The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress

Citrine was silent for a while, but eventually she gave in and nodded.

Sebastian just smiled, saying nothing, and an awkward tension settled between them.

After a long pause, Sebastian finally broke the silence. "It's getting late. You should try to get some sleep."

Citrine didn't reply. She was exhausted after the long day, and her eyelids grew heavier until, before she knew it, she drifted off.

Sebastian waited, listening for her voice, but after a while, the only sound was her steady, peaceful breathing.

"Completely carefree, aren't you?" he murmured with a quiet laugh.

With that, he lay down as well.

The beach at night was perfectly still, the only sound the gentle hush of the waves outside. Lying there, Sebastian became acutely aware of Citrine's soft breathing beside him.

He couldn't see anything in the pitch-dark tent, so he turned carefully onto his side, facing her.

Sleep seemed impossible. With her sleeping so close, his mind was racing and his heart wouldn't settle. He wished this moment could last a little longer.

It wasn't until the dead of night that tiredness finally began to creep in. Just as he was about to drift off, something warm and soft suddenly rolled up against his chest.

A fuzzy head nudged restlessly at him, tickling his skin as she burrowed closer.

The sensation made his heart flutter. He reached out, intending to gently straighten her head, but before he could, Citrine pressed even closer, as if she'd found her perfect source of warmth.

Sebastian froze, every muscle tense. He stared wide-eyed into the darkness, feeling her breath on his neck, his heart pounding so hard he thought it might burst from his chest.

For a moment, he honestly didn't know where to put his hands.

It was cold-well past midnight now-and the thin blanket they shared did little to keep the chill away. After hesitating, Sebastian finally relented, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close.

Morning arrived softly, dawn light slipping in through the tent's seams. Citrine woke slowly, blinking against the pale glow. She shifted, trying to sit up, but the movement felt off.

She turned her head-and her eyes widened in shock.

She was nestled right up against Sebastian, his arms wrapped tightly around her. They lay together like a pair of lovers.

Citrine pressed her lips together and, heart pounding, reached out tentatively as if caught in the act.

Just as her hand was about to touch him, Sebastian's eyes fluttered open.noveldrama

He caught her gaze, and she looked away, cheeks burning.

Sebastian's lips curled into a faint, amused smile as he regarded her. "It was freezing last night," he said lightly. "You kept snuggling closer. I tried to resist, but you were pretty persistent."

Citrine's eyes went wide. She wanted to protest, but then she remembered her notoriously restless sleeping habits.

This must have been her fault.

Embarrassed, she lowered her gaze, unable to meet Sebastian's eyes. "Sorry... I'm a terrible sleeper. I really didn't mean to take advantage of you."

Seeing her so humbled and apologetic was a rare sight. Sebastian found it oddly endearing.

He deliberately let his gaze linger on her before speaking, a teasing glint in his eye, "Well, you did take advantage of me. Don't you think you owe me something?" His tone was playful, but there was a hint of something deeper beneath the words.

Citrine stared at him, still groggy and confused.

Owe him? Was he actually suggesting...

Was he asking her to take responsibility?

That couldn't be. She met his gaze, searching his expression, and finally blurted out, "Nothing happened We just. ended up tangled together, that's all."

Awkwardly, she added, "Don't get any ideas, okay? I'm not going to take responsibility for you."

With that, she decisively lifted his arm, wriggled out of his embrace, and sat up, putting a safe distance between them.