Chapter 231

"Hey, you're awake!" Travis's face lit up with relief as Citrine opened her eyes.

"Who are you?" she asked, blinking up at the unfamiliar face, her curiosity plain.

Travis smiled wider at the sound of her voice. "I'm the son of the man in the wheelchair you saw earlier. You can call me Brother Travis."

Wheelchair?

Suddenly, the memories from earlier flooded back. That man he must have been the one who saved her.

Citrine's eyes darted around, then she looked up at Travis and gave him her sweetest, most innocent smile. "Brother Travis, could you tell me where am I right now?"

She was convinced her helpless look would tug at anyone's heartstrings. What she didn't realize, though, was that she still looked every bit the lost street kid Travis and his father had found: her face smudged with dirt, her clothes ragged, hair a tangled mess. No amount of wide-eyed innocence could hide that.

But Travis didn't seem to mind at all. He answered her seriously, "You were hurt pretty badly. We're at the hospital now."

His kindness made Citrine believe her act was working, so she pressed on. "Brother Travis, where did your dad go?"

Without missing a beat, Travis replied, "He had an appointment with a doctor to check on his leg. He said he'd come by to see you later."

Citrine nodded quietly, falling silent.

After a moment, Travis asked gently, "So, where's your family? Why were you all alone out there?"

"I don't have any family." The thought of Sawyer Iverson, so far away back in her home country, made her eyes sting with tears. She shook her head, still wary despite the warmth Travis offered.

Travis's heart ached for her—but at the same time, he couldn't help feeling a little happy. "Well, if you'd like, you can come home with me. I'll be your big brother- nobody will ever mess with you again, I promise." He thumped his chest with pride.

Citrine curved her lips into a small smile, pretending to be delighted. "Alright. I've always wanted an older brother."

But when Travis wasn't looking, her smile faded as quickly as it had come. After years on Mirage Cay, fear had settled deep in her bones. Travis seemed kind, but she just couldn't let her guard down.

Travis, for his part, had always dreamed of having a little sister. It didn't matter to him that Citrine looked like a stray; the moment he saw her, he felt a connection. Hearing her agree to come home with him filled him with a joy he'd never known.

That day, Travis brought her a pile of snacks and taught her how to play video games-even gave her his favorite console, something he'd never shared with anyone before.

Later that afternoon, after his checkup, Manley stopped by the hospital room. He saw the two of them laughing and playing together and simply watched from the doorway, not wanting to interrupt.

It was the happiest day Citrine had known in a long time. If not for the scars of Mirage Cay-constant reminders of how cruel people could be-she might have let herself get swept away by this brief moment of joy.

That night, after Travis left, Manley wheeled himself up to Citrine's bedside and spoke quietly. "Come back to my country with me. I can adopt you, if you'd like."

Go back with him?

For a moment, Citrine felt a pang of longing. But just as quickly, she pushed it aside. What reason did he have to help her? They were strangers.

She looked at the man in the wheelchair and nodded, her expression unchanged. "Sure."

But that very night, she climbed out the window and slipped away from the hospital, taking the snacks and game console Travis had given her.

Manley and Travis had saved her life-had shown her kindness and warmth when she needed it most. She would never forget that, and she truly wanted to believe in them. But trust was a luxury she couldn't afford.

For days afterward, Citrine locked herself in her room as soon as she got home. She barely left except to eat, and she wouldn't even set foot in the game room she'd once loved so much.