His Untamed Rose novel Chapter 77

Winona was left stunned by the blow.

Even though Cedric had held back a little, her cheek still swelled up almost instantly.

Oddly, the pain seemed to bring a strange calm over her. She simply hung her head, tears sliding down her face.

“You might not care about your own life because you grew up without parents,” Cedric said, his voice heavy with disappointment, “but what about Ansel? He’s already lost his father. You’re all he has left. Do you really want to leave him an orphan?”

A stabbing ache twisted in Winona’s chest. She pressed her palm to her face and sobbed. “I’m a terrible mother. I can’t even protect my own son.”

A doctor entered to check on her. Taking in the scene, he frowned and turned to Cedric. “Could you step outside for a moment?”

They spoke quietly in the hallway, where the doctor handed Cedric a report. “She’s suffering from severe depression. As her family, you need to avoid saying anything that could upset her. People with depression can have extreme reactions to even small triggers.”

Cedric scanned the report, his lips pressed into a thin line as he drew a long, slow breath.

Depression. He hadn’t expected this.

Back when Ansel’s father died, she’d sunk into a deep depression for a long time. But later, with Hugo’s constant care and support, Cedric had thought she’d finally started to recover.

When he went back inside, his demeanor was much gentler. He sat on the edge of the bed and poured her a glass of warm water.

“Just go. I don’t want to see you.” Winona lay on her side, back to him, refusing to move.

Cedric was silent for a while, then spoke softly, “Ansel’s birthday is the day after tomorrow. Have you thought about what you’d like to do for him?”

Winona’s eyes snapped open. She turned to look at him, surprised.

At that moment, a knock sounded at the door.

Cedric got up to answer it, surprised to find Tonia standing in the hallway. She looked as if she’d rushed straight over—her forehead glistened with sweat, though her makeup was flawless, clearly just retouched.

Cedric hadn’t expected her to track them down here. He frowned, but kept his tone civil for Finn’s sake. “What are you doing here?”

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