His Untamed Rose novel Chapter 45

At the horizon, the last streaks of sunset faded away, leaving the sky a dull grey. In the mountains, the wind howled, whipping up fallen leaves that sliced through the air like tiny knives.

Lumina had no idea how long she’d been crying. She only knew that her tears had run dry.

Lifting her head, she anxiously scanned the road for the sound of sirens—anything, any sign of help. But instead, deep within the shadows of the woods, she glimpsed a tall, dark figure standing beneath the trees.

She couldn’t make out a face. Couldn’t even tell if it was a man or a woman.

Who was that?

The figure simply stood there, watching her in utter silence.

Lumina squinted, trying to see more clearly, but in the space of a blink, the shadow had vanished.

...

Inside the ambulance, a paramedic was tending to her mother, checking vitals and bandaging her wounds. Thankfully, there was no injury to the back of her head, but a mild concussion was possible; they’d need a CT scan to be sure.

Lumina sat rigidly on the bench, her knuckles white from clutching her mother’s hand.

The doctor glanced her way. “Miss, do you want to call your family?”

Family…

Lumina’s gaze drifted, unfocused, until she finally pulled out her phone, scrolling through her contacts until she landed on Cedric’s name.

Her lips trembled. Her thoughts felt scattered and numb. Still, her fingers shook as she dialed his number.

No matter how big or small the crisis, Cedric had always been the one she reached for. Even now, after she’d resolved to leave him for good, she found herself calling—helplessly, instinctively.

As soon as she realized what she was doing, Lumina felt foolish. She quickly tried to end the call, but too late. Someone on the other end picked up.

“Hello?”

Winona’s gentle voice floated through the speaker. The sound stung, sharp and cold.

She changed into her new dress and, stepping out of the fitting room, spotted Cedric sitting in the waiting area. He was scrolling through his phone, posture relaxed but commanding all the same.

He wore a jet-black dress shirt paired with a gray tie, every line of his body neat and strong. His long legs were crossed, and the undone cuffs revealed wrists as elegant as sculpture.

Winona’s cheeks flushed as she approached, carefully lifting her skirt. “Cedric, what do you think of this dress?”

He looked up, his gaze cool and unreadable. “Looks good.”

Then his eyes lingered on her face. “Lumina just called. You answered?”

“Yeah. You left your phone here when you went to get your bag from the car, so I picked up.”

Cedric’s thoughts drifted back to his fight with Lumina that afternoon—her stubborn expression, the harsh words. He rubbed his brow, equal parts frustration and fatigue flickering across his face. “Did she want something?”

Winona smiled softly. “No, she said she called the wrong number.”