His Untamed Rose novel Chapter 127

Cedric walked away, taking Hilton and Casper with him.

All that remained of Lumina was her suitcase and a curl of ash at her feet.

She sat on the hard airport bench, knees pulled up to her chest, staring off into space. Suddenly, she laughed—a bright, reckless sound that startled even herself.

She was free.

She was finally free!

She didn’t know what had made Cedric change his mind. Maybe Harriet had been stirring things up behind the scenes, or maybe her own outburst had finally pushed him over the edge.

Either way, she’d gotten what she wanted.

Her laughter rang out in the quiet terminal, echoing off the polished floors until passersby shot her uneasy glances, as if she were some strange creature they couldn’t quite place.

But today, Lumina was free, truly and utterly free.

It should have been the best day of her life, a day worth celebrating.

So why, the harder she laughed, did the bitterness swell in her chest, stinging sharp as tears she refused to shed?

...

A few gates down, Hilton and Casper trailed behind Cedric, carefully keeping a full yard between themselves and the man in front. Neither dared break the silence; neither could guess why Cedric had changed his mind so suddenly.

Just then, two little blonde girls darted out of a nearby line, their golden pigtails bouncing as they skipped carefree like rabbits. In their playful dash, they smacked straight into something solid.

Both girls toppled to the floor with a startled yelp.

Wide-eyed, they looked up to see a sharply pressed trouser leg looming above them. Their gaze traveled upward, meeting a pair of strikingly handsome eyes—cool, detached, utterly unreadable.

There was nothing threatening in Cedric’s face, but something about his cold beauty made the girls shiver. Silently, they clung to each other, clutching their pale, chubby arms tight.

Cedric crouched down, holding their gaze for a long, quiet moment. There was a flicker of sadness in his eyes, a fleeting shadow of loss, as if he were looking right through them to someone else.

Then he managed a gentle smile, reached into his pocket, and offered two pieces of candy in his outstretched palm. “You guys okay?”

The girls chirped a quick “Okay!” but hesitated to take the candy. Instead, they scrambled to their feet and scurried back to their parents, legs pumping as fast as they could go.

She pulled out her phone and started searching for nearby hotels. Just then, a message popped up—it was from Nadia.

Lumina Jones, after customs took you aside, you just vanished. Are you okay? Did you find a place to stay? I’ve been here two days and finally got my rental sorted, but I can’t afford two rooms—so I thought of you.

The timing was uncanny—almost suspiciously so. But right now, Lumina was in no position to refuse a lifeline.

She quickly called a cab to the address Nadia had sent.

The place was a brand new apartment building. The owner had only just finished renovating before deciding to move abroad, returning just once or twice a year. Nadia greeted her warmly, showing her around the compact space. The bathroom was cramped—barely enough room to turn around—but at least everything was clean and tidy.

It would do. Lumina signed the lease online and paid six months’ rent up front. For now, she was staying. She and Nadia were officially roommates.

That night, after a hot shower, Lumina lay in bed, towel-drying her hair. She closed her eyes, but images flickered behind her lids: a burst of flame, a man’s cold, fathomless eyes.

His final words to her—“As you wish”—still echoed in her mind. She couldn’t tell if he’d been furious, defeated, or just entirely done with her.

Lumina reached for her phone and tried messaging Harriet again, and this time, the message finally went through.