The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress

Sebastian could tell she'd just woken up. "Is now a good time to come in?" he asked softly.

Citrine nodded and stepped aside to let him in. Sebastian gestured for the room service staff behind him to bring in the breakfast.

Once the staff had left, Citrine asked, "Have you eaten yet?"

"I ha—” Sebastian started, but changed his mind mid-sentence. He coughed awkwardly and admitted, "Actually, no, not yet."

He looked a little sheepish and avoided meeting her eyes.

Citrine didn't think too much of it, assuming he genuinely hadn't had breakfast, so she invited him in. "Come on, let's eat together."

Sebastian nodded.

"You go ahead and start. I'll just freshen up," Citrine said, heading straight for the bathroom.

She brushed her teeth and splashed some water on her face, then came out a few minutes later. When she returned, Sebastian was still sitting at the table, but hadn't touched his food.

"Why aren't you eating?" she asked with a smile.

Sebastian looked up at her, sincerity in his eyes. "I was waiting for you."

It was such a simple thing to say, yet somehow, it made something warm bloom in Citrine's chest.

She gathered her hair into a loose ponytail, then sat down across from him.

"Let's eat," she said, breaking the moment.

Seeing her pick up her fork, Sebastian finally reached for his own.

Citrine was genuinely hungry and tucked into her food eagerly, barely pausing to breathe. Sebastian, on the other hand, seemed more interested in watching her than eating his own meal.

Once she'd had her fill, Citrine finally had the energy to make small talk. "By the way, what's Carlotta Yarbrough and the rest up to today?"noveldrama

Sebastian hesitated a moment, then answered, "They went out jet skiing."

Citrine just nodded, leaving it at that.

For a brief moment, she wondered if she was being left out-if she hadn't been their boss, she might have felt excluded. The thought flickered and faded.

Suddenly, Sebastian spoke up. "I heard there's an island nearby Azure Isle. Supposedly gorgeous, and only an hour away by yacht. Want to check it out?"

"Azure Isle?" Citrine echoed.

He nodded.

She considered it for a moment, then said, "Sure, why not? I've tried just about everything here anyway." Jet skiing wasn't really her thing.

Decision made, she finished her breakfast, went back to her room and changed into a light sundress with a floral print. She added a touch of makeup, then headed overto knock on Sebastian's door

"All set?" she asked, leaning against the doorframe.

Sebastian glaneed at her. The sundress showed off her pale shoulders and arms, and for a second, he was speechless. He quickly checked the weather of his phone, grabbed a jacket from his closet, and tucked it into his bag. "Ready when you are," he said with a grin.

They headed out together and boarded the yacht for Azure Isle.

An hour later, they arrived at their destination.

As they stepped off the boat, Sebastian looked around and asked, "What do you think? Not bad, right?"

Citrine nodded, taking in the rugged cliffs and lush greenery. "It's beautiful.”

Compared to Whisperwind Cay,

Azure Isle was wilder and more dramatic, with accommodations perched up in the hills. Each island had it own unique charm, and for Citrine, the trip was already more than worth it.