Chapter 15

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 silent. My two brows shot up, my chest tightening.

“You think it’s a stupid idea?” I finally managed, my voice tinged with disbelief. “Okay, please enlighten me, Ethan. Why exactly do you think it’s stupid?” I crossed my arms tightly over my chest, trying to steady my breathing and hold onto what little dignity I had left.

He let out a dry, humorless laugh and tilted his head, the smirk that followed cutting deeper than any insult. “You’re really asking me why