Chapter 244: Don't Be Late

Savannah When the call with Lizzie ended, I stared down at my phone long after the screen went dark. For a moment, I just stood there, the night wind brushing against my skin, the distant thrum of helicopter blades still echoing in my bones. Guilt sat heavy in my chest, thick and suffocating, like something lodged there that refused to be swallowed. I hope you’ll forgive me someday, Lizzie. I hadn’t lied to her. Not really. But I hadn’t told her the full truth either. I just left it to Reese because he knew what to do. And somehow, that felt worse. I was protecting her. I knew that. I believed it with everything in me. If something happened to her—if she got pulled into this twisted, dangerous world Roman came from—I would never forgive myself. And I knew, deep down, that this was exactly what Roman would have done. He would’ve shut the door gently. He would’ve smiled, reassured, taken the burden onto his own shoulders without hesitation. He would’ve carried it alone if it meant keepin