From Best Friend To Fiancé (Savannah and Roman) novel Chapter 453

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From Best Friend To Fiancé

Chapter 453

Chapter 256: To The Right

Savannah

Clop, clop, clop.

4

That was the first thing I heard that morning.

Hooves. Heavy and mighty ones. Striking the earth again and again in

a sharp, rhythmic pattern that echoed through the walls of the

manor.

The sound tore me out of sleep immediately.

I jolted upright, heart slamming hard against my ribs, breath coming

too fast. For a moment, I didn’t even know where I was. The

unfamiliar ceiling loomed above me, high and ornate, the curtains

heavy and the room still a little dark even with morning light trying

to push through.

Then memory rushed back.

Blackwood Manor. Roman flown here. Dinner last night. Riley’s

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Chapter 453

words. Ryan’s hand on my throat. The warning in his voice. The fear

that hadn’t quite left my bones.

The sound came again–closer this time. A horse snorted.

Someone shouted sharply, impatient, commanding. “So fucking

useless! This animal!”

“Are you serious?” I muttered, irritation cutting through my lingering

fear.

I shoved the covers aside and swung my legs over the bed. The floor

was cold beneath my feet as I crossed the room, each step edged with

annoyance and unease.

Whoever was making that kind of noise this early clearly didn’t care

who they woke.

I reached the window and pulled the curtain back just enough to see.

The courtyard below was wide and open, still damp with morning

dew. At its center, a horse moved in a tight circle, muscles flexing

beneath its dark coat.

Seated atop it was a man who was lean to the point of sharpness, his

frame long and wiry rather than bulky like Reese. He wore a black

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Chapter 453

wifebeater and his black hair was damp with sweat. A narrow goatee

framed his mouth and chin, giving his face an angular, severe, villain

look.

He rode hard, aggressively, heels pressing in as if the horse itself had

offended him.

I found myself watching despite my better judgment. I was a curious

cat at the end of the day.

There was anger in the way he moved–controlled, but barely. He

wasn’t riding for pleasure. He was burning something off. Probably

steam… rage.

After several more tight circles, he hauled the reins back and

dismounted in one smooth motion. The horse tossed its head,

restless, before being led away by a waiting handler.

The man immediately turned to someone standing nearby.

A guard.

Even from this distance, I could tell he wasn’t just any guard. He

stood straighter than the others, broader through the shoulders. His posture was disciplined and rigid. Military. Authority clung to him the way the morning mist clung to the ground.

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Chapter 453

Calder Hudson. River’s crush.

I recognized him from the night before–Chief of Protection. The man

who Reginald probably trusted enough to close his two eyes around.

The lean man–whoever he was–spoke sharply, his hands slicing

through the air as he gestured angrily.

I couldn’t hear the words, but the tone was unmistakable. It was

displeased and demanding. Probably, he’s complaining about the

horse. Or his morning coffee. Or… even nothing at all.

Calder seemed to respond calmly, measured, his expression clearly

calm. If the man noticed the restraint, he didn’t appreciate it.

I leaned slightly closer to the glass, careful to stay hidden behind the

curtain as I watched them.

Then the lean man stopped mid–sentence. His head tilted upward.

Straight toward the window.

My breath caught.

His eyes locked onto mine through the thin gap in fabric, sharp and

piercing, as if he’d felt my gaze before he’d seen it.

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