The Girl They Ignored Returned as the Woman Seven Men Would Die For novel Chapter 129

Lucas's gaze darkened.

Before he could pinpoint exactly where that strange feeling was coming from, Minerva's affectionate voice chimed in perfectly.

"Lucas, my sweet girl just returned to the Jace family and doesn't have many friends in Juniper Springs yet.

I heard you have a wide circle. If you get the chance, I hope you can take my granddaughter out to mingle with the young people in our crowd."

Lucas stayed silent for a moment before replying with polished tact, "Of course, if the opportunity arises."

His mother and Minerva had always been close.

Even if he didn't approve of Seraphina, he wasn't about to flat-out reject the request in the older woman's hospital room.

A polite brush-off was enough.

But Seraphina clearly had no intention of letting the opportunity slip. Her eyes lit up as she naturally pulled out her phone.

"Then Lucas, let's add each other on social media. It'll be easier to keep in touch!"

Under Minerva's expectant gaze, Lucas finally accepted Seraphina's request.

Leaving the hospital, he walked back to the parking lot. While waiting for the car to warm up, he noticed a new message from Seraphina.

[I know you don't want anything to do with me. I've thought long and hard about what happened with Mika, and I admit I was wrong.

But I'm an orphan. The biggest lesson I learned at St. Jude's Home wasn't how to love others, but how to love myself.

If I wasn't a little selfish, I might have gone hungry, frozen, or been bullied. That's a kind of life you can't even imagine.]

[Now, I've finally found my family. Grandma loves me, and even if it's just for her sake, I want to change who I used to be.

I'm begging you not to tell her about my past. Can we just maintain a surface-level friendship? Is that okay?]

Lucas rested one hand on the steering wheel, his other hand gripping his phone tightly.

As his cold eyes swept over every word Seraphina had typed, that inexplicable feeling intensified.

[I gave Minerva my word, and I won't break it.]

[As long as you stop doing things to hurt Mika.]

After sending the text, Lucas caught sight of a bright red notification dot over his social media feed.

He tapped it out of habit and happened to see the two photos Mika had just posted.

[You lifted me onto your shoulders to let me see a bigger world. Now, I want you to experience the kind of joy you've never had in yours.]

Mika wasn't in the photos herself; she had simply captured Damaris eating barbecue and getting a facial, throwing up a slender, fair hand in a peace sign for the camera.

Every word she wrote radiated pure gratitude and an unblemished kindness toward her mother.

Both girls had grown up in adversity, yet Seraphina was full of selfish calculation, while Mika remained completely pure, treating the world with endless, vibrant sincerity.

The fleeting sympathy he had just felt for Seraphina was instantly replaced by a suffocating wave of guilt.