn't bother with false modesty.

Apparently, they weren't the only ones stuck for the night-the island was crowded with tourists, and every inn and hotel they tried was fully booked.

Citrine glanced helplessly at the endless stretch of beach and sighed, half-joking,

"Are we going to end up sleeping on the sand tonight?"

Sebastian scrolled through booking apps on his phone, but every hotel on the island showed up as sold out.