"Roman,stop."

My voice wasn't loud, but it carried. I clutched his arm as though my grip could soften the rage vibrating through him. "Please stop."

My eyes flicked toward the chaos behind us. Chloe was crumpled on the floor, a bridesmaid fussing with wet wipes to scrub the blood from her lip. Dad was slouched beside her, Mom crouched at his side, inspecting the red welt swelling across his cheek. Henry, still screaming in pain as the rest of the groomsmen tried setting the bone back in place.

They all looked miserable. Pathetic.

Roman paused, his muscles straining as if something inside him resisted the order but ultimately couldn't defy it. Slowly, he turned to me.

"Are you sure?" His voice was a low growl, dangerous even in restraint.

I forced a smile I didn't feel. "Yeah. Let's go."

He clenched his jaw, scanning the ballroom. His knuckles flexed like he was holding back from breaking someone else's face. His stare traveled over the crowd, lingering on thegawking guests, then finally locked on Dad.

"Next time," Roman said, his voice lethal and calm, "pick on someone youar own size,Julius."

The room went silent. Even the chandeliers seemed to stop shimmering.

He gripped my hand and pulled me forward. The crowd parted for us like the Red Sea, people whispering, murmuring, moving aside in fear and fascination.

"Get out of my way." Roman muttered, shoving Dean back before he could reach me. Dean stumbled, sprawling on the polished floor with a paned grunt, clutching his side. And honestly? I almost laughed at how petty,funny and comical that was.

But my amusement didn't last long.

"You're just gonna leave?" Chloe's shrill voice sliced through the air.Her body shook as she scrambled to her feet, trembling with fury. "Like that? You'd walk out hand in hand after ruining my wedding?!"

Her scream startled everyone. A collective murmur vibrated through the guests.

I spun on her, heat rising in my chest. "Yes. I'd leave just like that.And you know why? Because you're the one who ruined your sham wedding with your own hands."

Her glare narrowed, but I didn't stop. I couldn't even stop. My anger had teeth, and it wanted to bite.

"You orchestrated my breakup with Dean and executed it flawlessly.Then you staged this farce of an engagement to him. You paraded a grand wedding for the world. And when that wasn't enough, you manufactured a pregnancy out of thin air and bribed your fake fiancé to keep your lie alive." My voice rose, trembling with fury. "So tell me, Chloe, between the two of us, who really ruined the lie?"

The ballroom was silent except for Chloe's ragged breathing. She didn'

t answer. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, but her eyes... they burned.

"You think you're any better? You think you're the better Hart?" She barked out a laugh. "Think again. You're nothing without him. Without his money, no one would give a shit about you, Savannah Hart. And I swear I'll get you. You'll see."

I chuckled at her childish outbursts. "Really? Then in that case, Chloe,I have a piece of advice for you when you begin your hunt for your new victim." I stepped closer to her, she took a step back. "Next time,sis,fuck someone with more money than he can count."

The shade landed heavy. She felt it as she gasped,glancing subtly at bath sides to see if the crowd heard it. They,heard it.

"This isn't over." Her voice was venomous. But she wasn't looking at me..

She was staring directly at Roman. Not at me.

Something cold slid down my spine. I glanced at him, then at her,confusion knotting inside me. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

Roman didn't shake. His stare locked on hers, sharp as a blade, like he was daring her to try. The tension between them was electric,almost unbearable.

Chloe was the first to break, tearing her gaze away with a hiss. She turned back to me, her eyes hard as steel.

"Whatever happens," she said, her voice low but sharp enough to cut,"it's on you, Savannah."

I smirked faintly, masking the twist in my stomach. "I thought so too."

And then I turned my back on her.

I grabbed my heels, my purse, and whatever fragments of dignity I still had, and walked to Roman. The weight of dozens of stares pressed against me. They wanted more. They wanted spectacle, a final reveal.

For one fleeting second, I considered it. I thought aboutturning around and telling them all the truth, that Roman and I were only best friends, that this had been a plan, a shield to survive the nightmare of wedding week.

