The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress

Chapter 800 Despite Citrine and Sebastian Vesper's sharpshooting-having taken down quite a few of their enemies the opposition's sheer numbers tipped the balance in their favor.

Dodging bullets and firing back, Citrine and Sebastian were too busy to notice the black barrel protruding from the window of a nearby dark sedan.

The gun leveled at Citrine.

A bullet tore through the air in an instant.

"Get down!" Sebastian's voice was raw with panic as he glanced up, eyes wild.

He didn't hesitate. In a split second, he lunged in front of Citrine.

The bullet punched through his shoulder.

"Sebastian!" Citrine's face drained of color.

Watching him collapse before her, rage surged in Citrine's chest, white-hot and blinding.

Without a second thought, she raised her pistol, aiming straight at the man in the car.

A shot rang out, and blood sprayed across the car's interior.

"Boss!" someone in the crowd screamed. The mob spun around, racing toward the black vehicle.

With their leader dead, panic swept through the remaining henchmen, scattering their focus.

Citrine seized the moment, firing at the disoriented group. Her shots rang out in quick succession, and bodies fell one after another. But she took a hit herself, blood blooming on her sleeve.

When her last bullet left the chamber, a sinking dread settled in Citrine's heart.

Just then, more shots cut through the chaos-this taimed at the enemy. The attackers dropped where they stood.

Citrine looked up to see Sherman sprinting toward her, worry etched on his face.

"Citrine!" His expression turned ashen when he saw her injury. He spun around, shouting to the people behind him, "Get a medic, now!" The medic rushed over, cracking open his kit as soon as he saw Citrine's wound.

But Citrine's gaze was fixed on the man sprawled on the ground. Her voice brooked no argument. "Help him first. He's been shot in the shoulder and has lost a lot of blood. He's unconscious." Sherman and the medic knew better than to argue with her, quickly moving to tend to Sebastian.

Citrine's own wound wasn't as serious, so she patched herself up with practiced hands.

It was only after most of the wounds were seen to that Vester finally arrived, well after the dust had settled.

Citrine barely spared him a glance, her face unreadable.

"Sorry I'm late," Vester said, guilt etched in every word.

Seeing his remorse, Citrine softened, offering sreassurance. "Don't blyourself. You did everything you could-and we're still alive, aren't we?" Vester's expression darkened, but he kept quiet.

After a moment's hesitation, Citrine couldn't help but warn him, “Darius Archer was willing to go to deadly lengths to get rid of me, an outsider. You need to be careful at home. He's got plenty of killers at his disposal, and it's the attacks you don't see coming that are the most dangerous." Her concern eased sof the weight on Vester's heart.

He managed a faint smile. "Don't worry. That old bastard Darius Archer won't be a problem much longer. I've already arranged for him to disappear." With Sebastian in desperate need of a transfusion, Citrine didn't linger. She asked Sherman to get them to Viridis Medical Institute as fast as possible.

Raymond Carmichael was still waiting for her at a hotel overseas. Not wanting to worry him, Citrine decided to keep this whole ordeal to herself for now.

Back home.

The Saunders family sat in the living room, a heavy silence pressing down on them.

Across from them sat members of the Vermillion Vanguard. Ever since Citrine had left, the group had ensured the entire Saunders family was confined to the estate.

Even Hilda Saunders, who had tried to flee the country, had been dragged back by the Vanguard.

Since Citrine's departure, Hilda and the rest had attempted everything-climbing out windows, jumping from balconies, you nit but every escape was foiled. Days dragged by, each one heavier than the last. Hilda, in particular, hadn't slept through a single night. Now she glared coldly at the Vanguard officers across from her. "You won't letleave, fine. But when is my daughter coming back?" Her eyes were red and swollen from crying.

One of the Vanguard members looked away, clearly uncomfortable, but he steeled himself, recalling the boss's orders. "Sorry, ma'am. We were told to keep you safe and not let you leave the country. That's all." "Get out!" Hilda snapped, grabbing a pillow and hurling it at him in fury.

As the family's spirits sank lower and lower, another Vanguard officer hesitated, then finally spoke up. "Miss Saunders, Detore she left, the boss wrote letters for all of you They're in her desk drawer upstairs-you might want to read them." "Letters? And you're tellingnow?" Hilda's glare could have cut glass.

The officer pressed his lips together, voice barely above a whisper. "She said we should only mention them if things got really bad, or if you needed something to hold on to." At that moment, the only thing on Hilda's mind was the letters. She shot the officer a venomous look and rushed upstairs to fetch them.

The Saunders family, hearing there were letters from Citrine, finally felt a glimmer of hope break through the gloom.