The sharp bite of my heels against the marble slowed me down,so I kicked them off mid-stride and kept chasing after Roman, who was already at the grand entrance of the ballroom. His strides were purposeful.wide, almost military. His broad shoulders parted the crowd, and my pulse tripped over itself trying to keep up.

"Roman, please. Wait!" My voice cracked across the noisy room,

breaking against the swell of laughter, clinking glasses, and the orchestra

swelling with another romantic piece.

He stopped. Not completely, but enough that his head turned slightly to/the side. Emerald eyes flashed, dangerous and angry.

"Stay out of this, Savannah." His voice was a rough growl, low and guttural, sending a shiver racing down my spine.

I lunged forward and caught his elbow, nails digging into the fine fabric of his tux. My chest heaved, breath running short. "Please, don't create a scene. This is my sister's wedding," I pleaded, heart jackhammering.

Around us, guests kept laughing, chatting, and swirling champagne.No one had noticed yet. Except-my gaze slid past Roman's arm and landed on Chloe. She was standing stiffly at the far side of the ballroom with Dean, her expression tight, almost strained and panicky. Their heads were close together, and their conversation looked far too seriousfor a wedding.

Roman must have followed my line of sight, because I felt his muscles tense beneath my fingers. His jaw flexed, and when his eyes shifted to Chloe and Dean, they darkened into something sharp and lethal. Emerald

daggers.

"We're leaving once I'm done here." Histone left no room for discyssion. "We're going back to Philadelphia."

Something in me broke and bent all at once. I nodded, helpless, my throat dry. "You... you promise not to create a scene?" The desperation in my voice made me hate myself, but I clung to it anyway. Anything to make sure this wedding ends without a fight.

Roman didn't answer. Instead, he smiled, the kind of smile that wasn't really a smile at all but a warning.

Before I could protest, he guided me backward with the ease of a man who controlled every step of the dance. My knees buckled until the back of my thighs met a chair, and I sank into it. He snagged a glass of juice from a passing waiter and shoved it into my hand.

"Sit tight and let me have a quick word with the groom. Alright?" His lips curved, but his eyes remained unreadable.

I nodded, but unease bloomed in my chest like wildfire. Nothing about this felt safe. Not his smile. Not his words.

And definitely not the atmosphere.

Roman pivoted to leave but paused, pualling his phone from his pocket and setting it in my lap. "Hold that for me, my love."

I clutched it like it might save me, fingers trembling. The glass shook in my other hand, liquid sloshing dangerously close to the rim. Eventually,I slid both phones into my purse just to stop myself from spilling the drink on them. My nerves were shredding me alive.

What was Roman about to do? Why did he need me to hold his phone?

My eyes stayed glued to him as he stalked across the ballroom toward Chloe and Dean. I saw it before they did-the inevitable explosion winding up, ready to shatter everything.

Chloe's spine straightened the moment she noticed him approaching.Her grip on her glass turned white-knuckled.

I couldn't hear the words exchanged, but I didn't need to. Roman's stance screamed dominance. Chloe's glare was sharp, venomous, but he only mirrored it with one of his own. The silent battle between them was thick enough to slice through.

What was actually going on with those two? Was I even brave enough to ask Roman if he knew my sister?

Dean's patience seemed to fray instantly. He waved Chloe aside with a sharp, dismissive flick of his hand. Pissed. Almost disgusted.

Weird.

Chloe's face tightened, but before she could argue, she was dragged away by a group of friends insisting on a photo. She resisted, but only half-heartedly,glaring over her shoulder as the flash from someone's phone snapped.

And that-oh God-that was Dean's biggest mistake.

Roman's fist connected with Dean's jaw in a brutal, bone-crunching punch that echoed louder than the orchestra. Dean toppled backward,crashing into the towering wedding cake. Six tiers of delicate artistry collansed wíth hím. frosting and fondant ernloding across tho murhin floor

like sugary confetti.

The ballroom erupted. The orchestra stopped.

Screams,gasps, shrieks-hundreds of voices blending into perfect chaos. My own voice was one of them, choked and strangled as I sprang from my chair, bare feet slapping the floor.

But none of it was louder than Chloe's scream. A raw,piercing sound that ripped through the room.

