Chapter 2

Howard was surprised by how readily Lumina agreed on the other end of the line. His cold, stern expression broke into a smile.

"Have you finally come to your senses? I'm doing this for your good, you know? If the Morgans' eldest son hadn't suddenly lost his voice five years ago, he would've become the family's official heir by now! You're coming back to Crown City tomorrow. I'll take you to them to discuss the wedding."

Lumina's lips curled in a cold smile. Her face remained expressionless.

Everyone in the capital knew that after Cadmus Morgan lost his voice, he was no longer favored by Margaret, the matriarch of the Morgan family.

Lumina didn't answer Howard directly and instead said, "I'll marry him, but you have to agree to two conditions. Firstly, I need seven days. Secondly, I want all of my father's belongings. Every single one of them. You won't keep even one of them."

She needed seven days to say goodbye to her best friend and to find a way to erase the nude video from Jackson's computer. She would replace it with evidence of all the years Celia had tormented her.

"Fine!" Howard slammed his hand on the table. "I agree!"

After hanging up, Lumina headed home.

Ever since taking out the loan, she had moved out of the city center to save money. She now lived with Jackson in a cheap rental in the rundown neighborhood that was only worth 150 dollars a month.

Lumina looked at the cozy living room she had put together with her own hands. With a cold laugh, she threw all the items she had shared with Jackson onto the floor and stomped on them to pieces.

After venting her anger, she walked over to Jackson's computer and tried to guess his password. She tried several times, but every attempt was wrong. Suddenly, she heard the sound of the door opening behind her and quickly shut the laptop.

"I heard from the supervisor that you've taken seven days off. Are you not feeling well?" Jackson said as he changed into slippers at the entryway, his eyes full of concern.

Hearing his voice, Lumina clenched her fists. "No, I haven't."

Jackson gently rubbed her head, making sure she was fine. Then, he suddenly produced a diamond ring. He got down on one knee, his intense eyes fixed on her.

"Lumi, from the moment you took out that loan for me, I knew I'd never marry anyone else. Will you marry me?"

Lumina looked at Jackson before her. If she hadn't overheard that conversation in the VIP room, she might have been moved to tears.

"Yes," she replied.

Inwardly, she vowed, 'Jackson Hunter. I'll never marry you, whether it's this life or the next.'

Hearing her answer, Jackson smiled. His eyes almost curled as he slipped the ring onto her finger. "We'll have our wedding in seven days."

Lumina momentarily froze at his words; she almost laughed herself to tears.

Soon, Jackson took her out for supper, just like always. They went to a roadside barbecue stall. Lumina sat down while Jackson went to order some food.

Suddenly, a red sports car pulled up in front of her, and an uninvited guest stepped out. The woman was attractive, dressed in the latest designer outfit and carrying a rare Hermes bag.

It was none other than Celia, the nightmare who had haunted Lumina for over a decade.

Celia glanced around the barbecue stall with clear disdain before fixing her gaze on Lumina, her red lips curling in contempt.

"I haven't seen you for three years. I heard you're in a relationship now. What a coincidence, too… Your bartender boyfriend and my guardian angel even have the same last name—Hunter. But look at you, dragged here to eat this cheap, toxic food. If I were dating my dear Hunter, he'd never let me touch this filth."

Lumina didn't say a word, simply looking at Celia in silence with calm eyes. After a while, she suddenly spoke up.

"When you fell from the roof three years ago, it wasn't me who pushed you."

Celia was stunned for a few seconds, not expecting Lumina to bring up the past.

Lumina ignored Celia's reaction and went on speaking.

"That day, you and your lackeys forced me to swallow a burning cigarette on the rooftop. While I was struggling, you kept trying to get the best angle to film my humiliation. You stepped to the right and slipped by accident. I was the real victim, but your lackeys all stuck to the same story—that I invited you to the rooftop and pushed you off."

During that time, Lumina had been slandered persistently. All the surveillance footage from that day was destroyed by the Price family in advance.

Luckily, she had kept a backup plan.

Celia raised her eyebrows in surprise, but showed no fear at all. "So what if you were wrongly accused? As long as Mr. Hunter is on my side, who in Arriva City will believe you?"

Lumina frowned and looked up at her suddenly. "I don't get it. I've never provoked you. Why have you always hurt me?"

"Why?" Celia looked down at her with arrogance, her lips curled into a sneer. "A cursed orphan like you, who lost both parents… What right do you have to steal the spotlight that should belong to me?"

Hearing herself accused of bringing a curse to her parents, Lumina clenched her fists so hard that her knuckles turned white. Her gaze grew cold.

"And what about you? Your mother died because you never called for help after your father beat her. You missed the chance to save her. She begged you, but you coldly ignored her. On the other hand, my parents died in an accident. So, tell me—who's really the cursed one here?"

"Who said you can talk about that?!" Celia shrieked.

She never expected Lumina to bring up her family's dirty laundry. Her face twisted, madness flashing in her eyes.

Just as Lumina was about to say something else, Celia suddenly grabbed a metal skewer from the table and stabbed it right in Lumina's face.

Slash!

The sharp skewer pierced Lumina's fair skin, blood streaming down her right cheek.

"What's going on there? Someone call the police!" shouted a bystander.

Pain numbed the right side of Lumina's face. Just as she tried to call for help, she saw Jackson standing at a distance, looking on with indifference.

Celia smiled in satisfaction as she walked up to Lumina. Without warning, she drove the skewer toward Lumina's head.