His Untamed Rose novel Chapter 40

At the sound of the door opening, Winona shot up in a panic. Her hair and clothes were a mess, cheeks flushed deep red, and she nearly tumbled off the man's knee.

In stark contrast, Cedric remained perfectly composed on the sofa. The only sign of disruption was one corner of his dress shirt, slightly rumpled.

But when he looked at Lumina, his gaze was steady and cold, utterly devoid of emotion.

With a sharp crash, the picture frame slipped from Lumina’s hand and shattered on the floor.

Winona, flustered, fumbled with her hair, only making it more tangled. “Ms. Jardin, what… what are you doing here?”

Lumina slowly crouched to pick up the frame. By the time she stood again, the hysteria was gone from her eyes, replaced with unnerving calm.

She walked over, raised her hand, and slapped Winona hard across the face.

The blow was so fierce that Winona staggered back several steps before collapsing onto the floor.

Lumina’s palm tingled, but she clenched it tighter, inch by inch.

Still, the slap did nothing to ease her anger. As she remembered the heartbreaking words her brother had left behind, she felt her body move forward against her will.

A man’s voice, low and edged with anger, broke through: “Lumina!”

She froze, turning to look at Cedric. His eyes were as frigid as a winter night.

He hurried over, helped Winona from the floor, and gently settled her onto the sofa, handling her as if she might break.

“I’m fine, Cedric… really, I’m fine…” Winona whispered, clutching her right cheek, quietly sobbing.

Ignoring Cedric, Lumina walked over, trembling, and slammed the photo down in front of Winona.

The deafening thud made the whole mahogany coffee table shake.

Winona glanced at the photo and instantly went pale, biting down on her lower lip.

With that, she picked up the photo from the table, cradled it gently in her hands, and left without a backward glance.

Winona slumped in the chair, head bowed, thick hair falling over the swollen side of her face.

Cedric lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, then pulled back the drapes a bit to let some much-needed light into the suffocating room.

When Hilton stepped inside and saw the heavy silence, his face showed worry and guilt. “Mr. Royce, I’m sorry. Ms. Jardin insisted on coming up. I tried to stop her, but…”

“Go collect your penalty from HR.”

Cedric exhaled a thin stream of smoke, his face impassive as he turned away. “Tell Xenon to bring up some ice.”

Hilton, sensing Cedric’s anger, slipped out without another word.

Winona wiped her tears, her voice steadier now. “Really, Cedric, you don’t have to be angry on my account. I was in the wrong from the start. If she needs to yell or hit me, she’s entitled. If it helps her feel any better, I’ll be fine.”