From Best Friend To Fiancé (Savannah and Roman) novel Chapter 22

**TITLE: Dreams Folding Into Broken Time**
**by Serene L. Arden**
**Chapter 16: We’re Not Together**

**Roman**

As I stepped into the room, it felt as if an invisible weight had settled upon my chest, a suffocating heaviness that echoed the gravity of the situation. The air was thick with despair, and I could almost hear the silence scream.

Alyssa was curled up on the couch, her form resembling a shattered doll, the kind that once held the promise of joy but had now been discarded. Her face was marred with blotches, a testament to her distress, while her breaths came in uneven, shaky intervals. Savannah was beside her, her arm draped protectively around Alyssa, gently rubbing soothing circles on her shoulder as if trying to mend the pieces of her shattered spirit. Lizzie, on the other hand, was a whirlwind of anxiety, pacing near the window with her phone pressed to her ear, her voice a sharp whisper as she hurriedly spoke, urgency lacing her words. Savannah’s mother hovered nearby, concern etched across her features, adding to the tension in the room.

“What’s happening?” I asked, my voice slicing through the oppressive atmosphere like a knife.

Savannah’s gaze met mine, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Emily’s dad is downstairs,” she replied, her voice trembling slightly. “He’s causing a scene and threatening to take her away.”

Even in her distress, Savannah’s strength shone through, but the fear in her eyes was unmistakable.

Emily lay peacefully asleep on the bed, blissfully unaware of the chaos unfolding just beyond her door.

Rage bubbled within me, and I clenched my fists, feeling the heat of anger rise in my chest. “Where has he been all this time? If he’s such a devoted father, why wasn’t he there to save her from drowning?” I spat, the bitterness of my words hanging in the air.

Alyssa turned her face away, unwilling to meet my gaze. “We’re not together,” she murmured softly, the weight of her admission heavy in the room. “He’s not in her life.”

She averted her eyes, but the guilt etched on her features was impossible to miss.

In that moment, it struck me how her avoidance revealed her inner turmoil, the shame she was desperately trying to conceal.

I studied her closely, really studied her. The way her eyes flicked to the floor, avoiding contact, and how her shoulders hunched as if she wished to shrink away from the world. She wasn’t merely hiding pain; she was cloaked in shame, as if it were a second skin.

But who was I to cast judgment?

Savannah lowered her gaze, the weight of the situation pressing down on her. “Gerald wasn’t there for her, so she didn’t want anything from him. Not even a name on a birth certificate.”

I felt a knot tighten in my stomach. “So how did he find out about Emily?” I pressed, the urgency of the situation gnawing at me.

Alyssa’s voice turned sharp, laced with bitterness. “Chloe.”

Savannah’s head jerked up, surprise flashing across her face.

“09:30 Tue, Nov 25 D”

**Chapter 22**

“That vindictive little bitch told him,” Alyssa’s voice cracked as she rose to her feet, her emotions spilling over. “She’s trying to punish me. She’s actually trying to get back at me. This time, she’s gone too far.”

“Alyssa, don’t speak about your sister that way,” their mother interjected sharply, hastily covering the mouthpiece of her phone, her voice a mixture of authority and concern.

Alyssa broke free from Savannah’s comforting embrace, her fists clenched tight at her sides. “That snake is not my sister. At least, not today. She’s trying to take my daughter away from me. If you see her again, you better warn her to run the other direction.”

Honestly? I wouldn’t put it past Chloe. That blonde-haired narcissist thrived on chaos and loved to sabotage.

“Wait—does he know which room she’s in?” their dad asked, his voice low and cautious, as if he were afraid of the answer.

Savannah answered, her voice steady. “No. The nurses won’t let him in unless they’re certain he’s truly her father. Right now, all they know is that there’s a crazy man insisting he’s a patient’s father.”

“We’re filing a restraining order,” I declared firmly, determination coursing through me.

Alyssa’s brows knitted together in confusion. “Just like that?”

“Just like that,” I affirmed, my resolve unyielding.

I pulled out my phone, urgency propelling me forward. “I’m calling my lawyer.”

Savannah blinked, her surprise evident. “Who? Conrad? He’s in Malibu, remember?”

“No, Penny,” I replied, scrolling through my contacts with purpose. “If the sperm donor wants a custody fight, we’ll give him a war.”

I stepped away to make the call, my heart racing.

The phone rang twice before a familiar voice broke through the line. “Roman,” Penny’s crisp tone greeted me. “Long time no talk. I was beginning to think you’d eloped and left me behind.”

I managed a tight smile, the tension in my chest palpable. “I need a restraining order. Now.”

“Ooh, straight to business. I’m intrigued,” she replied, pausing for a moment. “Against whom? Let me guess, an obsessive client?”

“An unstable man trying to take a child from her mother. The girl almost drowned this morning, and now he’s shown up at the hospital acting like he’s the hero.”

“And who is the mother to you? Roman, is there something I need to know?” she probed, her tone shifting slightly.

“Penny, she’s a friend,” I stated firmly, though the word felt inadequate.

“09:30 Tue, Nov 25”

**Chapter 22**

She exhaled slowly. “Okay. I can file the paperwork today, but Roman… I’m not exactly the favored side right now. Social services might flag the case because the near-drowning happened on the mother’s watch.”

My jaw tightened, frustration boiling beneath the surface. “So what can we do?”

“Dig,” Penny instructed, her voice resolute. “Find me something ugly. A history of violence. Drugs. Affairs. Scandals. Financial instability. I don’t care what it is. I just need a crack, anything to make the mother look like the safer option here.”

“Then I’ll give you everything,” I promised. “I’ll call back with his full name.”

Even as I spoke, a coil of unease tightened in my chest. This wasn’t merely about Alyssa anymore.

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