His lips were cold as ice, and the words he whispered in her ear carried the same chill. In that moment, his expression was so menacing, it felt as if he could strangle her without a second thought.
Lumina’s shoulders shivered involuntarily. She had a terrible feeling—if he ever discovered the existence of those two babies, he wouldn’t hesitate for a second before dragging her off for surgery. There would be no mercy.
A knot of pain and indescribable emotion tightened in her chest.
Last night’s perfect, intoxicating intimacy had briefly tricked her calm, rational mind into entertaining a foolish fantasy.
She realized now that she had simply craved a bit of genuine affection, a sense of being cherished. That longing had made her believe, mistakenly, that she was somehow special to Cedric.
But the truth was, they were never meant to walk the same path. Their beginning was already a mistake; it should have ended before it ever got this far.
His attitude left no room for hope. With his every word and gesture, Lumina’s resolve grew stronger and sharper.
She needed to gather enough resources as quickly as possible. Before he ever learned about the children, she would disappear, far beyond his reach, somewhere his power couldn’t touch her or them. She would never let anyone hurt them. Not even if it meant turning against Cedric himself, no matter how ugly or desperate the fight became.
“Of course, you don’t need to worry about a thing.” Lumina’s smile was perfectly composed again, smooth and unbreakable. “I outgrew childish daydreams a long time ago. Besides, I’m not exactly a fan of kids.”
“That’s for the best.”
Cedric’s gaze turned away, indifferent and dismissive. From his superior height, he issued his command: “Come here and help me with my tie.”
“Yes, Mr. Royce.”
Lumina moved quickly, fastening his tie with practiced efficiency.
Then, with the excuse of a stomachache, she hurried into the bathroom, where she spat the pill hidden under her tongue into the trash can.
She rinsed her mouth over and over, but it did nothing to wash away the lingering fear inside her.
After managing the pile of morning work at the office, Lumina took advantage of her lunch break to catch a cab to the hospital.
Sitting in the hallway, waiting for her number to be called, she hesitated, then decided to call Yadiel.


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