From Best Friend To Fiancé (Savannah and Roman) novel Chapter 121

**TITLE: Dreams Folding Into Broken Time**
**Chapter 78: Another Name**

Savannah

The moment Roman’s words pierced the air, I recoiled as if they had seared my very soul. My fingers instinctively tangled in my hair, pulling at it in a desperate attempt to ground myself in the present, hoping that the physical pain would tether me to reality.

“That’s not true!” I shouted, my voice rising unnaturally high, sounding more like a frenzied plea than a confident assertion. It felt as though I was trying to convince myself more than him. Taking a moment to gather my thoughts, I softened my tone, drawing upon the years I had spent defending Chloe. “Chloe’s a yoga instructor. A ballet teacher. She’s constantly being flown to LA because of her clients, the gigs she books. Mom and Dad beam with pride because she chose a challenging path, a field that isn’t mainstream, and still made a name for herself. She’s a good person. She’s… she’s a role model for so many.”

The words tumbled from my lips like bricks cascading from a crumbling wall, and I cringed at how rehearsed they sounded. It felt as though I was reciting lines from a script rather than expressing genuine feelings.

Roman stood before me, unfazed by my practiced defense. His gaze was unwavering, heavy with an intensity that seemed to see right through the fragile facade I was desperately trying to uphold. It was as if he could sense the threads of my composure unraveling, one by one.

“Savannah,” he said, his voice low and steady, each word laced with the weight of a verdict, “you know I’m telling the truth.”

A knot twisted tightly in my stomach, a cold dread pooling within me. “Don’t do that.”

“I didn’t know her as Chloe back then.” His jaw tightened, and I could taste the bitterness in his words. “She went by another name. Blondie.”

The name struck me like a freight train, leaving me breathless and reeling. Blondie. The name Roman had always used to silence her, the whispers I had tried so hard to ignore.

The silence stretched between us, growing deafening, an unbearable tension that begged for release.

My expression contorted, a whirlwind of emotions—shock, disgust, and grief—colliding within me. I gasped for air, as if the very atmosphere were clawing at my throat, conspiring against me.

“You’re telling me…” My voice cracked violently, splintering under the weight of my disbelief. “…that my sister—my sister, Chloe—sold herself to you?”

“What? No. She wasn’t mine, Savannah.” Roman’s words rushed out, defensive and sharp. “It wasn’t like that. It was business. Formal. Transactional. Nothing compared to—”

“Stop.” The word lashed out of me like a whip, my eyes blazing with unspent tears. “Don’t you dare. Don’t you dare compare me to that. Don’t you dare put me in the same breath as what you did with her.”

“Sav—”

“No!” I interrupted, slicing through the air between us with my palm, trembling but resolute. “You hired women like they were jewelry, and my sister was one of them. And now you expect me to just stand here and—what? Swallow it down? Pretend it doesn’t shatter me into pieces that you had such a level of intimacy with my sister?”

His voice cracked in response, sharp and defensive. “I never slept with her. Whatever happened, happened a long time ago.”

The words struck me sideways, leaving me momentarily stunned.

“I only hired her for one event,” he continued, his tone clipped, laced with shame. “Months later, just before you told me about her wedding, I ran into her again. She had nowhere to stay, so I let her crash in my suite. Nothing happened. Not then. Not after. I haven’t seen her since until I saw her here.” He paused, searching my eyes for understanding. “What happened before was a mistake, Sav. A mistake I would erase if I could.”

A bitter laugh clawed its way out of me, jagged and raw. “Oh, should I clap then? Throw you a goddamn parade because you only let her get on her knees for you the first time?”

My words sliced through the air like knives, sharper than any slap. I wanted them to wound him, to leave a mark as deep as the one his confession had carved into me.

Roman paused, his lips parting as if I had struck him harder than I intended. But instead of anger, a raw vulnerability seeped into his voice.

“Savannah…” His tone broke, quiet and pleading, fragile as glass. “It meant nothing. She meant nothing. You’re the only one who—”

“Don’t.” My voice splintered, breaking under the weight of tears that finally escaped. They streamed down my cheeks, hot and furious, as if they had been waiting years for this moment to betray me. “Don’t you dare say I’m the only one. I can’t even breathe right now, Roman. I can’t…”

“Roman!” I screamed again, thrashing against him. “You better let me down before I do some permanent damage!”

His only response was the flat, sharp smack of his palm against my backside. The sound cracked through the air, igniting a rush of hot shame that flooded my body so quickly I could hardly breathe.

I froze, stiff as stone, a fresh wave of tears burning my eyes. Anger, humiliation, and something darker coiled low in my stomach, a storm I dared not name.

His voice came low, filtering into my ear like a dark rumble that rattled through me. “Kick me again, Savannah, and I’ll do it harder.”

The warning, the dominance, the steel in his tone—it left me breathless, trembling. I was torn between the urge to claw him apart and the desire to melt into him. I wanted to forget everything he had just revealed, yet I also wanted to make him suffer for it.

And worst of all…

I couldn’t tell which urge would ultimately prevail.

**Conclusion**

In the aftermath of our confrontation, the air hung thick with unresolved emotions, the remnants of a truth that threatened to shatter the fragile bond between Savannah and Roman. Savannah stood at the precipice of her feelings, caught in a tumultuous storm of anger, betrayal, and an undeniable magnetic pull toward the man who had unveiled her sister’s hidden past. The weight of Roman’s confession pressed heavily upon her, each revelation a jagged shard of glass that cut deeper into her heart. Yet, as he held her tightly against the chaos of her emotions, a flicker of something more complicated began to emerge within her—a dangerous blend of vulnerability and longing that intertwined with her fury.

As the night wore on, Savannah grappled with the duality of her feelings, the conflict between wanting to push Roman away and the instinct to seek solace in his embrace. The slap of his hand against her backside reverberated through her, igniting a fire within her that both terrified and exhilarated her. It was a moment of raw intimacy amidst the wreckage of their conversation, blurring the lines between anger and desire. In that charged silence, she realized that the path forward was not just about confronting the pain of her sister’s past but also about navigating the treacherous waters of her own heart. The battle within her raged on, and as she looked into Roman’s eyes, she understood that the journey ahead would require her to reconcile the shattered pieces of her trust with the undeniable connection they shared.

**What to Expect in Next Chapter?**
In the upcoming chapter, tensions will escalate as Savannah grapples with the shocking revelations about her sister and the complicated dynamics between her and Roman. The emotional fallout from their confrontation will force Savannah to confront not only her feelings for Roman but also the unsettling truths about her sister’s past. As she navigates the storm of betrayal and heartbreak, readers can anticipate a deeper exploration of Savannah’s psyche, revealing the layers of pain and confusion that threaten to consume her. Will she find a way to reconcile her love for her sister with the harsh reality Roman has laid bare?

Moreover, the arrival of Reese adds another layer of complexity to the already fraught situation. His mischievous demeanor may provide comic relief, but it could also serve as a catalyst for further conflict. As Savannah struggles to maintain her composure, the dynamics between the three will shift, leading to unexpected alliances and confrontations. Will Savannah be able to reclaim her sense of agency, or will the weight of her sister’s past and Roman’s actions drag her further into despair? Anticipate a gripping blend of emotional turmoil and raw vulnerability, as the characters are pushed to their limits, testing the boundaries of love, loyalty, and the ghosts that haunt them.