From Best Friend To Fiancé (Savannah and Roman) novel Chapter 148

**Dreams Folding Into Broken Time**
**Chapter 148**

I pressed my eyelids together, the pressure of the world outside too overwhelming to bear. The pain of keeping them open was like a fire burning too close to my skin. “Yeah. At least now I know exactly where I fit into your family,” I said, my voice edged with bitterness.

“It’s our family,” he gently corrected, his tone softening the blow.

I shook my head in defiance, even though he couldn’t see the gesture. “No. You’ve all made it abundantly clear. The only family I have left is Roman.”

On the other end of the line, I heard him exhale, a sound reminiscent of smoke curling up from a long-extinguished fire, something that should have faded into memory ages ago.

“Savannah,” he finally said, the weight of his words hanging in the air, “there’s something else you need to be aware of.”

I rolled my eyes, allowing my head to fall back against the couch cushion. My body felt like an empty shell, raw and drained of all energy. “Fine. What is it this time? Another lecture? A guilt trip designed to make me feel small?”

“Chloe is missing.”

His words dropped into my consciousness like a stone sinking into a still pond, sending ripples of confusion through me. Yet, instead of shattering my composure or igniting a sense of panic, I felt… nothing. An overwhelming void. Just emptiness.

Oh. I see.

If he thought this shocking revelation would tug at my heartstrings, he was sorely mistaken. Chloe had always been the center of attention, always the one to steal the spotlight. Even now, when the focus should have been on me, she managed to weave her way back into the narrative.

“Of course,” I muttered, a hollow laugh escaping my lips. “How could I be foolish enough to think you wanted to talk to me? Naturally, this is all about Chloe.”

“No, Sav, that’s not accurate. I genuinely wanted to check on you. I was concerned.” His voice took on an urgent tone, almost frantic. “But yes, we also need to know if you’ve seen her. If she might have run to someone you know?”

“Oh, isn’t that just poetic?” I sneered, my sarcasm dripping like venom. “It seems our lives are intertwined after all—Chloe and me. Always Chloe.” Vivid images flashed through my mind: Chloe’s flawless blonde hair, her gentle smile, the way Roman spoke of her with a kind of reverence. It meant nothing to him, but it still held weight for me. I despised the fact that something connected them both. Hatred surged through my veins like fire.

I hope she stays gone. I hope no one finds her. I hope she vanishes so completely that she becomes nothing more than a ghost.

I sat there for what felt like an eternity, the device heavy in my lap, my hands trembling as if I had just sprinted a marathon.

Too much. Everything had become too much to bear.

Finally, I pushed the half-eaten sandwich away, the sight of it now turning my stomach. I grabbed the plate and, on unsteady legs, made my way to the kitchen to dispose of it. I glanced at the sad remnants of brown bread and wilted lettuce before tossing it in the trash without a second thought. Then, I turned to head back to my room.

But I halted mid-step.

In my peripheral vision, I caught a flicker of movement, a shadow shifting. Every nerve in my body ignited, sharp and alive. My gaze snapped towards the living room, and there he was.

A figure, seated cross-legged on my couch, dark and solid, watching me with an intensity that made my heart race. It slammed against my ribs, and the breath I had been holding escaped me in a small, useless gasp. The world tilted, and only one word slipped from my lips—soft, terrified, and intimate all at once.

“Roman.”