NovelXXXChapter 362 He'd even sent Citrine overseas because of this.
The Iverson brothers were both staring intently at Alicia, waiting for her to speak.
Thinking back to what had happened, Alicia's face twisted with pain. It took all her strength to get the words out. "I lied. Back then, everyone knew Jeanette was the Iversons' real daughter, and Citrine was adopted. No one in the family really cared about her. Aline and my parents had already made up their minds together." She let out a heavy sigh. "It was my mom and dad who forcedto point the finger at Citrine." "Citrine lost her hearing in her left ear because she was trying to save me. Even though I was in a coma, I wasn't completely out of it-I remember everything." Sawyer and the Iverson brothers sat stiffly on the sofa, their faces hard as stone. "Are you telling the truth?" Sawyer's eyes were red-rimmed as he spoke. Alicia nodded. "It's true. If you don't believe me, you can ask my parents." The three Iversons looked absolutely stricken.
"Then why didn't you say something sooner?" Sawyer looked at the girl in front of him, frustration creeping into his voice.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtAlicia pressed her lips together, her expression wracked with guilt. "I'm sorry." Sawyer was suddenly hit with the memory of sending Citrine-just eleven years old-away to another country. It had been her birthday. She hadn't cried or made a scene; she only asked if she'd ever be allowed to cback. He told her of course she could, but in the five years she was gone, he never visited. He hadn't even called her once.
He'd wronged her for so many years, shut her out and ignored her. Guilt crashed over him like a wave.
"Oh God, what have I done to Citrine?" Sawyer's voice shook, thick with regret.
Sending Citrine away had been a family decision, a vote. Norton and Clifford had both agreed to it. Now, both brothers looked as if the weight of the world was pressing down on them.
Norton said quietly, "We all owe Citrine an apology." Clifford added, "No wonder she resents us so much. She's suffered more than we ever knew." A few months later, the Stellaris Group announced a business gala in Crestwood, and the CICI Group received an invitation.
Stellaris Group was a rising star in Crestwood, a powerhouse with influence in both business and less savory circles. They'd kept a low profile over the years, and in the city's elite social scene, they were a mystery that no one could quite crack. Other prominent families had tried to undermine Stellaris Group in the past, but each time, they'd found themselves outmaneuvered. Eventually, people stopped trying.
Stellaris Group almost never showed their faces at Crestwood's high-society events and avoided mingling with the city's wealthy families.
No one expected them to make an exception for CICI Group. Of all the old-money families, not a single one had been invited-only CICI Group, who had just recently moved to Crestwood, received the honor.
At that moment, Citrine was sitting in her office chair, studying the Stellaris Group invitation. A small, knowing smile played on her lips.
In her previous life, the chairman of Stellaris Group had been Sebastian.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmIt seemed her recent interactions with Sebastian had paid off-at the very least, he'd sent her an invitation.
But hadn't he always acted like he was just sstruggling nobody when he was with her? Why the sudden change of heart? Citrine couldn't make sense of it. She didn't dwell on it. The next day, she brought Carlotta along to the venue reserved by Stellaris Group.
Carlotta attended as the official CICI Group representative, while Citrine accompanied her in the role of staff support.
In her past life, Stellaris Group had held enormous sway both in the light and the shadows. Most importantly, they had always refused to get el m involved in the power struggles among Crestwood's elite families. The old money in Crestwood could never bring Stellaris Group down, so they'd tried to win them over, but Stellaris Group remained firmly neutral. This time, Citrine wanted to see if she could finally get Stellaris Group to choose CICI Group's side.
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