His Untamed Rose novel Chapter 149

Lumina offered the two a polite nod before quietly excusing herself from the room.

Seeing her emerge so quickly, Mimosa couldn't help but be curious. “What happened? Was there something in there I wasn’t allowed to see?”

Lumina shook her head. “We just dropped off the arrangements and left. Didn’t dare linger. I think they just value their privacy—don’t want too many strangers coming and going.”

With their work finished, the two received their payment from Barbara for the extra hours. Mimosa’s dad picked her up in his car soon after.

Basil, Mimosa’s father, must have benefited from Soren’s kindness at some point, because before leaving, he handed Lumina a cup of hot milk, his honest smile warm and sincere.

Lumina thanked him, wrapping her hands around the cup; the warmth seeped into her, reaching all the way to her heart.

As she watched the father and daughter drive away, she felt a sharp pang of envy.

A happy, loving family—something she had always longed for but could never have.

The city was alive with Christmas Eve revelry. Even at midnight, the streets teemed with people in flamboyant costumes, lingering after parties, drinking and laughing on the sidewalks.

Walking alone through the festive chaos, Lumina felt her solitude more acutely than ever. The merrier the world around her, the lonelier she seemed to become.

She soon turned into a narrow lane, where the crowds thinned and only the occasional car passed by.

As she walked past a street mirror, Lumina suddenly caught sight of a tall, shadowy figure trailing behind her.

Her expression darkened.

If it was just a passerby, so much the better. But if someone was following her…

She didn’t let herself finish the thought. Scenes from every true crime documentary she’d ever watched flashed through her mind. Instinctively, she quickened her pace.

Rounding a corner, she stole a glance behind her—only to see the figure still there.

Panic rising, Lumina fumbled for her phone, her hands trembling as she tried to call for help, when suddenly she collided headlong into a solid chest.

Startled, she looked up—and there was Soren, his familiar face smiling down at her.

He ruffled her hair gently. “Lost in your phone again? You finished early tonight. I was just about to come walk you home.”

But when he noticed how pale she was, Soren took her shaking hand in his. “What’s wrong?”

“Someone was following me,” Lumina whispered, glancing nervously behind her.

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