His Untamed Rose novel Chapter 125

Lumina stared at her phone screen for ages, unmoving. At last, she calmly deleted the chat and flipped the phone face down on the table.

She continued eating in silence.

The waitstaff were all locals, and every dish brought out was one of her favorites.

Cedric reached over and placed a piece of shrimp on her plate. She frowned at it.

Hilton sampled the food, then chuckled. “Honestly, what’s so great about being abroad? The food here is nothing like real Zhinoran cuisine. Tastes like they just pulled some random guy off the street to cook.”

Cedric replied in his usual mild tone, “It’s definitely no match for Nancy’s cooking, but we’ll just have to make do.”

Hilton grinned. “Exactly. In a couple of days, we’ll be home and Nancy will be back in the kitchen. I can’t wait.”

Lumina listened to their little act, her lips curling in a cold, humorless laugh.

She finished everything on her plate—except for the shrimp Cedric had given her.

Once she was done, Lumina set down her knife and fork, stood up without a word, and prepared to leave.

Cedric caught her wrist from behind, his cool gaze fixing on her. “Sit.”

Expressionless, she glanced at him, then at Casper, who leaned against the door, clearly intent on not letting her go anywhere alone.

She let out a short, mocking laugh, then dropped onto the sofa, crossing her legs and grabbing the remote to flick through the channels.

On TV, a runway show for the internationally renowned fashion house Bromo was underway, drawing quite the crowd of elite guests from all over the world.

Lumina had first heard of this brand from Cedric.

Their clothes were expensive, but the fabrics were excellent, and the designs always had a distinctive flair.

The camera shifted to the creative director of the brand.

A strikingly elegant woman appeared on screen, radiant in a signature mermaid dress from her own collection. Every detail, from her hair to her jewelry, was exquisitely styled.

Her skin was porcelain, her eyes smiling with intelligence, a simple jade bracelet around her wrist.

Lumina glanced at the name on the screen: Melissa.

Even the name itself sounded serene and refined.

A woman like that—graceful, poised, quietly powerful. Every gesture spoke of sophistication and inner strength, with a life shaped by her own aspirations.

She was the kind of woman all others admired. Lumina included.

Listening to Melissa’s interview, Lumina found herself a little entranced, not even noticing the strange silence settling over the room.

Then Cedric put down his knife and fork, picked up the remote, and turned off the TV.

Just as she was getting interested, that insufferable man cut her off. She shot him a fierce glare.

“It’s too noisy,” he said, brow furrowed, pulling on his coat. He pushed back his chair and stood, extending a hand to her. “Let’s go.”

Lumina rolled her eyes, ignoring his hand, and walked straight for the door.

Cedric followed at a leisurely pace behind her.

What exactly is she up to?

Time ticked by, every minute making Lumina more anxious.

She typed furiously, sending Harriet a few more messages—

[Why haven’t you answered?]

[Flight’s earlier now, we take off in two hours. Hurry!]

The two hours disappeared in a blur.

Nerves and worry made Lumina lose track of time altogether.

She spaced out for just a moment, and when she looked again, half an hour had already passed.

Still no word from Harriet.

At the airport, they sat in the lounge while Hilton went to collect the tickets and check the bags.

Lumina couldn’t sit still. She leaned over and muttered, “I need to use the restroom.”

Both Cedric and Casper looked at her.

Casper immediately stepped forward. “Ms. Jardin, this way, please.”

Lumina shot him a look, then headed to the restroom.