Chapter 185

Lauren's POV

“Was this a bad idea?” I asked, my voice steady even though my hands were doing everything but steady. I kept my focus on the road, the white lines blurring beneath the low glow of the dashboard as the car cut through the late afternoon traffic.

“Was what a bad idea?” Roman asked, his gaze flicking toward me out of the corner of his eye.

“This whole… decorations and throwing Aria a party,” I said, the words coming out in a rush. Saying them felt like scraping at an open wound. My fingers tightened around the steering wheel. “I feel like we shouldn’t have left her alone. I shouldn’t have left her today, even if it was for a good reason. If I’d been there… maybe he wouldn’t have gotten away with this.”

Roman’s response was immediate, pragmatic. “If you’d been there, you would probably be hurt too. You and Tessa might have fought, but I know that man’s not one to back down. He’s dangerous in ways you don’t understand. I’m glad you w