LAUREN'S POV

Ethan raised his brow, dropping his phone carelessly on the nightstand, the dull thud echoing through the silent room. Slowly, deliberately, he pushed himself up to his feet and closed the distance between us, each step filled with unspoken menace.

“And why would you come up with such a stupid idea?” he demanded, his voice laced with mockery, as though what I’d said was so ridiculous it barely deserved acknowledgment.

For a moment, the audacity of his words struck me ...