Chapter 253 CHAPTER 0253

Chapter 253 CHAPTER 0253
LAUREN'S POV

Once I was done having my bath, I stepped out of the bathroom feeling a bit more awake and refreshed. I dried my hair slowly with the towel wrapped around my shoulders, letting the remaining heat from the bathroom fade off my skin. When I entered the room, Roman was already fully dressed and adjusting his shirt like he was preparing to head out any second. I honestly thought he was going to leave for the company a little later than me, since he usually did, but here he was ready before I even finished moisturizing my face.

“You want to go together?” I asked while picking up my engagement ring from the dresser. I slid it onto my finger, twisting it a little until it sat exactly how I liked it.

“Oh, so you’re no longer worried about what the employees would think when they see us together?” Roman asked, raising a brow at me as he stood up straight.

“You're basically my husband now, so why would I be worried about that? Anyone who can’t accept it or thinks it’s odd can go to hell. All I care about is you.” I said, walking over to him and giving him a small kiss. His aftershave smelled fresh, calming, and familiar.

“Alright then, let’s go,” Roman said, fully dressed and finally grabbing his watch from the table. He clipped it on, looking like he had already been mentally prepared for the day.

“I was thinking, let’s take my car again today. I'm in the mood to drive,” I said, adjusting my bag on my shoulder.

“Oh… uhm… are you sure? I mean, driving is a really stressful task.” Roman said, and his voice sounded so unsure almost like he was scared of me driving.

I glanced at him with a little confusion. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Since I drove myself when I went to meet Elizabeth, I’ve felt this rush to just keep driving myself, so come on babe, let’s go.” I didn’t wait for his reply. I turned around, pushed the door open gently, and walked out of the room.

But as I walked down the hallway, I couldn’t help thinking—

Why would he be scared of me driving though?

I mean, it’s not like I'm a bad driver or something… I’ve driven a good number of times before without any issue. Sure, maybe I wasn’t the most experienced driver in the world, but still… scared? Really?

We stepped outside the house, the air still a bit cool from the early morning breeze. I walked ahead and slipped into the driver’s seat of my car. Roman got in a moment later, shutting the door quietly like he didn’t want to disturb something.

Without wasting time, he fastened his seatbelt quickly and adjusted in his seat like he was trying to secure himself in some kind of roller coaster ride. He even shifted twice, like the seat wasn’t comfortable.

“Every time I'm the one driving, you're always uncomfortable in some way. Why?” I had to ask. I turned slightly toward him, waiting for him to say something that made sense.

“Why wouldn’t I be? You're small, babe. You bought a car that’s not meant for someone your size. I doubt you can barely see the road, so I am just making sure my seat belts are fastened,” Roman said, his tone not even hiding the concern.

I let out a small scoff. “You think I can’t see the road? What about the times when I drove?”

“Alright, alright, I get your point. I'm just saying even though you can see the road, the car is just too big for you. I asked you if I should get you something smaller but you kept refusing,” Roman said, shaking his head slightly like he still didn’t understand my decision.

“Yes, because this is the one car I bought with my money. I treasure the car,” I said, rubbing the steering wheel gently. The leather felt smooth under my fingertips, and honestly, seeing him doubt my driving made me want to prove myself even more.

“Ok, let’s go,” he finally said, giving up on trying to convince me.

I started the engine, and the quiet rumble filled the car immediately. I slowly drove out of the estate, checking my mirrors like I normally did. Everything seemed normal. The road ahead looked clear, and for a moment it felt like a simple, ordinary morning.

I was just about to remind him to tell me more about his mom, but just as we were coming out of the estate gates, something caught my attention.

A van.

Speeding from my side.

I quickly noticed how fast it was coming. The sound of its engine felt louder than it should be, and when I leaned slightly forward, looking out my side of the window, the van didn’t seem like it was going to slow down at all. The speed it was moving at… even if the driver matched the brakes immediately, it would still hit us.

“That van doesn’t look like it’s slowing down,” Roman said, leaning closer to me so he could see exactly what I was staring at.

My heart jumped in that instant.

I immediately pressed the gas pedal of my car. The engine roared loudly as the tires screeched on the ground. The car pushed forward aggressively, moving with speed so fast I felt my back press into the seat. My car could get from 0 to 60 MPH in less than six seconds, and I was praying — literally praying that it would be enough to get us out of harm’s way.

But it wasn’t.

Not even close.

The van slammed into the side of my truck.

The impact was brutal. A harsh, violent push that shifted my entire car sideways. Everything jerked — my body, the steering wheel, even the air in my lungs felt like it shook.

Thankfully, I didn’t sustain any injuries because the hit landed on the trunk and not directly on my side. But the same couldn’t be said about Roman.

“Uhh…” he let out, his hand quickly going up to touch the side of his head.

“Babe, are you okay?” I asked immediately, panic twisting in my chest.

“Yeah… I'm fine. Just… little cut,” he said, wincing slightly.

He must have hit his head against the window when the van smashed into us. The cut wasn’t that big, but it was bleeding. Seeing even that small amount of blood on him made heat rise in my body — anger, fear, irritation, everything at once.

I squeezed my fist tightly, then quickly removed my seatbelt. I pushed the door open and jumped out of the car.

“Lauren,” I heard Roman’s voice call from inside the car.

He already knew what I was about to do.

I couldn’t just accept the fact that some random stranger, someone who was probably drunk or stupid or completely reckless injured my husband and wrecked my car.

They nearly killed us both.

Now?

Now I am going to make sure I wreck their face.

I walked up to the van, which had already begun to smoke heavily. The smoke drifted up into the air, thick and white, and from the looks of it, the van took more damage than we did. The entire front bumper was crushed inward.

As I got closer, I slowed down. My brows frowned lightly as I peered through the cracked window of the driver’s seat.

Because I could almost swear…

I recognized the person inside the van.