Chapter 21
There was no use trying to reason with him. Appealing to his conscience was a lost cause.
So Savannah did the only thing she could–she waited for a moment of distraction and bolted.
But she didn’t make it far. Grayson caught her within seconds.
He locked her in the second–floor bedroom, chaining both her wrists and ankles. She could move around, but only within the room.
Three meals a day, he brought them himself–and fed her bite by bite with his own hands.
And the rest of the time? He stayed there. Always with her.
He stared at the face he’d dreamed of every night for five years, unwilling to let go.
Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he murmured like she was a child he was coaxing.
“Sweetheart, the moment you fall back in love with me, I’ll let you go. I promise.”
Savannah played along.
“I’m already in love with you. Why don’t you let me out now?”
Grayson smiled, shaking his head slowly.
“But your eyes… they’re telling me something else.”
“They say you’re lying. Just using my love to get away.”
He refused to release her. Day after day, he clung to the illusion that having her close was enough.
Luckily, it didn’t last long. Damien showed up not long after–with the police.
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When they burst into the house, Grayson wasn’t even flustered. He was calmly feeding Savannah with a spoon.
Damien’s voice thundered. “Let her go!”
Grayson raised a finger to his lips.
“Shhh… you’ll wake her.‘
“She’s such a picky eater, you know. Only eats when I feed her myself.”
“My sweet Savannah eats everything I give her.”
There was a time–back when Grayson and her father were still close–when she did cling to him like that.
But after the Langley family went bankrupt, she’d learned to grow up fast. She never needed his comfort again.
A
Grayson kept feeding her, one bite at a time, like they weren’t surrounded by cops Only after the bowl was empty did he acknowledge the others in the room.
He set it aside, crouched in front of Savannah, and looked into her eyes.
“Savannah… one last time. Can you really not forgive me?”
Savannah’s answer was firm. “No. I can’t.”
“Even if I love you more than I ever did before?”
Savannah didn’t flinch. “That’s your problem. And honestly, I can’t afford that kind of love.”
“Alright.”
Grayson nodded, tears falling freely.
Chapter 21
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“I understand.”
He pulled a key from his pocket and slowly undid the chains.
The second Savannah was freed, Damien rushed over and pulled her into his arms.
The police closed in immediately, surrounding Grayson.
“You’re under arrest for attempted murder and unlawful imprisonment. Do not resist.”
Before they could cuff him, Grayson pulled out a blade.
It had been hidden there the whole time–like he’d planned this ending in advance.
“Put the knife down!” one officer barked. “Don’t do anything stupid!”
But Grayson ignored them. His gaze stayed locked on Savannah.
“Savannah, if only you could’ve forgiven me… I really would’ve taken you away. Far, far away.”
“But you didn’t.”
“You blamed me for cheating. For doubting you. For hurting you over and over again. You’ve always blamed me.‘
“I thought about letting go. Letting you be free, and living my own life.”
“But I couldn’t.”
“Every time I closed my eyes, all I saw… all I felt… was you.”
“The guilt, the longing–it was driving me insane. Do you have any idea what that feels like?”
Then he shook his head, weeping.
“No. You don’t. You never will. Because you stopped loving me a long time ago.”
His voice hardened. His eyes turned red.
“If that’s the case, then let me pay you back. Everything I owe you.”
With that, Grayson raised the knife–and in one swift, brutal motion, he severed his own hand and foot.
Blood gushed like a fountain. His face turned pale from the shock, sweat pouring down his temples. But he didn’t make a sound.
He dropped to one knee, his head bowed like a soldier who’d lost the war. Through gritted teeth, he looked up at Savannah. “Is this enough for you now?”
Damien yanked Savannah into his arms and covered her eyes. He wouldn’t let her see the horror.
Grayson waited… but Savannah never gave him an answer.
After everything, she’d finally seen her own heart clearly.
There were still feelings for Damien–feelings that went far beyond childhood friendship.
When he got hurt, she worried.
When she was in danger, she hoped he’d be the first to come for her.
It was nothing like what she’d had with Grayson.
Her love for Damien wasn’t rooted in dependency–it was built on pure, unwavering trust.
He wouldn’t cheat. He wouldn’t turn on her over a misunderstanding.
Because Damien wasn’t that kind of man.
Chapter 21
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He’d been raised right. The life he lived, the values he carried, and the kind of person he was–none of it would ever allow him to become what Grayson did.
When his parents heard about what happened, they rushed back from abroad in fear for Savannah’s safety.
Later, Damien confessed to her again–but this time, in private.
No extravagant flowers. No drones.
Just him, a homemade cake, and a lovingly cooked meal.
At the dinner table, he looked at her, shy and sincere.
“Last time… I messed up. Too many people. It made you uncomfortable.”
“But this time it’s just us. You can say whatever you want. Yes or no–just be honest.”
He tapped his handsome face with a grin.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got thick skin. I can take it.”
Savannah stared at him silently.
The longer she looked, the more nervous he got.
Just as he was about to ask, Savannah leaned in and kissed his cheek.
Damien froze. Then exploded with joy.
He scooped her up and spun her around on the balcony.
“She said yes! She said yes! I’m finally getting married!”
Savannah poked his shoulder. “Who said I’m marrying you?”
Damien grinned shamelessly.
“Too late. You said yes–you’re stuck with me.”
Their wedding was scheduled for Savannah’s next birthday.
The Shaw family held the ceremony in Crestmoor Heights, pulling out all the stops.
They invited every old friend from both the Shaw and Langley families.
It was also a clear message to everyone in city: Savannah was under their protection now.
Anyone who wanted to hurt her… better think twice.
Out of either malice or mischief, Damien even sent a wedding invitation to the man in the prison.
Grayson had been sentenced to life with reprieve for his many crimes.
If he’d just kept his head down, he could’ve lived out his days behind bars.
But when he saw that wedding invitation–Savannah marrying someone else–he didn’t say a word.
He ate. Slept, Trained. Like always.
Until the night before the wedding. That’s when the guard found him. Dead. He’d bitten through his own tongue and bled out on the floor.
He left a message scrawled on the wall: Tell Savannah to come collect my body.
It was his last act of obsession. One final, desperate attempt to ruin her big day.
But when the prison called, Savannah’s voice was cold.
“I’m not his next of kin.”
“Let his family deal with the corpse.”
The next day, the wedding went on as planned.
Not a single person shed a tear for Grayson.
And just like that, Savannah buried the past once and for all.
She stepped into marriage–and into a brand–new life.
Chapter 21
