ROMAN'S POV

I pinched the bridge of my nose, a small sigh escaping me. Talk about bad timing. Of all the moments for Tessa and Aria to return home, it had to be this one. The air was already heavy with anger and tension, and now it had turned into something else - shock.

Ethan turned his face toward Lauren, disbelief still etched across his expression. His lips parted slightly, as though his mind couldn't fully wrap around what he had just witnessed. "She's your daughter?" he asked, voice trembling with confusion and something deeper hurt, perhaps. Then, after a beat, his tone hardened. "Our daughter?"

Lauren didn't flinch. Her...