MainNovelChapter 148 Sure! Here is a culturally localized, natural English adaptation of your excerpt, following all your instructions: It was Jeanette who had tripped and fallen, but when Young Citrine tried to help her up, Sawyer didn't bother to ask what happened—he just started yelling at Citrine.
Then there was Aline, that cruel woman, who would grab Citrine by the throat when no one was around, hissing insults at her. When Citrine showed Sawyer the angry red marks on her neck and tried to tell him what had happened, he accused her of badmouthing Aline and scolded her instead.
Incidents like these happened nearly every day. It hadn't even been a year since that mother and daughter moved in, and already Sawyer's attitude toward Citrine had grown colder and more distant.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtAs the Iverson Group expanded, Sawyer spent less and less tat home. Whenever he did return, it was only to dote on Jeanette. Eventually, seeing how little Sawyer cared for Citrine, Aline began to openly mistreat her- sometimes denying her meals, sometimes hitting her. Even the household staff felt free to hurl insults at her. The once spirited and headstrong Citrine gradually lost the light in her eyes, until all that was left was a quiet, numb calm.
When Citrine turned eight, Aline hired a piano tutor for her. At first, Citrine was enthusiastic about her lessons, her smile growing brighter by the day. Even Raymond, ever watchful, didn't notice anything amiss.
But after one particular lesson, the tutor lingered as the session ended, smiling as he leaned closer. "Citrine, would you let Uncle take a look under your dress?" By then, Citrine had learned enough about the world to understand what he meant. She shrank back, her voice trembling. "Sir, I... I don't want to practice piano anymore." "You bastard! You animal! I'll kill you!" Raymond's face darkened with rage. He swung his fist, but-as always-his hand passed right through.
The next day, Citrine mustered her courage and went to see Sawyer.
In a small, cautious voice, she asked, "Dad, can I stop taking piano lessons?" Sawyer didn't even look up from his paperwork. "No." "But the teacher, he..." Citrine's voice faltered as she tried to explain, but Sawyer cut her off with a cold bark. "Why can't you learn to be more like your sister? Why must you always disappoint me?" Citrine flinched and left the room, her heart heavy with defeat.
The piano tutor continued to visit every day for a year. Sometimes he'd whisper disgusting things to Citrine, other times he'd try to touch her. Raymond, powerless to intervene, could only watch as Citrine suffered, his own mind beginning to unravel.
Then, one day, when the man reached for her again, Citrine quietly slipped a fruit knife from her sleeve and plunged it deep into his thigh.
"Is this fun for you, sir?" she asked, grinning as blood poured down his leg.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmThe man collapsed, clutching his wound and squealing in pain. "Ah! Pull it out, please!" "Like this?" Citrine pressed the blade in even deeper.
Her gaze was wild, a manic glint flickering in her shadowed eyes. "If I kill you, would that be good?" "No, Citrine, stop-letdo it, I'll kill him for you!" Raymond cried, his heart breaking at the sight.
For the first time, the king of Havencrest-a man who hadn't shed a tear when facing Weston's brutal Ich training or when he'd survived an assassination attempt -found himself weeping as he watched his daughter, driven to madness.
If only he hadn't left Citrine to fend for herself all those years If only he'd been there maybe this wouldn't have happened. "You're insane!" the man shrieked, scrambling toward the door like a worm.
Citrine followed, arms crossed, stalking him as he dragged himself away.
Just then, Sawyer arrived hand caught sight of the scene. His eyes went wide with shook, darting from the bloodied man to Citrine, his expression shifting in rapid succession. "Citrine what are you doing? Stop it! Right now!"
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