Chapter 349
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Chapter 349
Chapter 198: We’re All Different
Savannah
100
For a long, suffocating moment after the words left my mouth, silence pressed in from every corner of the apartment. It was the kind of silence that made your ears ring, made your own heartbeat sound like a hammer inside your skull.
Chloe stood rigidly beside Paula, her arms crossed tight across her chest as if holding herself together. I stood across from her, Roman hovering protectively behind me, one hand lightly at my back, as if anticipating that I might break or collapse.
I took a shaky step toward my sister and Roman’s grip tightened instantly. “Sav, no,” he warned softly.
But I ignored him. I had to. There were some distances only I could cross.
I took another step toward my sister, even though my knees felt like they were made of water. “Chloe,” I whispered, voice barely steady, “listen to me p>
She turned away sharply, wiping a tear with a quick, angry swipe. “No. I don’t want to listen. You’re only going to lie again. That’s all you do. All you do is lie, Savannah. You pretend you’re the victim so people will take your side. All you’ve ever done is twist things to make yourself look innocent p>
Her voice splintered on the last words, but the bitterness stayed.
My stomach twisted, but I forced myself to stay steady. She really believed that about me?
Well, if she wasn’t going to believe me, then I was going to continue screaming it loud until it got stuck in her head.
“He raped me,” I said, louder than I intended. The words echoed against the walls. “ That’s the truth p>
Chloe froze.
I could see the way her spine locked up, the way her breath hitched slightly before she snatched it back, refusing to show weakness.
“Asher Kingston raped me!” The words burst out of me again, raw and loud and impossible to take back. “He wasn’t my boyfriend. I wasn’t sneaking around with him. What you saw that day–what you thought was my period–wasn’t that. It was … it was the aftermath. It was after he raped me in his office.” My voice broke. “Then he drove to our house to talk to your father like nothing happened p>
“Our father.” Chloe corrected. “He’s your father too. You keep
‘Julius‘ or ‘your ‘ father‘
“He’s not my father. Just yours. But that’s a story for another day p>
Chlor stiffened, but she didn’t turn.
I pushed forward
“Please.” I said, voice clacking. “you have to believe me I would never have subd you out I would never base take you to that curved how di kacs what he was doing to you belund that mure I would er burned the whole damu neighborhood down before letting that happen. I swear on my
bay p>
Her shoulders jerked at the nickname the one I hadn’t used in peers only, parutuly How to sad and. Heves were redared the edger, rimmed with pain and disbelis!
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Chapter 349
Her lips trembled. The nickname hit her like a soft blow because I knew that look on her face. That was the look of someone who wanted to believe. Someone holding on to the last thread of resistance.
That tiny reaction–her turning– felt like the first breath after nearly drowning. I stepped closer again, and this time, she didn’t move away.
I swallowed hard. “ I need you to hear me,” I continued. “That day… the day everything went to hell… I’d gone to class like normal. After lectures, Professor Kingston told me to meet him in his office. I didn’t suspect anything, Chloe. You should know I didn’t. I trusted him. I trusted him like family. We all did p>
My throat tightened. My hands trembled. I paused, trying to swallow the panic clawing its way up.
Roman’s warm hand slid into mine, grounding me. His fingers threaded through mine, steady and firm. I leaned back just enough to feel him at my spine. He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t even need to. His presence was the anchor I needed.
Chloe and Paula watched us in silence. Chloe’s jaw clenched. Her eyes glistened.
I forced myself to continue. “Asher Kingston raped me that day, Chloe. That’s the truth. I never dated him. I never wanted him. I was never his. I saw him as an uncle, nothing more. And I swear to God, that is the truth p>
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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.