His Untamed Rose novel Chapter 110

Lumina gave a half-hearted “mm” of acknowledgment, her mind elsewhere.

Maybe he didn’t know that Nancy was actually his mother’s informant, planted at his side to keep tabs on him. Not that it mattered anymore. The tangled power plays of their family—she would be free of them soon enough.

She wouldn’t be coming back to this house again.

Lost in thought, she was startled when he reached out and gently pinched her cheek. His voice was calm, almost indifferent. “What is it? Are you upset?”

She shook her head. “No. I’m just going to take a shower.”

He managed a small smile and nodded. “Go ahead. Make sure the water’s hot.”

After her shower, Lumina walked into the small bedroom he’d prepared for her and sat down at the desk. Just weeks ago, she’d felt like a caged animal here, convinced she’d be left to rot for the rest of her life.

She ran her fingers along the edge of the cold chair, then the pristine desk—there wasn’t a speck of dust anywhere. Even the bed was perfectly made, not a wrinkle in sight.

Her gaze fell on the desktop and she froze.

She remembered destroying those photos—tearing them up, smashing the frames in a fit of rage. But now, there they were, perfectly restored in new frames, as if nothing had ever happened.

A maid came in to do her usual cleaning, and jumped in surprise at finding Lumina sitting alone in the unlit room. “I’m so sorry, Ms. Jardin—I didn’t realize you were here.”

“It’s fine.”

Lumina stood to let her clean, then, almost absentmindedly, asked, “These photos—were they reprinted?”

Her hand lingered on the doorknob, suddenly heavy as lead. She let out a breath, quiet and resigned.

Harriet had once said, as long as they never saw each other again, the feelings would slowly fade. Maybe that was true.

She crossed the hall into Cedric’s bedroom and sat on the edge of his bed, tracing the frame with her fingertips.

She didn’t quite understand why she felt compelled to take the photo with her. Maybe, despite everything, she didn’t want time to erase all their memories.

She wanted to keep a few moments of tenderness close, tucked away for herself.

Perhaps, on some lonely night, she would look at that photo again, and remember that, for a little while, there had been a man who loved her fiercely, even if their time together was always meant to be brief.