Chapter 65

Lauren's POV

Knock. Knock.

The sound startled me so much that I jerked upright in bed, my heart hammering as if I’d just been caught doing something wrong. My eyes darted around wildly, struggling to adjust to the unfamiliar surroundings. The room was dimly lit, the curtains drawn halfway, leaving streaks of morning light cutting through the dusty air. I blinked, confused, as the memories of last night refused to piece themselves together.

I wasn’t home. That much I knew. The bed I laid on was too soft, the sheets too silky, and the faint smell of cologne clung to the fabric in a way that told me clearly — this wasn’t mine. My gaze traveled slowly across the space, and that was when the mess hit me like a bucket of cold water. Clothes were everywhere. My clothes. My dress lay crumpled on the floor near the edge of the bed, one heel toppled in the corner, the other buried halfway under the dresser.

My throat tightened as a sickening realizatio