LAUREN'S POV

“Do you think I made a mistake not telling him that you’re her father?” I asked quietly, my voice barely rising above a whisper. The room had grown strangely still after everything that had just happened — Ethan’s anger, Roman’s calm fury, the confrontation that still lingered in the air like smoke after a storm. The silence that followed my question felt heavy, like even the walls were holding their breath, waiting for Roman’s answer.

Roman leaned back on the couch, ...