The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress

Sebastian finished making up the bed before calling Citrine inside.

He broke the silence first, his tone steady but gentle. "You'll sleep here tonight. I'll keep watch outside."

With that, he stood, ready to leave.

The air on the island was chilly at night, and their tent was pitched right on the beach, just a few yards from the water. One good gust of wind and anyone sleeping outside would definitely catch a cold.noveldrama

Citrine spoke up quickly, stopping him. "The tent is big enough for both of us. It's windy out there—you should stay inside too."

She didn't wait for an argument. Instead, she scooted over, making space on the other side of the bedroll.

Her offer was so matter-of-fact and sincere that Sebastian hesitated. She wasn't watching him with even a hint of wariness-just open trust. He paused at the entrance, concern flickering in his eyes. "You trust me that much? Aren't you worried I might try something?"

Was she really that naive around guys?

Citrine laughed softly, amused. "You're not that kind of person."

He pressed, "And if I was?"

She thought about it, lips pursed. "Then I'd handle it."

If it came to that, she was pretty sure she could take him in a fight.

Sebastian couldn't help but smile at her confidence. The last of his worries eased.

Citrine patted the empty spot beside her. "Come on, get in."

He didn't argue further, just slipped off his shoes and crawled into the tent.

The space was just big enough for two. It felt strangely cozy.

After a moment, Citrine realized she was thirsty Remembering that the shop owner had given them some bottled water, she reached for the bag by her feet, pulled out a bottle for herself, and handed another to Sebastian.

Once they finished drinking, Citrine dumped out the rest of the bag's contents, curious. "Let's see what else we've got," she murmured, sorting through the items one by one.

Suddenly, her hand closed around a small square box. She picked it up, peering at the label. "Ultra-thin..." she read aloud, trailing off as she recognized the rest of the words. Her cheeks flushed scarlet, and she clamped her mouth shut.

Sebastian, hearing her stop mid-sentence, looked over. "What is it?"

"N-nothing!" Citrine stammered, hastily shoving the little box under her pillow.

She cleared her throat and changed the subject in a rush. "We should get some sleep."

Sebastian hesitated, then edged closer.

The tent was cramped, and now they were just inches apart.

He was about to say something when the light from his phone flashlight flickered and died, plunging them into darkness.

In the sudden quiet, the only sounds were their breathing and the steady thump of two nervous heartbeats.

Citrine fumbled for her phone, pressing the buttons, but nothing happened. She sighed and set it aside. "Mine's out of battery. Can you check yours?"

Sebastian remembered his phone was somewhere in his backpack. He started feeling around in the dark, hands brushing over bags and blankets, but he couldn't find it.

Citrine offered, "Let me help."

Together, they searched-hands reaching and missing, bumping into each other in the blackness. Citrine stretched across the bed, feeling for the bag. Suddenly, her hand caught on something soft-the blanket-and she lost her balance, tumbling forward.

"Ah-!" she yelped.

Sebastian whipped around at the sound, reaching out to steady her, but before he

could react, Citrine landed right on top of him.