From Best Friend To Fiancé (Savannah and Roman) novel Chapter 192

**Chapter 116: Do You Really Have To?**

**Roman**

She knows.

The truth has finally seeped into Savannah’s consciousness, and with it comes the realization that that spineless prick isn’t her biological father. When she read that cursed letter aloud to me, I could see the moment her world began to unravel, the last fragile thread of her composure snapping like a taut string. Here I am, stretched out beneath the weight of her, my arms encircling her trembling form, but I feel utterly useless. I’m trapped in a whirlwind of emotions, unsure how to comfort her without risking the chance that she might come to despise me later on.

I should have been the one to tell her. Damn it, I should have mustered the courage to face her directly, to lay the truth bare before her. But instead, I hesitated. I kept telling myself that the right moment would come—when the air was calm and she was strong enough to handle the harsh reality. Yet, that moment never arrived, and now? Now I’m left with the bitter taste of regret.

If she discovers that I knew all along and chose silence, the hatred in her eyes will be a wound I won’t be able to bear. I’m certain of it.

But wait…

How could she possibly find out? That monster is buried deep beneath the earth, his secrets rotting alongside him. Kingston took the truth to his grave, and my loyal men would never betray me—not for anything in this world. The truth should remain buried, sealed away forever.

And if I must choose between losing Savannah and weaving a web of lies? I’ll lie until my dying breath. I’d bury the truth deeper than the darkest pit imaginable.

Her anguished cries pierce through me like shards of glass. I attempt to soothe her, my hand moving slowly up and down her back in a futile gesture meant to bring her comfort, even though I know it won’t help. “Shhhh, it’s alright, my love,” I murmur softly against her hair, pressing a gentle kiss to the crown of her head. My throat feels constricted, heavy with emotion. “Everything will be fine.”

Chloe, in particular, is the last person worthy of even a single tear from Savannah. It feels like a crime to waste her compassion on that girl. Yet here is Savannah, curled into me as if the very fabric of her world is disintegrating, and I loathe it. I despise every moment of her suffering.

“And my sister… oh my god, she’s missing.” Her voice is muffled against my shirt, her shoulders shaking violently with fresh sobs. “They don’t know where she is. And… and Dean said there was blood in her car. Lots of her blood, Roman.”

My hand freezes on her back, the word “blood” slicing through the air. “Blood?” I ask, my voice low and edged with urgency.

She nods frantically, pulling back just enough to lock eyes with me. Her face is a chaotic canvas of blotches, her lashes matted with tears. “Dean said they found her blood all over the car. Her things were missing too.”

A surge of anger courses through me, my fist clenching against her hip. Dean. Why did it have to be him? Why not Alyssa? Why not Lizzie? No—he had to be the one to come rushing in, inserting himself into her pain like a leech. He’s an opportunist, always waiting for a crack to appear in her armor so he can slither back into her life.