No Second Chances Ex-husband (Lauren and Ethan) novel Chapter 107

LAUREN’S POV

With a wave of his hand, the bodyguards silently slipped out of the office, closing the door behind them. The soft click of the latch echoed faintly in the spacious room, leaving only the two of us inside. The sudden quiet pressed in on me, amplifying the faint hum of the air conditioner and the steady rhythm of my own heartbeat.

He gestured smoothly toward the chair across from his desk, the movement deliberate, almost practiced. His eyes never left mine, steady and unreadable, as though he had already anticipated my resistance and was giving me no other choice but to comply.

On any ordinary day if I hadn’t known who he was, if he wasn’t the man holding my professional future in his hands I would have walked straight out of that room. In fact, I wouldn’t even have stepped inside in the first place. I didn’t like being cornered, least of all by someone who had the power to blur the line between personal and professional with a single word.

But this wasn’t an ordinary day. He was my boss. And no matter how much I wanted to resist, no matter how much the stubborn part of me wanted to turn my back and leave, I couldn’t. I had responsibilities now, obligations that went far beyond just me. So I moved forward.

My heels clicked softly against the floor as I walked toward the chair. I pulled it back gently and sat down, adjusting my posture so that I exuded calm confidence rather than unease. Slowly, I crossed my legs. The motion was casual at least, it was supposed to be. But the moment I did it, I caught the subtle shift in his expression. His throat moved as he swallowed hard, his composure cracking for just a second.

Did that small gesture really strike a nerve? The slit of my dress traced upward along my thigh, just enough skin showing to make him notice. Not too much, not inappropriate, but enough to tug at the edges of his control. My lips almost curled into a smirk. Even after all this time, it seemed I could still get under his skin without trying.

“Mr. Hale,” I began, my tone deliberately even, “it’s good to see you again.”

The words slipped from my mouth smoother than I expected. The last time I had spoken to him, five long years.

ago, every word between us had felt awkward, heavy, as though we were both speaking from two completely

different worlds. But today was different. I wasn’t the same woman I had been back then. I wanted to show him that everything had changed. That I had changed. Whatever had existed between us before, no longer held the same weight. From this moment on, every conversation between us would remain strictly professional.

His lips curved slightly. “It’s good to see you too, Lauren. No one need to tell me you’ve been doing well I can see it myself.”

I inclined my head politely. “Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Hale. But surely you didn’t call me here just to say hello or hand out compliments, right?”

The words were sharper than I intended, and for a flicker of a moment, I wondered if I had been too direct. His silence lingered, the weight of it stretching between us. He leaned back in his chair, his posture casual but his eyes locked onto me, studying me like a book he intended to read cover to cover. His fingers pressed lightly against his chin, thoughtful, deliberate.

Then, without warning, his voice broke the silence. “Tell me something, Lauren… are you seeing anyone currently?”

1/3

The question landed like a stone in still water, rippling through the air between us. It was so bold, so direct, that even 1 faltered for a heartbeat. My eyes widened before I quickly masked the reaction.

What did this have to do with work? Why would he ask me something so personal? My mind immediately jumped to the worst did he know? Did he somehow know about Aria? Did he suspect she was his and was fishing

for confirmation? 1

If that was his plan, he would be disappointed. He wasn’t going to pry the truth out of me that easily. My personal life, my child, my past it was all mine to protect, and I wasn’t about to hand it over just because he thought he had the right to ask.

“With all due respect, sir,” I said, keeping my voice as controlled as possible, “I don’t think that information is

necessary.

He ignored my words, brushing them aside as though I hadn’t spoken at all. His eyes never wavered. “I don’t see any rings on your finger, so you’re not married. Do you have a boyfriend? Or… are you in love with someone?”

My patience thinned. Didn’t he hear me the first time? Why was he pushing so hard? The nerve of this man, thinking he could dig into my personal life as though it were just another detail on a business report.

I forced myself to stay calm, to keep my expression smooth and professional. “I am very much in love with my. job here at the company,” I replied, deliberately sidestepping his question.

at was

It wasn’t a yes. It wasn’t a no. It was a counter that kept him guessing, and exactly how I wanted it.

A smile tugged at his lips. He knew what I was doing. He knew I was dancing around his question without giving him anything solid. But instead of pressing further, he simply nodded, as though amused by my resistance.

“You know,” he said after a pause, “we’re both exhausted from tonight’s event. And I’m sure you’d like to get home. But I don’t want this conversation to end here. Not tonight.” His tone shifted, softer yet persistent. “I’d like us to talk again, properly. But not in the office.”

My brows arched slightly, suspicion rising.

“How about we continue this conversation at a restaurant?” he asked, leaning in closer, his voice carrying a weight of intent. “What do you say to dinner tomorrow night?”

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