His Untamed Rose novel Chapter 88

Lumina’s blood felt like ice in her veins. Shaking her head, she tried to speak, but her usually clear mind was a tangled mess.

Casper gave a derisive snort from the side. "Your own father would slander you? Ms. Jardin, you must really think we’re all fools."

"Don’t use the whole ‘father and daughter’ routine on me!" Lumina snapped, her teeth clenched. "We stopped being family a long time ago. They haven’t seen me as a daughter in years!"

The pain seemed to seep into her bones, twisting around her heart.

Even though Yael had said some of the cruelest things to her at the hospital, not once did Lumina believe he’d go so far as to ruin her like this. The only reason he’d have for turning on her was the fear that, if he fell, Lumina might retaliate against his younger daughter. So, to protect his precious child, he dragged Lumina into the mud.

That cold, bitter realization twisted her lips into a hollow, almost mocking smile. Her family had always kept her at arm’s length. She’d never complained, had quietly shouldered her own burdens, and accepted her fate.

But why—why did they still have to push her to the brink, hurting her even now, forcing her down a path with no return?

Casper stepped forward, lowering his voice to Cedric. "Mr. Royce, don’t let this woman fool you, too. She’s a master manipulator. You’ve seen how sweet and obedient she acted around you—and look at her now. Not just you, but everyone in the house has seen through her. Don’t be taken in."

Cedric looked weary as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "That’s enough. Go downstairs."

He’d already made up his mind, or at least, most of it. Once Yael revealed a bit more, he’d be ready to make his final decision.

Casper nodded, motioned for the bodyguards, and left. The house instantly felt much emptier.

Cedric waved a hand. "Nancy, help her upstairs. I need to make a call."

"Of course." Nancy bent to help Lumina to her feet. The moment she touched her, she shivered. Lumina’s skin was icy cold, almost like a corpse.

With a soft sigh, Nancy tried to comfort her. "Ms. Jardin, try not to dwell on it right now. I know you’re not that kind of person, and so does Mr. Royce. He’s working on a way to help you, so take a breath and think about what you can do next."

Lumina said nothing. Face pale, she gritted her teeth against the pain and limped up the stairs, each step feeling like a blade underfoot.

Downstairs in the living room, Winona sat slumped in an armchair, still shaken from her brush with disaster. She bit her lip, glancing at the man by the window, watching him smoke and scroll through his phone.

Not once, from the moment Lumina had threatened her until now, had he looked her way. Not a single word of comfort.

She was still lost in thought when the door suddenly opened.

A tall, lean man entered, a doctor in a white coat following behind him.

Nancy’s voice came from the doorway. "Mr. Royce brought the doctor to check your injuries."

Lumina pressed her lips together and, for once, didn’t resist. She sat quietly on the edge of the bed as the doctor examined her.

He gently held her ankle, inspecting the injury, then used sterilized tweezers to remove a shard of glass before cleaning the wound.

The pain was intense; sweat beaded on her forehead, but Lumina didn’t make a sound, enduring it with quiet resolve.

Cedric leaned in the doorway, watching her. He remembered, just six months earlier, how she’d burned her hand while pouring him coffee and had complained about the pain for days.

A cold, ironic smile tugged at Cedric’s lips. Only now did he realize he didn’t know this woman at all.