Chapter 149

Lauren's POV

“I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, trying to sound as convincing as possible, but even as the words left my lips, they felt heavy and false. My heart pounded in my chest, and I could feel the walls closing in. Inside, a knot of panic twisted and coiled, because deep down, I knew what this was about. I had been dreading this moment.

Roman’s gaze was steady. He wasn’t buying it, and the calmness in his tone only made it worse.

“Just tell me what you want to say,” I added quickly, hoping that my voice didn’t shake as much as it felt like it did.

“Okay,” he said, leaning slightly forward, “I’ll go straight to the point.” He paused for a moment, his eyes searching mine. “I know that Aria is my daughter.”

The air was sucked out of my lungs.

It was as if someone had swung a hammer straight at my heart. The sound of the restaurant faded, even though there wasn’t much noise to begin with. All I could he