When Raymond stepped outside, Citrine was already gone.

He stared at the deserted street corner, and a sudden sharp pain seized his

chest.

Gritting his teeth against the difort, Raymond pulled out his phone and dialed Citrine''s number. The phone rang and rang, but no one picked up.

Anxious now, he called Adler instead; this time, the line connected almost immediately.

"Find out where Citrine went. She just left my father''s ce," Raymond blurted out before Adler could even greet him.

"Don''t worry, President Carmichael, I''ll look into it right away," Adler replied, concern evident in his tone.

Raymond forced himself through the pain and got into his car.

But the moment he started the engine, the ache in his chest grew sharper, nearly blinding him. His hands faltered on the wheel, and the car veered off course, mming straight into a tree on the curb.

He managed to hit the brakes in time to avoid a worse crash.

Just then, Adler called back.

"She''s alright, sir. She''s at a bakery downtown-I''m sending you the address now."

Raymond nced at the location Adler sent and finally let himself breathe. The pain in his chest eased, if only a little.

"Come pick me up at the family house," he instructed curtly.

Meanwhile, Citrine was sitting alone by the window in a quiet bakery.

It waste, and the ce was nearly empty-her solitary figure stood out starkly against the empty tables and softmplight.

At this hour, the staff were preparing to close up. Sebastian, one of the employees, was about to leave when a fellow worker, still in his apron, hurried

over.

"Seb, I''ve got another shift tonight. Could you stick around and watch the ce until thatst customer leaves?" the coworker asked, ncing toward Citrine in the corner.

"Sure," Sebastian nodded, slipping his uniform jacket back on.

"Thanks, man," the other said, rushing out the door.

Sebastian strolled to the register, settling in behind the counter.

Just then, Citrine finished her dessert and made her way up to pay. Sebastian looked up and paused, surprised. He recognized her instantly.

It was the same girl who had called the police at the g the other night.

Tonight, she wore a in ck hoodie and gray sweatpants, her chestnut hair pulled back in a loose ponytail, making her pale face seem even more delicate.

Even dressed so simply, her beauty was impossible to ignore.

Citrine didn''t notice his gaze; she kept her head down, looking a bit awkward.

Just as she was about to speak, she nced up and caught sight of his face-her words faltered. Then, she smiled and changed tack. "Quick question do you guys ever let customers run a tab?"

"You don''t remember me?" Sebastian asked, mildly surprised.

"Have we met?" Citrine frowned, feigning ignorance.

After leaving the g, she had remembered him. Sebastian-he''d once been the only man in Crestwood with enough clout to stand up to the Glenwood family.

But what was someone like him doing working behind a bakery counter now?

Sebastian just shook his head and let it go. He hadn''t expected her not to recognize him, but he certainly wasn''t about to volunteer that he was the same guy from the g—a night that hadn''t exactly ended in his favor. If he could help it, he''d rather she didn''t find out.

"Sorry, I went out today and forgot my wallet," Citrine said, her voice small as she looked up at Sebastian, clearly embarrassed. "Would it be alright if I settled my bill next time?"

She barely reached his shoulder-couldn''t have been more than five foot three, and she looked no older than sixteen.