NovelEnglishChapter 149 "Dad." Young Citrine's voice trembled as she suddenly spotted Sawyer. The sickly smile she wore faded away, leaving only confusion and fear. She stared at him stubbornly, rushing to explain, "Dad, it was him-He touched me." She took a few timid steps toward Sawyer, reaching out her small, trembling hand, hoping he'd take it. But Sawyer jerked away without hesitation.
"What's wrong with you? Why are you so frightening?" He shoved Citrine aside, disbelief quickly twisting into disgust in his eyes.
"What do you mean, 'he touched you'? Your Aunt Aline worked so hard to find you a world-renowned piano teacher, and now you're accusing him of something so outrageous? You're getting more out of hand by the day." It was Sunday, and the commotion had drawn the entire Iverson family into the hallway.
Jeanette caught sight of Citrine and let out a piercing shriek. "Ew, there's blood on your hands! You're scary!" She clapped her hands over her eyes, backing away.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtAline's eyes widened in horror. She swiftly pulled Jeanette into her arms, glaring at Citrine with open fear. "What's wrong with you? Stay away from my daughter- Don't cany closer!" "Dad..." Citrine pleaded, turning to Sawyer, desperate to explain.
"Stay right there. Don't move." Sawyer's icy voice cut her off, sharp as a winter wind, sending a chill through everyone in the room. He stepped protectively in front of Jeanette and Aline, shielding them from Citrine.
Moments later, Norton and Clifford arrived.
They took in the scene, their faces paling. Their first instinct was to check Jeanette; when they saw she was unharmed, they both let out a long sigh of relief. "Thank God, Jeanette's okay." But when they turned their attention back to Citrine, their eyes blazed with undisguised contempt.
Norton sneered, "Citrine, how could you be so cruel? You're just a kid, and already you go for a knife. What, are you planning to kill someone when you grow up?" Clifford, jaw clenched, threatened, "Citrine, you want to play with knives, fine— hurt yourself if you must, but if you so much as touch Jeanette, I swear I'll make you regret it." It was clear: To the family, Citrine was nothing but a curse.
"Why doesn't anyone believe me?" Young Citrine murmured, lost and hollow, her eyes gradually emptying of hope.
After that day, Raymond watched as Young Citrine changed, becoming more withdrawn, more volatile-almost unrecognizable.
By the tshe turned ten, the only person left by Citrine's side was a girl named Alicia.
One day, Jeanette set a fire that trapped herself, Citrine, and Alicia in a burning room.
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Sawyer arrived as the flames raged, but the fire was already out ofcontrol-he could only save one.
Without could Without a moment's hesitation, he chose Jeanette, carrying her out to safety. Citrine watched them disappear through the smoke, the light in her eyes snuffing out, replaced by utter despair.
"You monster. You deserve to die." Raymond, witnessing the scene, couldn't hold back his tears. The hatred in his eyes flared-he truly wanted to kill Sawyer.
Then he saw Young Citrine throw herself in front of Alicia to shield her from an explosion. Blood poured ver from Citrine's ears, but even then, she did everything she could to push Alicia out the window to safety before crawling out herself.
Suddenly, Raymond remembered all the times he'd brought up Citrine's hearing in front of the Carmichaels. Every the mentioned it, Citrine would deftly change the subject. Until now, he'd never understood why she avoided it. Now he realized -he'd been reopening a wound she never wanted to show. But even after surviving the fire, the Iversons accused Young Citrine of setting it in the first place. Her best friend, Alicia, stood up and pointed the finger at her too.
That day, Young Citrine lost her only friend.
On Citrine's eleventh birthday, she accidentally pushed Jeanette. It was the last straw for Sawyer and Aline-they decided to send her away, overseas.
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