Chapter 189

Lauren's POV

“Come on, you haven’t eaten anything all day. My chef will prepare something nice for you to eat,” Roman said, his voice gentle yet firm, like he was trying to convince a stubborn child.

Normally, those words might’ve sounded comforting — the thought of a warm meal, a quiet space, and someone genuinely caring about how I felt. But right now, they only felt like an echo in my head. The idea of food disgusted me. How could I sit at a dining table, eating good food prepared by a chef, when I didn’t even know if my daughter had eaten anything since she was taken? The thought of Aria being hungry, scared, and alone somewhere made my stomach twist painfully.

“No, I’m not in the mood,” I said, shaking my head, my voice flat.

“But…”

I didn’t even let him finish. “I’d just like to go to my room and rest, maybe think,” I interrupted softly, not wanting this to turn into an argument. I didn’t have the strength for that.

Roman st