"Roman, no!" I shrieked, running on shaky legs, my heart ricocheting against my ribs.

Roman didn't hear me. Or he did, but he didn't care. He straddled Dean on the floor, raining punches with merciless precision. Dean raised his arms feebly to shield his face from the attacks, but Roman was relentless, rage blazing in every movement.

"I warned you, didn't I?!" Roman's roar shook the air,violent and raw.

"Stop it! Let him go!" Chloe shrieked, struggling against her friends'grip. They clung to her arms desperately, reminding her through frantic whispers that she was pregnant, begging her not to throw herself into the fight.

I pushed forward, lungs burning, every nerve screaming at me to intervene. Dean's face was already slick with blood, his groans pitiful.Roman didn't care. In that moment, he looked like a man possessed.

I grabbed his arm mid-swing, my fingers locking around taut muscle.My body shook with fear and adrenaline. "Roman, stop! You're going to kill him!"

For a split second, his eyes flicked to mine. They were wild,feral, but my voice cracked something in him, just enough for the groomsmen to leap in.

"Hold him back!" someone shouted.

Two men grabbed Roman's shoulders, another tried his arms.He exploded,thrashing like a wild beast.

"Get your fucking hands off me!" he roared, jerking free. His glare snapped to Henry, who was the last to let go. "I'H break your arm if you touch me again."

Henry froze.

Please Henry don't be stupid and just walk away. Roman already hates you for what you did at the rehearsal dinner. You're just going to remind him to punish you.

Thankfully, Henry read my thoughts and backed off, pale and trembling.

The crowd had circled, whispers going left, right and center. My father's voice cut through it, sharp and commanding.

"What the hell is the meaning of this?" His face was thunder as he took in Dean's battered form, groaning on the ruined cake.

Roman's chest heaved, fists still curled, but his voice thundered just as loud. "Ask your son-in-law why he can't keep his fucking hands off my fiancée!"

Every eye in the room turned to me. Heat scorched up my neck. My hands fisted my dress by my sides, knuckles white, hating the weight of

all those stares.

Dad's gaze pinned me. "What happened here, Savannah?"

I swallowed hard, looked at Roman, then Dean, then down at the floor.My voice shook when I finally spoke. "Dean... forcefully kissed me in the bathroom. And he wouldn't stop harassing me."

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

Dad's head snapped to Dean. "Dean! What is she saying?"

Chloe rushed to his side, hands trembling as she tried to help him up.He shoved her away with a snarl.

"Get away from me!" His voice was venomous.

"Dean!" Chloe's voice cracked. "What is wrong with you?!"

He staggered upright, blood streaking his mouth. His glare landed on her like fire. "You wanna know what's wrong with me? You! You're what's wrong with me, Chloe! You're my fucking problem!"

The crowd gasped again, louder this time. Even I flinched at the venom in his voice.

Mom rushed forward frantically. "Don't yell at her that way,young man! She's carrying your child."

Dean laughed, a harsh, broken sound. "Yeah, right. The baby isn't mine! She betrayed me. I loved you, Chloe, and you ruined me! You ruined everything!"

Chloe's face drained of color. She looked around frantically, panic spreading like a crack in glass. "Dean, ston talking. Please. Let's settle this .

in private."

Roman's arm tightened around my waist, pulling me against his chest,as if shielding me from the explosion.

Dean spat blood onto the marble beside the ruined cake. "Private? You seriously want to settle this in private? After everything? No. We'll do this here. Now. In front of everyone."

His laugh was jagged and broken. His voice carried on, silencing the whispers.

"I'm done with your lies, Chloe. Done! You tell them the truth. All of them." His bloodshot eyes swept across the room, locking on Chloe like a curse.

Chloe's lips trembled. Her hands pressed protectively against her stomach as if she could shield herself from words sharp enough to cut bone. "Dean... please don't do this."

Her voice broke. She looked like her entire world was teetering on the edge of a cliff.

Dean's chest rose and fell, fury spilling from every ragged breath."No more secrets. Not tonight."

The ballroom had fallen completely silent. You could hear glasses clinking as waiters froze mid-step. You could hear my pulse hammering in my ears.

And it was at that moment that I realized, everything was about to end.