From Best Friend To Fiancé (Savannah and Roman) novel Chapter 226

**TITLE: Dreams Folding Into Broken Time**
**Chapter 226**

My voice trembles, cracking at the edges like fragile glass. The wine glasses jingle softly in my unsteady grip, a sound that feels almost mocking in the heavy silence that surrounds us.

He runs a weary hand down his face, a gesture that speaks volumes of his exhaustion. “I’m sorry, Sav. I truly didn’t mean to hurt you—”

“But you did!” I retort sharply, my frustration boiling over. “That’s exactly the issue, Roman. Your intentions don’t change the fact that you caused me pain! How can I ever trust you again when I can’t even be sure you won’t repeat the very thing I fear the most?”

The air between us crackles with tension, thick and palpable, like the oppressive heat before a storm. His eyes, dark and stormy, reflect a mixture of regret and frustration. His jaw is set tight, and I can see his chest rising and falling rapidly with each shallow breath he takes.

“Sav, I’m really sorry. I mean it,” he says, his voice dropping to a low murmur, urgent yet filled with desperation. “Penny’s not just a friend, she’s also my lawyer. In my line of work, avoiding your lawyer isn’t exactly feasible, my love. And you have to understand, she didn’t mean any harm. That day, she was just teasing you.”

I let out a short, humorless laugh, a sound that feels like it tears open a wound inside me. “Are you serious? You just looked me in the eye and said that? You can’t avoid your lawyer? And a meeting with her necessitated two glasses of wine and take-out? Were you filing her briefs between bites of pasta?”

He reaches out, his hand hovering in the air as if he’s afraid to touch me. “Savannah, please—”

“Don’t you dare do that! You betrayed me, Roman. You turned me into a fool—”

Suddenly, he chuckles, a quick, sharp sound that seems to break the tension momentarily, but only fuels my anger further.

“Roman, are you actually laughing right now?”

He shakes his head, but the corner of his mouth betrays him, twitching into a reluctant smile. “Sav, that was funny. I could never play you for a fool, my darling. I love you.”

My frown deepens, my heart racing as a confusing mix of anger and an unwanted warmth rises within me. “I know you love me! But that doesn’t mean I’ll ignore the obvious when I find two wine glasses and a take-out bag in your kitchen after you lied to me about being alone and making breakfast!”

His smile fades, extinguished like a candle snuffed out in the dark. “I didn’t mean to—”

“But you did!” I cut him off, my voice sharp as a knife. “That noise in the background? That wasn’t just kitchen sounds. That was her, wasn’t it? That was Penny!”

He hesitates, guilt flickering in his eyes before he gives a small, reluctant nod.

I scoff, a bitter sound that barely masks the pain underneath. “And you still want to convince me she means no harm? What are you on? Drugs? Or are you just plain foolish, Roman?”

His head snaps up, frustration flashing across his face. “Jesus Christ, Savannah… please stop. I’m starting to feel like the victim here.” He exhales heavily, running a hand through his hair in exasperation. “If the roles were reversed, I’d be in handcuffs right now for what you’re doing to me.”

“Don’t you dare change the subject.” I jab a finger at him, my voice firm. “And don’t you dare turn this into a joke. This is serious, Roman.”

“I’m not joking, Sav.” He groans softly, anguish etched into his features. “I just hate it when we fight.” His fingers rake through his hair again, strands falling messily over his forehead.

“Please, just stop.”

His plea, low and desperate, almost softens my resolve, almost.

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