No Second Chances Ex-husband (Lauren and Ethan) novel Chapter 236

**TITLE: He Chased 236**

**CHAPTER 0236**

**ROMAN’S POV**

“Babe,” the soft voice called out, barely breaking through the haze of my dreams.

Initially, I chose to ignore it. My dream was a sanctuary, a blissful escape that cradled me in its warm embrace. The kind of dream that makes you want to seal your eyelids shut, desperate to cling to the fleeting moments of serenity. I tried to let my mind drift back to that ethereal place, but the voice returned, a tad more insistent this time.

“Babe.”

Then came the final call, sharper and more commanding, slicing through the remnants of sleep that clung stubbornly to my consciousness.

“Roman.”

That tone was unmistakable. With a long, weary sigh, I finally peeled my eyes open. The morning light assaulted my senses, bright and intrusive, igniting a flicker of annoyance within me. Yet, as my vision adjusted, I found Lauren standing beside the bed, her presence strikingly perfect, almost surreal. For a moment, I questioned whether I was gazing at an advanced AI or a real human being.

Every day, I was going to witness this beauty, but I doubted I would ever acclimate to just how breathtaking she was.

She lightly tapped my arm, then leaned down, planting a gentle kiss on my cheek.

“Good morning,” she greeted, her voice sweet yet laced with an undercurrent of judgment. “I told you not to stay up late last night, and now look at you, waking up late.”

I blinked a few times, momentarily caught off guard by how her tone mirrored my mother’s when she was scolding me.

“Good morning,” I replied, stretching lazily, feeling the tension in my neck. “Honestly, I wouldn’t care if I woke up at four in the afternoon today. Yesterday was a special occasion, and we needed to celebrate it properly. But you, on the other hand, went to bed early.”

“Of course I did,” Lauren said, glancing at her reflection in the mirror across the room. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, adjusted another, smoothed her dress, and leaned in closer to scrutinize her makeup. She examined every angle as if she were preparing for a grand performance.

“Okay, then why did you wake me up?” I mumbled, grabbing a pillow and burying half my face in its softness. “I’m exhausted. I just want to sleep.”

“I woke you up because I want you to see me off,” she replied, her tone shifting to one of authority, a familiar mood swing that came so naturally to her.

I suppose this was her unique way of expressing affection, first with Aria and now with me. How would I navigate this strict side of her in the days to come?

With a deep exhale, I resigned myself to the inevitable. I didn’t want to ponder the consequences of ignoring her request. After everything that had transpired yesterday—the proposal, her emotional rollercoaster, the celebrations—I certainly didn’t want to kick off our engagement with dark circles under my eyes. So, I forced myself to sit up.

“I’m just saying,” I began as I swung my legs over the side of the bed, “you should’ve enjoyed yourself more last night. It felt like the moment your sister left, your entire spirit just… deflated.”

“Of course it did,” Lauren replied, applying her lip gloss with precision. “She’s my family. Am I supposed to be thrilled that she left?”

“But you heard her,” I reminded her, pulling on a shirt. “She mentioned she was just going to get her things.”

“I know,” Lauren replied, her tone softening slightly, “but something about the way she acted made me feel otherwise. It almost seemed like she wasn’t happy about the engagement.”

That was it.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify