Chapter 239 Don't Let Him Savannah It felt like I was trapped inside someone else’s nightmare. Like if I blinked hard enough, I would wake up in our bed, Roman would be beside me, breathing softly, his arm heavy around my waist. Like this hospital smell—bleach and fear and cold—would dissolve into nothing. Like his blood wasn’t still staining my hands no matter how many times I scrubbed my hands down my thighs. But the doors remained shut. And Roman was still fighting for his life on the other side of them. I stood there, frozen in the waiting room, my knees trembling, my chest aching with every breath I dragged in. Every second felt stretched thin, fragile, like it might snap and send me screaming into the void. I lifted my head slowly—and met the General’s eyes. Reginald Blackwood stood across from me like judgment incarnate. Tall. Rigid. Immaculate in a dark coat that looked untouched by the chaos surrounding us. His black and silver hair was slicked back neatly, his face still rock hard like it had been carved from stone rather than flesh. His fingers tightened around the head of his cane. “Young lady,” he said, his voice calm but razor-sharp. “I asked you a question. One that demands an answer.” My throat tightened. “Where the hell is my son?” he barked suddenly, slamming the cane against the floor. “And what have you done to him?!” I flinched violently, tears spilling down my cheeks before I could stop them. “I—I—” My voice cracked. I shook my head, twisting my fingers together so hard my knuckles burned. “Roman is in surgery. He’s… he’s in there.” I gestured weakly toward the doors behind me. “I never meant to hurt him. I would never hurt him. I love him. I swear, I—” He stepped forward. Just one step. But that was all it took to make me stumble back instinctively. Cassandra remained where she was behind him, pale and stiff, her hands clasped together so tightly they were trembling. Her eyes darted between us, panic written all over her face—but she said nothing. “You,” the General said coldly, “and your worthless clan of thieves dragged my son down into your filth and put his life in danger. Now you dare stand before me and lie?” “No!” I cried, shaking my head frantically. “That’s not true. I would never put Roman’s life in danger. Never. I would rather die before I—” My voice faltered. For the first time since he arrived, I looked around the waiting room and realized how alone I was. My mother was gone, having left earlier to pray when her sobs became too loud to contain. Jace had been taken to the police station to give his statement. Alyssa had gone downstairs to make arrangements for Emily because our home had been sealed off as a crime scene. They hadn’t abandoned me. They were just… gone. And it's partly because I pushed them away earlier. And suddenly the weight of everything crashed down on me all at once. The blood. The gunshots. Roman bleeding out in my arms. My vision blurred. The room tilted. I swayed and barely managed to grab the back of a chair before my knees gave out. The General watched me with naked disgust. He didn’t move to help me. Didn’t ask what was wrong. He just didn’t care.A sharp cramp twisted through my lower abdomen, stealing my breath. I gasped, clutching my belly instinctively, biting down on my lip to keep me from screaming out. The pain intensified. “Pray, Savannah,” he said quietly, his eyes locked on mine. “Pray with everything you have that nothing happens to my son.” My chest tightened. “Because if my son is not returned to me in perfect condition,” he continued, his voice dropping into something far more sinister, “you and your entire family will never see the light of day again.” My blood ran cold. “Ever.” He added. Then his gaze slowly drifted downward to my stomach. And when he spoke again, it felt like he ripped the air straight from my lungs. “Including that thing in your womb.” I gasped and stumbled back, my hands flying protectively to my belly. “How—how did you—” He cut me off sharply. “Know?” he sneered. “You're surprised that I am aware of how you trapped my son with a pregnancy he clearly did not want? That you practically forced a child on him to secure your position?” My ears rang. Tears streamed freely down my face as I slapped a hand over my mouth. “Oh my God…” But he wasn’t finished. “You think I don’t know what goes on in my own son’s life?” he continued calmly. “You think I am unaware that less than a month ago Roman altered his will? That he made you the sole inheritor of everything he owns and has worked for?” My stomach burned. “You think I do not know your plan, girl?” My head spun violently. A will? Roman… changed his will? I opened my mouth—but nothing came out. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn't think. Couldn’t process the words being hurled at me like weapons. Roman would have told me. He would have—he would never make a decision like that without talking to me. Would he? “I—I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I finally stammered, my voice barely audible. “I swear. I had no idea Roman did anything like that. You have to believe me.” Even as I said it, I knew how useless it sounded. “Lies,” he spat. “All lies.” His gaze dragged over me slowly, critically, like he could physically see deceit etched into my skin. “You come from a family of liars. Whores. Thieves. Social climbers. You are no different,” he said coldly. “You are a Hart. You will always be one.” Each word landed like a slap. “You will never be a Blackwood, Savannah Hart,” he continued. “You will never fit in. You will never be enough.” Something inside me snapped. The pain in my abdomen still burned, my heart still shattered—but anger surged through me, raw and fierce and uncontrollable. So I stepped forward. I ignored the dizziness. Ignored the fear. I raised my trembling hand, holding it up between us. “You’re wrong,” I said, my voice shaking but strong. “This—” I gestured to the ring on my finger. “This is my engagement ring. Roman gave it to me. It’s a symbol of his love for me. A promise that he is going to marry me.”His eyes darkened. “It’s a promise,” I continued, my voice rising, “that he chose me. That he wants me. He loves me more than anyone else in the world. That he wants our child. Roman and I love each other, and that is the only thing that matters.” I took another step forward. “Not your opinion. Not your power. And certainly not your threats.” The words poured out of me, fueled by desperation and love and sheer defiance. “So if you think this is an opportunity to tear us apart,” I said, my voice breaking as I raised it, “you’re mistaken. Roman and I will never break up. He chose me. He chose us. And he did so because he loves me and wants to spend the rest of his life with me!” My chest heaved. “So you can choke on that, General Blackwood.” For a terrifying moment, I thought he would strike me. His face twisted into something murderous. The veins in his hand bulged as he gripped the cane so tightly his knuckles went white. Then just when I feared he'd hit me with the cane, a voice cut in. “Sav!”Alyssa’s voice cut through the tension like a blade. She rushed toward me, Emily asleep in her arms, her face pale with alarm. “What’s going on?” she asked urgently. Then her gaze snapped to the General. “Who is he?” Then she turned back to me. “Is this man bothering you, Sav?” I opened my mouth to answer but pain exploded through me. White-hot, blinding pain. I screamed as my legs gave out, collapsing to the floor, clutching my stomach as a horrifying warmth spread between my thighs. Alyssa’s scream echoed as I looked down with shaking hands. Blood. “No—no—no,” I sobbed, terror ripping through me. “Please, God. Please. No. Someone—someone call a doctor! Please!” Then everything blurred. Voices shouted. Footsteps rushed. Alyssa knelt beside me, still carrying Emily, crying, calling my name over and over as blood continued to soak through my clothes. But through it all, Reginald Blackwood did not move. He stood there, unmoved. Unbothered. Furious. As if he was carved from cruelty. And I noticed his eyes. He was staring at Emily. His eyes were fixed on her. Without blinking. Cassandra stood behind him, her hand covering her mouth, tears in her eyes. And then—just before the nurses arrived—she met my gaze. Then her lips moved silently. I wasn't exactly sure of what she was mouthing. But it looked like she said, ‘Don’t let him.’ And as I was wheeled away, fading in and out of consciousness, I couldn’t stop wondering— Don’t let him… do what?