Chapter 30 Savannah #2
Dante hands him the box, and Romeo hands it to me. When I open it, I see a ring inside. It’s antique and beautiful, with a large emerald surrounded by diamonds.
"This was my grandmother's," Dante says quietly. "It's been in the Ciresa family for four generations. I was going to give it to Romeo when he was ready to marry." He looks at his son. "I brought it today because I suspected this conversation would end with a proposal."
Romeo takes the ring with his good hand, and I can see his fingers trembling slightly as he slides it onto my finger. It fits perfectly.
"Welcome to the family, Savannah," Dante says, and there's warmth in his voice now. "I look forward to meeting my grandchild properly when they arrive."
He leaves after that, giving us privacy, and I'm left staring at the ring on my finger. "I can't believe you did that," I whisper. "I can't believe you were willing to walk away from everything."
"It's not everything." Romeo pulls me closer, careful of his injuries. "You and the baby—you're everything. You’re the only things I can’t live without."
I kiss him then, carefully, and I can taste salt from both our tears. "I love you," I whisper against his lips. "Even though you're impossible and controlling and sometimes terrifying."
"I love you too." He's smiling now. "Even though you're stubborn and defiant and just killed a man in a hospital hallway."
We both laugh, and it feels good—like maybe we're going to be okay.
Like maybe all the choices led to this, and there’s nothing to regret at all.
—
Two weeks later, I'm standing outside a detention facility in lower Manhattan.
Romeo wanted to come in with me, but I told him no. He's still recovering—the doctors cleared him to go home, but he's not supposed to be doing anything strenuous. And besides, this is something I need to do alone. So I asked him to wait in the car, and he agreed. Proof that he’s trying.
My father is waiting in a small room with a table and two chairs. He's wearing an orange jumpsuit, and there are dark circles under his eyes. He looks older. Diminished. When the guard brings him in, he stops short at the sight of me.
"Savannah." His voice is rough. "I didn't think you'd come."
"I almost didn't." I sit down across from him, keeping my hands folded on the table. "But I wanted you to see me. Just once. Before I say what I came here to say."
He sits down slowly, and I can see him taking in my appearance. The engagement ring on my finger—no longer Thad’s, but Romeo’s.
“I heard you killed Thaddeus Whitmore.” He looks at me as if he doesn’t recognize me. “But I’m the one sitting behind bars.”
“He tried to hurt me. But you were okay with that, as long as it got you what you wanted.” My voice is hard, almost unrecognizable. It’s not how I’ve ever spoken to my father in all my life.
He says nothing.
“You know I’m pregnant,” I say calmly. “That it’s Romeo Ciresa’s.”
His lips fold together, but he nods.
“Your grandchild,” I emphasize the words. “One you’ll never meet, or hold. One who will grow up never knowing your name."
"Savannah—"
"I'm not finished." My voice is colder now. "Do you know what the consequences of your actions are, Daddy? It's not prison. It's not losing your reputation or your business or your money."
He frowns at me. "Then what?"
"You'll never know your grandchild." I hold his gaze. "You'll never see their first steps. Never hear their first words. Never watch them grow up. You'll never be part of their life."
A shock of pain fills his eyes as it sinks in. "Savannah, please—"
"And you'll never speak to me again." The way I say it is absolute, final. "Because I'm done. I'm done trying to earn your approval. I'm done letting you make me feel like I'm not enough. I'm done being your dutiful daughter."
"You're all I have left—" He pauses. “Your mother left. She filed for divorce. I—”
"Then you should have thought about that before you tried to destroy my life." I stand up. "You had a choice, Daddy. You could have loved me. You could have supported me. You could have put your family first."
"I was trying to protect you—"
"No." The word comes out sharp. "You were trying to control me. And because you couldn't tell the difference, because you valued power over love, you lost everything."
"Savannah—"
"Romeo is a criminal." I cut him off. "He's dangerous.
He's done terrible things. He's everything you warned me about.
" I pause. "But he will always put me and our child first. He will always choose us over everything else.
He proved that when he was willing to walk away from his entire legacy for us. "
"And I wasn't," Edgar says quietly.
"No. You weren't." I turn toward the door. "Goodbye, Daddy. I hope it was worth it."
"Savannah, wait—"
But I'm already walking away, and I don't look back.
The guard escorts me out, and I walk through the facility with my head high. I don't cry. I don't break down.
I just walk out, because I’m not the girl any longer who needed her father's approval. The one who would sacrifice her own happiness to make him proud. I'm someone else now.
Someone much stronger.
Romeo is waiting for me outside, leaning against the car. He's still moving carefully—the injuries are healing, but they're not fully healed—but he straightens when he sees me. "How did it go?"
"It's done." I walk into his arms, and he holds me carefully. "I told him he'll never know his grandchild. That I'm finished with him."
"How do you feel?"
I think about it for a moment—about the girl I was when I first arrived in New York—dutiful and desperate for approval. About everything that's happened since then.
"Free," I say finally. "I feel free."
He kisses the top of my head. "Good. You ready to go home?"
Home. The word still feels strange. Dante gave us a house as an early wedding gift. It’s huge, with plenty of room for a nursery, guests, an office for me to work on my research, a garden… everything we could possibly need.
It's beautiful… and it’s slowly starting to feel like home.
"Yes," I say softly. "Let's go home."
We drive north, and I watch the city disappear behind us, watch the buildings give way to trees, and the concrete to grass.
I watch the sun setting over the Hudson River, painting everything in vibrant shades of color.
Romeo's hand finds mine, and I look down at the emerald ring on my finger.
At the symbol of everything we've fought for.
Romeo doesn’t make decisions for me any longer. We make decisions together. The generational feud between the Beauregards and the Ciresas is over, soon to be replaced by the vows Romeo and I will make to each other.
Thaddeus is dead. My father is in prison. Dante Ciresa has accepted me as part of the family.
And Romeo, and I, and our child are finally safe. He loves me, and I love him. And even if neither of us is perfect, every day we both try to be better, to love each other the way he and I both deserve.
It’s a little overwhelming, sometimes, being the focus of one person’s entire devotion. But it also feels good.
I’m all he’ll ever want. And he’s everything to me.
For as long as we both shall live.