The Rejected Luna (Avery and Kaden) novel Chapter 186

186 /212

**Between the Wings of Twilight Lies the Memory of You**
**by Liren Ava Roen**
**Chapter 186**

The moment she slipped away from this world, a fog of despair enveloped me, compelling me to return swiftly from the Lancaster estate. The funeral arrangements consumed my thoughts, leaving little room for anything else. After ensuring everything was in place, I resolved to gather the remnants of her life to bring home, only to discover that her belongings had vanished into thin air.

I approached my father, seeking answers, but he shrugged dismissively, claiming he had never paid attention to such trivialities. Instead, he pointed an accusatory finger at my mother, suggesting it was her carelessness that had led to the disappearance. Frustration bubbled within me as I questioned everyone in the house, yet no one seemed to have a clue.

It dawned on me with a chilling clarity: it wasn’t my mother who had lost them. Someone had deliberately hidden her things. And those culprits were none other than the conniving Lopez mother-daughter duo.

Those two wretches. They would pay dearly for this.

As I entered the exhibition hall, the atmosphere buzzed with excitement. Booths lined the space, showcasing a myriad of vendors, but it was Antonia’s stall that had drawn the largest crowd. I maneuvered through the throng, my ears catching snippets of praise that made my blood boil.

Antonia, perched behind her display and wearing oversized sunglasses, flashed a coy smile. “Oh, stop, you’re all too kind. I’m just a college entrepreneur, completely self-taught. This tiger, especially, took me ages to carve. I cut my hands several times.”

A fresh wave of admiration rolled through the crowd. “So young and talented! I would have thought this kind of work required at least a decade of experience. To think it was carved by such a young woman. It’s absolutely stunning, so lifelike. Even the whiskers look real.”

“Exactly. This has real collector’s value. I expected it to be priced in the hundreds of thousands, but it’s only a few thousand. A great deal. If only one could collect all twelve zodiac animals.”

“If all twelve were this beautiful, the price would be much higher. At least a million for the set, I’d say.”

Antonia’s smile widened, but it froze the instant she spotted me breaking through the crowd.

I leveled my gaze at her, icy and unyielding. The table held only two figurines: a tiger and a dog. Without hesitation, I swept them into my bag, my voice a sharp whisper that sliced through the air.