The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress

Ever since Citrine returned to the Saunders family, laughter seemed to fill the house more and more each day. Even Nigel, who used to stay away for weeks at a time, had started coming home regularly. The misunderstandings between him and the rest of the family had completely disappeared, all thanks to Citrine.

Now, Citrine practically ruled the household. Everyone deferred to her wishes without question.

Since Citrine came home, Hilda was no longer the iron-fisted matriarch people used to whisper about. Gentleness had replaced her usual sharpness, so much so that she seemed like a different person entirely.

Monica and Wade, for their part, hadn't been yelled at or scolded in ages. The peace and quiet were almost unsettling for them-they still weren't quite used to

it.

Citrine sat on the couch with a cat curled up in her lap. Hilda and Inez flanked her on either side-one shelling pistachios for her, the other offering peeled clementine segments directly into her hand.

The rest of the Saunders family watched from across the room, longing to squeeze in next to Citrine, but Hilda's and Inez's sharp glares kept them firmly in place. No one dared to get too close.

At first, Citrine had felt awkward being waited on like this, but Hilda and Inez's warmth was impossible to resist. In the end, she simply went along with it.

Her phone rang just then, cutting through the comfort of the moment. Citrine sat up and glanced at the caller ID before getting up from the couch.

"Mom, Grandma, I'm going to step outside and take this call," she said, already heading toward the back door.

Once she reached the garden, she answered.

A voice came through almost immediately. "Chairwoman, Jeanette took the bait. She's already sold herself to Neon Hive."

A slow, satisfied smile curled on Citrine's lips. "Excellent work."

With that, she hung up briskly.

Meanwhile, inside Neon Hive-

Jeanette lay motionless on the floor, battered and bloodied, as if she were little more than a discarded animal. A group of men had just finished beating her, fists and boots leaving her half-conscious.

One of the men nudged her with his foot, testing to see if she was still alive. "She dead?"

Jeanette's entire body ached. She kept her eyes shut, feigning death, praying they'd leave her alone.

She couldn't comprehend how a

simple part-time job-something a friend had introduced her to-had turned into this nightmare. She'd only realized after signing the contract that she was now nothing but a plaything for the club's male clientele.

The man was about to turn away when he noticed the flutter of her eyelashes. "You little bitch, trying to fool me?" he growled, a cold smile on his lips. He raised

his foot and kicked Jeanette again, harder this time.

"Not only do you refuse to cooperate, now you're trying to play beat you to death if you pull

the "he spat, raining down

blows with no mercy.

Jeanette's screams filled the room, her pain so intense it felt like her body had been torn open.

With death looming over her, terror swallowed her whole.

"Please don't hit me. I'll do what you want... I'll cooperate," she managed to choke out.noveldrama

The man finally stopped. He crouched down, grabbed a fistful of her hair, and slapped her hard across the face.

"That's more like it. If you'd acted like this from the start, I wouldn't have had to be so rough."

He grabbed her by the throat, hauled her up, and dumped her onto a chair facing a mirror.

Jeanette caught sight of her reflection-her face swollen and bruised beyond recognition. She looked utterly pitiful.

She reached up, trembling, to smooth her matted hair, not daring to say a word.

The man snorted at her, then lit a cigarette and exhaled slowly. "As long as you're here, you'll never be cheated out of your money. Sell enough drinks, catch the eye of a big spender, and your life will be set. Understand?"