Chapter 255 The Model Husband Savannah Alex must’ve noticed the way my shoulders curled inward, the way my hand hovered protectively over my stomach. “Alright,” he said suddenly, clapping his hands once. “Let’s go.” “Go where?” I asked weakly. “Outside. Before you pass out or stab someone. Reese—come on.” He hooked an arm around my shoulders, steering me gently away. “Let’s go for a smoke.” “I don’t smoke,” I protested automatically. He snorted. “Yeah, I know. Of course you don't. I wasn’t talking to you.” Reese shook his head but followed as Alex led us through the manor. The walk felt endless. Down the grand staircase, past long corridors lined with portraits that seemed to watch me, through heavy doors and into the night air. The grounds of Blackwood Manor stretched out before us—immaculate lawns, stone paths, the sound of water from the fountain at the center of the courtyard. It was beautiful. And yet, terrifying. Men stood stationed along the perimeter, dressed in dark suits, earpieces snug against their jaws, weapons outlined beneath their jackets. They moved with purpose, with awareness. Like predators guarding territory. I stopped a little distance away as Reese and Alex lit their cigarettes. Smoke curled into the cool night air. Silence settled between us. Then Alex glanced at me. “Alright,” he said casually. “What the hell was that with Ryan?” My pulse spiked. I opened my mouth, ready—ready—to finally say it. To tell someone. To explain why I’d done what I’d done. Then Ryan’s voice echoed in my head. If you care about yourself—or that baby—you’ll forget everything you think you know. Fear clamped down hard. “N-nothing,” I said quickly. “It was nothing.”Reese’s head snapped toward me. Alex raised a brow. “Nothing usually doesn’t involve strangulation.” “I just—” My voice faltered. “It was a misunderstanding.” Before I could say anything else, Reese cut in flatly. “She threatened him.” I froze. Alex turned slowly toward his brother. “She what?” Reese didn’t look at me. “Savannah’s sister—Alyssa, I believe that's her name—has a child for Ryan. A daughter named Emily. I saw the kid in New Hope.” The words hung in the air. There was silence in the air. Then Alex barked out a laugh. A real one. A loud, shocked and uncontrollable laughter. He bent forward slightly, cigarette between his fingers, laughing into the night like he’d just been told the best joke of the year. “No shit,” he said between laughs. “Ryan? Knocked someone up and hid it from the family? That is—wow. So he really doesn't shoot blanks.” He wiped at his eyes. “I did not have that on my bingo card. Damn!” I stared at him, stunned. “He actually did some real street nonsense,” Alex continued, shaking his head. “Our dear brother, the model husband and son. God, he must be losing his mind.” Reese shot him a look. “It’s not funny.” Alex straightened, still smirking. “It’s a little funny. Actually… It's a lot funny. Admit it, Reese.” Reese rolled his eyes. I remembered vaguely how Reese had laughed when he found out too. Reese turned to me then, his expression sharp. “Are you stupid,” he asked bluntly, “or just reckless?” My chest tightened. “Excuse me?” “You’re pregnant,” he said. “Roman is in a coma. And you thought picking a fight with Ryan was smart?” “I wasn’t picking a fight,” I snapped, finding my voice at last. “I was standing up for my sister. For my niece.” “And that’s worth dying for?” Reese countered. “Yes. No.” I said without thinking. “Family matters to me.” He studied me for a long moment, then shook his head slowly. “You don’t know the full story.” “What story?” I demanded. “That he abandoned them? That he—” “You say it like he forced her,” Reese interrupted. “He didn’t rape her. He didn’t coerce her. Whatever happened between Ryan and Alyssa was consensual. Don't twist the picture.” The words hit me like a slap. “He told her to abort,” Reese continued calmly. “He told her to get rid of the pregnancy. She didn’t. She hid it. She chose to keep the child without telling him.” “That doesn’t make him innocent,” I said weakly. “No,” Reese agreed. “But it makes him the one who was deceived. The one who was wronged. Not her.” I shook my head, my thoughts spinning. “You’re defending him because he's your brother.” “I’m stating facts,” he replied. “Ryan was played. He was the one wronged.” Alex let out a low whistle. “Damn.” I looked at him, incredulous. “And you… you’re just… okay with this?” He shrugged. “I’m entertained.” “That’s sick. You don't take anything serious, do you?.” He grinned. “Yeah. Probably.” I hugged myself as a chill crept over me. The night air felt colder now. I noticed the guards again, the way they moved silently along the perimeter. This place wasn’t just guarded like a house. It was guarded like a fortress. Alex flicked his cigarette away. “By the way,” he added casually, “his middle name is Joseph. He hates it with a passion.” I blinked. “What?” “Big Joe,” he said, winking. “Makes him snap. I love that.” I swallowed hard. Then Reese spoke again. “Father wants to see me tomorrow. Do you know why?” Alex turned to him. “No. Why?” Reese’s gaze shifted from Alex then landed on me. “He wants to know what I'm thinking. He wants to know what I know.” “Oh yeah?” Alex folded his arms, his entire focus on what Reese had to say. “And what's that?” “He knows that I'm wondering,” Reese said slowly, “how four people were shot in a neighbourhood in New Hope and not a single cop showed up. ” My heart stopped. The world faded. He was right. Multiple shots were fired. The neighbors were home. No police. No sirens. No reports. Just silence. Reese stomped on his cigarette. “Instead of picking fights with the wrong people. Why don't you think about that, Savannah?” Then he turned and walked back into the house. Leaving me with Alex. “Isn't he so cool?” Alex said, beaming with pride. “Now you see why I love that fucker.” I glared at him. “Come on.” He laughed, hooking an arm around my shoulder again as he led me into the house. “Don't you just love how unhinged we can get?” And in the middle of his laughter, I understood exactly how dangerous this house really was. And how trapped I might already be.