But then my gaze landed on Chloe. Standing and glaring daggers at me. I bet she has killed me ten thousand different ways in her head.

She wasn't deserving of the truth. None of them were.

Roman seemed to read my hesitation. His hand brushed mine,grounding me, then clasped it firmly. He tugged me toward the exit.

Footsteps trailed behind us. Then a voice followed. "Do you really have to go?"

Mom.

I stopped, surprised. Her voice was softer than I'd expected. Almost pleading. "Stay, Savannah.Please."

I blinked at her. After everything. After Roman had punched Dad in the face right in front of her, she wanted me to stay? Shouldn't she be screaming at me to leave?

I gave her a sad smile. "There's no place for me here anymore, Mom."

Her shoulders slumped.

"Dad has made it pretty clear that only Chloe matters. So I'm going back to where I'm valued. I won't set foot in New Hope ever again."1sighed, guilt and bitterness wrestling inside me. "Take care of yourself,Mont. You look exhausted."

Her lips trembled. And for the first time that night, I saw her mask crack.

Tears glistened in her eyes as she rushed forward, wrapping me in a desperate hug. She smelled of roses and vanilla. Her arms clung to me as if she was afraid I'd'vanish.

"I'm so sorry for everything," she whispered. "I hope you forgive me scmeday."

When we pulled apart, I only smiled faintly. I knew exactly what she was referring to, and no, I hadn't forgiven her for what she did and for what she made me do. Maybe I never would. Ever. A mother shouldn't betray her daughter like that, shouldn't play such a key role in the deepest wound in her child's life.

I waved to Lizzie and Alyssa,catching Emily's wide eyes before turning away.

Roman led. I followed, head low as we walked out of the suffocating ballroom.

The air outside hit like a sudden splash of cold water. Roman shrugged off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders without a word.

I clutched it tighter. "Thank you," I whispered.

The drive back to the house should have been silent. But it wasn't.

Roman played my Taylor Swift playlist, track after track filling the car.I knew what he was doing. He was trying to lighten the heaviness,to make me sing along, to remind me of who I was before tonight.

But I couldn't. Not even to my favorite song. My throat was raw,my chest was heavy. I let the lyrics wash over me like background noise.Never fully immersing myself in it.

The house was deserted when we arrived. Quiet and hollow.

I stood aside as Roman gathered our things and loaded them into the car. He handed me my keys, and I tucked them into my purse with numb fingers, handing him his phone in exchange.

Then he made a call, his tone clipped but strong. "Yeah. Where are you? Can you come down to a location here in New Hope? Need you to pick up a car.... Yeah, hers.... Hurry up."

He hung up and handed me back his phone.

"Reese will pick up your car. He's closeby." Roman's voice softened."You want to wait for him? Or head out now?"

"Oh." My voice cracked. "It's fine. Let's wait."

He nodded, leaning against the hood beside me. The heat of his body radiated through his jacket, warming me more than the fabric ever could.

"I thought of leaving it till tomorrow," he muttered, "but I don't want to give your sister any excuse to make me throw her in jail for destruction of property."

A laugh slipped out, weak but real as I rubbed my arms.He wasn't wrong. Chloe with a crowbar in hand was a very real possibility.

"Are you cold?" he asked suddenly.

I shook my head."No."

The truth was worse. I didn't know how I felt. My stomach was a storm. Fear gnawed at me from the inside, sharp and restless.

I was afraid. Afraid of him. Afraid of me. Afraid of whatever link bound him and Chloe together in that unspoken moment.

Even as I looked at his face, perfect, carved in charm and mystery,fear coiled tight in my chest.

I was terrified of the answer to the question clawing at me. So before I could lose my nerve, before I drowned in silence, I blurted it out.

"Roman..." My voice was barely a whisper. My heart hammered against my ribs. I swallowed hard, and slowly lifted my eyes to his.

"What exactly is going on between you and Chloe?"