Chapter 103

Lauren's POV

The whole hall went silent after what Roman just said. His voice, deep and commanding, carried easily over the microphone, cutting through the air like a blade. He stood there on the stage, tall and confident, but his eyes… his eyes were locked directly on me.

For a second, it felt like the two of us were the only people in the entire room. The sound of murmurs, the clinking of wine glasses, even the faint hum of the chandelier lights above, it all faded into a heavy silence that pressed against my chest. 

Roman Hale, the man I had gone to such great lengths to avoid for five years, was looking at me as if he had just seen a ghost. Or worse, as if he had been waiting all this time for this very moment.

Slowly, like a ripple spreading across water, the crowd began tracing where his gaze had landed. Heads turned, one by one, until dozens of curious eyes found me standing among them. I could practically feel the weight of their