The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress

Chapter 768 After coming to an agreement with Ogden, Citrine asked Wade to send her luggage over to the Vermillion Vanguard headquarters.

Today, Citrine had already mapped out the Vermillion Vanguard's mission to Mirage Cay, assigning each member their specific roles. Yet, as she considered the risks ahead, a heaviness settled in her chest.

This mission was perilous-danger hanging over them like a storm cloud. It was the kind of operation where every soldier was staking their life.

Because of this, Citrine decided to host a team dinner that night, giving everyone a chance to unwind together. The following day, she'd let the squad go hto see their families-just in case.

That evening, after sdiscussion, they decided to keep things informal and eat together in the mess hall. When Citrine arrived, the soldiers rose as one.

"Boss, you're here." She nodded to them, signaling everyone to sit before taking a seat beside Sherman.

With a major operation looming and their fates uncertain, tonight was their chance to let loose-if only for a few hours, drowning their worries in good drink.

Citrine raised her glass. "Tonight, we drink till we can't stand." A chorus of raised glasses followed. "Drink till we drop!" Soon, the conversation turned to funny stories from past training sessions.

"Boss, remember when you first started leading us? We didn't take you seriously -thought you were too young, and spent all our ttrying to prank you. In the end, you got the best of us every time." "I still remember how ridiculous we looked back then," someone else chimed in, grinning. "Honestly, it's hilarious in hindsight." Laughter rippled around the table, Citrine joining in. Those days had been tough, but they were also sof the most unforgettable moments of their military lives.

The night wore on in a haze of stories and laughter, everyone savoring the rare camaraderie and release. Citrine was just as happy as the rest of them.

Then, one of the soldiers suddenly stood up. "Who knows if we'll ever get to share a drink like this again? Let's have another round." That was Rowell. He was a farm boy through and through-big, honest, and as unassuming as his nsuggested.

His words brought the whole table to a sudden hush. No one spoke; the mess hall fell into a heavy silence.

Then Citrine broke it.

"Row's right. This mission is a one-in-ten chance. Are any of you afraid?" Her tone was light, as if she were just asking what they'd had for dinner.

The response was immediate and indignant.

Sherman spoke first, his voice steady. "What's to be afraid of? We're part of the Vermillion Vanguard. Our duty is to take on missions for our country. If we have to give our lives, then so be it-we'd do it without regret." "That's right, Boss. Don't underestimate us. We're your soldiers. We'd never disgrace you." "Yeah! If we were scared, we wouldn't deserve this uniform." "Boss, none of us are afraid. From the first day we joined the Vanguard, we knew we were dedicating our lives to the country. Now, with the mission looming, if we bailed, We'd be cowards-and we'd never have the nerve to call ourselves your team again." "And let's be real," someone added, "everyone knows that as long as you're leading us, the odds are always in our favor, no matter how bad things get." It was true-under Citrine's command, casualties were always kept to a minimum. That was her reputation.

Most of these soldiers had fought by Citrine's side for years. Shad even been handpicked from Hastings Cooper's unit.

In Citrine's eyes, they were all outstanding.

Hearing their words, she felt a deep sense of pride. "You're the best soldiers I could ask for," she said quietly. Just then, Hastings stormed in, catching Citrine mid-drink. He marched right over and snatched the glass from her hand.

Stunned, Citrine spun to glare at him-only for him to blurt out first, his voice rough with emotion.

"Why wasn't I chosen? I'm the best soldier in our company!" Hastings' eyes were red, and there was an edge of wounded pride in his tone.

Citrine had no patience for this. "I had my reasons for not picking you. Don't make a scene here." Hastings wasn't backing down. "Reasons? What reasons? Tellwhy am I the only one left out?"

Most of his squad had been selected for the mission-everyone except him. Furious, he'd gone to the higher-ups, only to be told that the final call was Citrine's alone. So he'd cstorming in, demanding answers.

Citrine said nothing, her jaw set.

Hastings, growing desperate, let his temper fly. "Don't think you can single mout just because of spersonalgrudge. I have every right to be on this mission! I'm the best soldier we've got-why am I being left behind?" His voice was forceful, his stance unyielding.

If the mission was dangerous, all the more reason for him to go-especially since Citrine was leading it.

A few people glanced at Citrine, as if they wanted to speak up for Hastings, but no one dared.

Fighting back her irritation, Citrine finally explained, "This isn't personal. The reason you're not going is m e because the Cooper family is involved in what's happening on Mirage Cay. You need to stay behind-no exceptions." Hastings' face went pale with disbelief. "That's impossible!" Citrine didn't elaborate. For the safety of the mission, she gave the order to have Hastings confined until it was over.

"Release him when the operation is done." Once the others understood, any lingering desire to speak up on Hastings' behalf vanished.