No Second Chances Ex-husband (Lauren and Ethan) novel Chapter 158

LAUREN’S POV

I walked into the office building, heading straight toward Roman’s office just like he’d told me to. The sound of my heels echoed softly across the marble floor, a rhythmic tap that blended with the quiet hum of the air conditioner and the faint murmur of employees working nearby. My pulse quickened with every step not because I was nervous, or so I told myself, but because it felt strange how easily he could make me feel this way.

Yesterday, before he left, he’d told me to come directly to his office for a business discussion. Straightforward, professional. But now, as I approached his door, my heart thudded like I was walking into something entirely different.

I paused at the door, took a breath, and knocked. The soft rap of my knuckles was followed by a few seconds of silence. Then, the door opened.

And there he was.

Roman stood right in front of me, shirtless. Completely shirtless.

For a moment, I forgot how to breathe. My mouth parted slightly, my mind went blank, and I just… stared.

His chest glistened with a thin sheen of sweat, muscles tightening and relaxing with every slow breath he took. His abs looked carved not like the kind you only see in magazines or movies, but real, alive, moving. The sunlight filtering through the blinds brushed across his skin, tracing the hard lines of his torso in gold.

I’d dreamt of this once, him being shirtless though I’d brushed it off at the time, embarrassed even by my subconscious. But seeing him in person like this? It was so much more vivid, so much more dangerous.

—

Even Ethan… my mind flickered, comparing before I could stop it. Even he never looked this this effortless.

My fingers twitched slightly at my side, as if they had a mind of their own, aching to reach out, to confirm that what I was seeing was real. For a split second, I almost hated myself for how weak that impulse felt.

Wow.

That was the only word my brain could produce. And then, just as quickly, reality crashed back when Roman cleared his throat.

“Thanks for raping me with your eyes,” he said dryly, that sarcastic tone pulling me straight out of the trance.

Heat rushed up my face. I blinked, finally realizing how long I’d been staring. My eyes darted away immediately as embarrassment flooded me.

“I… I’m sorry,” I stammered, trying to sound calm even though I wanted the floor to swallow me. “I just… got a little distracted.”

“Clearly,” he muttered, grabbing a towel from his desk and draping it around his neck.

I walked inside, closing the door behind me, still feeling the awkward air wrap around us. He was still catching his breath, chest rising and falling with a natural rhythm that made it hard not to look again.

“Why are you sweating and shirtless in your office?” I asked, my tone half curious, half desperate to shift the conversation.

He gave a small chuckle, wiping the sweat from his face. “I decided to do a little workout. Skipped my session yesterday when I came to see you, so I had to make up for it today.”

I nodded, though my eyes couldn’t help but trace the towel moving across his skin. “Makes sense,” I mumbled, mostly to myself.

As he turned slightly, I noticed something, the swelling that had been on his face yesterday was completely gone. Relief washed

over me.

1/3

CHAPTER 0158

+25 BONUS

“Your bruise,” I said, pointing lightly. “It’s better. I’m glad to see it’s healed.”

He gave me that lazy grin of his. “Yeah, my doctor took care of it. But honestly, most of the credit goes to your hot towel.”

I couldn’t help but smile faintly. It was strange, hearing him say something like that so casually. It made me feel seen.

He threw on his shirt then, buttoning it halfway while I moved to the chair across from him. The sound of fabric brushing against his skin broke the tension, and for a moment the air felt normal again. Professional.

I sat down, smoothing my skirt, trying to focus.

“How’s Aria?” he asked, his tone softening slightly.

“She’s fine,” I replied. “She didn’t even know what happened yesterday. The small advantage of her still being a child, I guess.”

He nodded, resting his elbows on the desk. “That’s good. Kids shouldn’t have to deal with adult problems.”

There was a pause, just long enough for my mind to drift. I wondered if he’d always been this kind of man composed, deliberate. He had that natural authority that made you pay attention when he spoke, but underneath it, there was something else. Something careful.

“Alright then,” he said finally, snapping open the drawer beside him. “Let’s get down to the main reason you came here.”

His tone shifted businesslike now. Focused.

He pulled out a small file and slid it across the desk toward me. The man didn’t waste time.

“I’ll go straight to the point,” he said, his gaze locking with mine. “There’s an auction coming up, a big one. But it’s not your regular day’s auction.”

I frowned slightly, glancing at the folder before looking back up. “What do you mean?”

“This,” he said, flipping it open with a finger, “is way different. It’s a black market auction.”

I blinked. “A what?”

What did he just say? This was the first time I was hearing it.

He met my confusion with a calm expression, as if what he’d said was completely normal.

“A black market auction,” he repeated. “It’s a secret bidding event that happens once a year. Invitation–only.”

The words sank in slowly. Secret. Hidden. Exclusive.

I raised a brow, leaning forward. “Secret or hidden? What do you mean by that?”

He smirked slightly, as if he’d expected that question. “Exactly what it sounds like. You won’t find it advertised anywhere, and most people will never even know it exists.”

Something about the way he said it — quiet, certain sent a chill through me.

“Wait,” I said carefully, trying to piece it together. “Does that mean it’s illegal?”

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