Chapter 355
Chapter 355
Chapter 202: He’s Not Bluffing
Savannah
Roman didn’t cower, even with a gun pointed straight at his chest.
Paula’s hands were trembling so violently the weapon clicked against her rings, but the fury in her eyes didn’t waver.
“Don’t speak!” she shouted, her voice cracking under pressure. “I told you to leave! I told you to get out of my house! But you-” She
swallowed hard. “You just wouldn’t listen! You decided to cause trouble p>
I stood frozen behind Roman, my breath trapped somewhere between my ribs and my throat. His body blocked mine completely, solid and
big like a wall built for moments exactly like this.
“Paula,” I tried, my voice small. “Let’s calm down p>
“Shut up!” she shrieked, jerking the gun in my direction. “Just shut up p>
Chloe whimpered beside her, torn between panic and disbelief. Her hands hovered helplessly above Paula’s shoulders as if she wasn’t sure touching her would make things better or worse.
But before I could blink again, the world lurched.
Roman moved fast. Too fast for my eyes to follow. His arm shot out in a flash, his hand clamping down on the barrel of the gun like steel. He twisted it upward in a single sharp motion. Then the crack of his elbow slammed into Paula’s nose, the sound echoing through the
apartment.
Her scream tore through the air a second later–raw, animalistic, agonized. Blood spilled instantly, bright red against her pale skin. She dropped to her knees, clutching her face as if she could hold it together through sheer force.
“Oh my God–Paula!” Chloe fell with her, hands shaking as she tried to steady her. “Oh my God, oh my God–there’s blood, there’s so
much p>
Roman didn’t even look at them. He stepped back, now holding the gun firmly. And he aimed it right at them. “Chloe,” he said, voice dangerously calm, “get up. ”
“No!” Chloe sobbed as she grabbed a towel and pressed it to Paula’s face. “She needs help! You–you broke her nose p>
The gunshot made me scream, even though the bullet wasn’t meant for us.
It exploded through an old porcelain vase on the side table, shattering it into a hundred white shards that rained across the floor like
O
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Chapter 355
hail. Chloe covered her ears, trembling violently. “Stop! Please stop! ” she cried.
“I said get. Up.” Roman’s voice didn’t rise, but it sliced cleaner than any scream could have. “Next time, I won’t hit an object p>
Chloe’s breath stuttered. She stared at the broken vase, then at Paula rolling on the floor, and finally at the gun pointed at her.
She stood.
Her hands lifted in surrender. Tears clung to her lashes. “Please,” she whispered. “Don’t shoot p>
Roman ignored the plea. He pointed to the table. “Pick up the phone p>
Chloe didn’t move at first. Her feet seemed glued to the floor. When she finally did, her steps were so shaky that they reminded me of a newborn animal learning to stand. She grabbed Paula’s phone, staring at it like it was some type of bomb.
“Now call Zane,” Roman ordered.
Her eyes widened in terror.
Paula shook her head vigorously, wincing in pain as fresh blood spilled between her fingers. “Don’t you dare, Chloe,” she groaned.
“Don’t p>
I could see Chloe’s entire body trembling as she stood divided between the person she cared about most and the enraged man holding the
gun.
“Chloe, ” I said, stepping forward. “Listen to me. This is the only way to end this madness. Call Zane. Please p>
Chloe’s head snapped toward me with venom in her eyes. “Shut up, Savannah!” she spat. “ Just shut up! None of this would be happening if you didn’t bring him home! If you didn’t bring him here! This-” her voice cracked, “this is your fault p>
The words hit me like a slap. For a moment, all the chaos around me blurred. Even now. Even when a gun was aimed at her and her girlfriend was bleeding all over the floor, Chloe still found a way to blame me.
My mouth opened, then closed. Before I could form a single response, Roman’s voice thundered across the room.
“I swear to God,” he growled, “I will shoot you if you waste another second. Consequences be damned. Now call him, Chloe.” His patience snapped like a brittle twig.
Chloe jumped, nearly dropping the phone. “O–Okay,” she stuttered. “I’ll- I’ll call him.” Her thumb hovered above the screen.
“Chloe, don’t,” Paula pleaded, hissing through the pain. “Don’t you dare call him. Don’t trust these people! Don’t you p>
Chloe’s hand jerked. The phone slipped and clattered to the floor.
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Chapter 355
Roman exhaled heavily through his nose. “Pick. It. Up p>
Her lower lip trembled. She couldn’t seem to stop staring at the phone lying between her feet. She bent slowly and grabbed it again. I could practically hear her heartbeat from where I stood.
Roman took a step closer, the gun trained on her chest. “I’m going to count to three,” he said quietly. “And if you haven’t dialed him by then, I promise you that the next bullet will go into you or your girlfriend. I’ll decide. ”
Chloe’s breath caught. Her eyes filled with tears again as she looked down at Paula gasping and moaning on the floor.
Her face twisted with anguish.
I hated her. God, I really did. But right now? My anger didn’t matter. Not when someone could die in front of me.
“One,” Roman began.
My heart plummeted. “Chloe, call him!” I shouted, my voice high with panic. “He’s not bluffing p>
“Don’t listen to them!” Paula snarled, though her voice was thin with pain. “He can’t do anything–he’s not going to shoot- ”
“Paula, shut up!” I snapped, fear twisting my stomach. “He will! Chloe, don’t be stupid p>
“Savannah!” Roman barked. “Let me handle this! ”
But I couldn’t. Not when they were dragging this out like idiots while a gun was seconds away from firing again. What exactly was Paula trying to stop? Why didn’t she want Zane to be called?
“Two,” Roman said, his tone lowering even further.
Chloe let out a choked sob. She looked between Paula’s blood–soaked hands … and the cold, merciless barrel aimed at her.
Her fingers shook. She stared at the screen. At the call icon. At her girlfriend. And then at Roman.
Paula tried again. “She’s not calling Zane,” she croaked. “She’s not doing your bidding. You’re not going to shoot m p>
The gunshot exploded before she finished the sentence.
“Three. ”
The sound ripped through the room, tearing through my ears, my chest, my bones. I screamed and stumbled backward, my hands flying to
my mouth.
Smoke curled from the barrel. The echo bounced off the walls. Someone had been shot.
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Chapter 355
And for one horrifying second, I couldn’t breathe.
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Sara Lili
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.