From Best Friend To Fiancé (Savannah and Roman) novel Chapter 243

**TITLE: Dreams Folding Into Broken Time**
**Chapter 144: Sleep Works Wonders**

As dawn broke, the weight of my suspicions crystallized into an undeniable truth. It was him. It had always been the General.

Every fragment of the puzzle fell into place now. The creeping paranoia, the tangled web of lies, the sudden urgency to meet, and the fabricated illness that Reese had mentioned—it all pointed to one man. He wasn’t unwell; he was orchestrating a scene. Playing the part of the frail, ailing patriarch to draw us in, to manipulate us into gathering in one place.

It was terrifying to realize that his delusions had escalated to the point where he believed I was pregnant. And if that had been true… if there had truly been a life growing within me… I shuddered at the thought of what he might do. He could have harmed me, harmed his own grandchild.

The realization twisted my stomach into knots, a visceral reaction that left me breathless.

What was more disturbing—his madness, or the fact that none of his children had recognized it? How could a family brimming with power and intelligence overlook such a glaring truth? The signs had been there all along, glaringly obvious, yet they had chosen to ignore them. Perhaps they were all blinded by denial, or maybe they were simply too afraid to confront the reality before them.

Just then, a gentle weight shifted on my chest, pulling me from my spiraling thoughts. Roman stirred beside me, his presence a soothing balm amidst the chaos in my mind. His face was buried close to mine, tousled hair framing his features in a way that made my heart flutter. Even in his half-asleep state, he radiated a certain charm—like the most captivating man in the world.

His voice, gravelly from sleep, broke the silence. “A penny for your thoughts?”

A faint smile tugged at my lips. “You’re awake.”

He lifted his gaze, eyes still heavy with sleep, a teasing grin spreading across his face. “I am. Thanks for pointing that out.”

That smirk was quintessentially him—arrogant yet playful, effortlessly disarming. It had the power to unravel me without him even trying. I almost rolled my eyes, almost playfully punched his shoulder for being such an unbearable flirt so early in the day. But then I recalled the fever that had burned through him the night before, his cheeks flushed with exhaustion.

My concern eclipsed my playful banter. I pressed my palm to his forehead, relief flooding through me as I felt the heat had dissipated.

“Thank God,” I exhaled, my voice barely above a whisper. “You’re better now.”

He nodded slowly, his eyes still fixed on me, a softness in his gaze. “Because of you.”

I quickly averted my eyes, feeling a rush of warmth. “Because of sleep,” I replied, my tone softer than I intended. “Sleep works wonders, you know.”

He chuckled, a low, amused sound. “You don’t say.”

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