Chapter 24 Chapter 24
The night was cool. Savannah sat on the bed in her new apartment, her hands resting on her belly. The room was quiet, only the faint hum of the ceiling fan filled the air. For the first time in a long while, she felt a little safe. No shouting, no insults, no mistress throwing her things away.
Still, her heart was heavy. She thought of the past. The day Nathaniel gave her the divorce papers, the way his eyes had turned cold, the way he left her with nothing. Tears touched her eyes, but she quickly wiped them. She had promised herself not to cry too much anymore.
She lay back, staring at the ceiling, when she heard it.
Knock. Knock.
Savannah sat up straight. Her body stiffened for a moment. Who could it be at this hour? She rose carefully, holding her belly, and walked to the door. She opened it slowly.
Standing there was Adrian.
He looked calm, dressed in a simple shirt and jeans, his car parked outside. His eyes softened when he saw her.
“Savannah,” he said gently, “I came to check on you. I wanted to be sure you are fine.”
Her lips parted in surprise. “Adrian… you came all the way here?”
“Yes,” he nodded. “It’s not too far. I couldn’t rest until I saw you. May I come in?”
Savannah stepped aside, her heart beating strangely. “Yes, please.”
Adrian walked in, looking around the small apartment. Though it was well furnished now, thanks to him, it still felt small compared to the mansion he was used to. But he said nothing. He simply smiled at her.
Savannah motioned for him to sit on the chair near the window. He did, and she sat opposite him, her hands folded in her lap. The silence stretched for a moment before she broke it.
“Why are you so kind to me?” she asked quietly. “You don’t even know me, yet you have done so much.”
Adrian leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “Because I saw the pain in your eyes that day. A woman carrying life should not suffer like that. You remind me…” he paused, then looked at her again, “you remind me of someone I once knew.”
Savannah tilted her head. “Who?”
Adrian gave a small smile but did not answer directly. “A friend from long ago. She was also strong, but life was unfair to her.”
Savannah lowered her eyes. A soft silence fell again. Then, trying to lighten the mood, she asked, “Adrian, please… tell me about yourself. I don’t know anything about you, yet you keep helping me. Who are you really?”
He chuckled softly, leaning back in the chair. “Alright, you want to know me? Then I will tell you.”
Savannah nodded, her eyes fixed on him.
“I was born into a wealthy family,” Adrian began slowly. “But I never liked to depend on my parents’ name. I built my own company from scratch. Technology, real estate, investments — I wanted to create something of my own. People call me lucky, but they don’t know how many nights I worked without sleep.”
Savannah’s eyes widened. She hadn’t expected such words.
“You are… very rich then?” she asked carefully.
Adrian smiled faintly. “Yes, money is not my problem. But money doesn’t give peace. Money doesn’t give real happiness. Sometimes, I go home to an empty house and I feel colder than the street outside.”
Savannah’s heart tugged at his words. She thought about her own loneliness. How she had slept with tears so many nights, even when she was married. She whispered, “I understand. I know what it means to live in a house that feels empty.”
Adrian looked at her closely. “That’s why I don’t want you to suffer the way you did. A woman should never be thrown away like she is nothing.”
Savannah swallowed hard. His words touched the wound in her heart. She took a shaky breath. “It was supposed to be our anniversary, Adrian. I wanted to tell him about the baby that night. I wanted to make him happy. But instead, he gave me divorce papers. He broke me.”
Her voice cracked, tears spilling down her cheeks. She quickly turned away, covering her face.
Adrian stood and moved closer. He did not touch her at first, only knelt in front of her. “Savannah… don’t hide your tears. Let them out. You have carried too much pain alone.”
She sobbed quietly, shaking her head. “He never loved me. He called me a liar when I told him about the baby. He left me for her… for Cassandra. And now, I don’t even know why I keep breathing.”
Adrian’s eyes darkened at her words. He clenched his fist slowly, then softened his face again for her sake. “Listen to me,” he said firmly. “You are not nothing. You are strong. You carried his child even when he threw you away. You chose life instead of giving up. That makes you greater than him.”
Savannah looked up at him, her eyes red but searching. “Do you really think so?”
“I know so,” Adrian answered, his voice steady. “Nathaniel lost the greatest treasure he ever had. And one day, he will regret it.”
Her lips trembled, but slowly she nodded. For the first time, she felt someone believed in her.
The silence between them grew warm, the air heavy with unspoken things. Savannah wiped her tears and whispered, “Thank you, Adrian. For everything. I don’t know why you came into my life, but maybe… maybe it was meant to be.”
Adrian looked into her eyes, his chest tightening. He wanted to say more, but he held it back. Instead, he stood and walked to the window, staring outside into the night.
“Savannah,” he said quietly, “I will protect you as much as I can. You don’t have to be alone anymore.”
Her heart skipped. She opened her mouth, but before she could answer, there was another knock on the door.
Both of them froze.
Savannah’s breath caught in her throat. Adrian turned his head sharply toward the sound, his golden eyes narrowing.
The knocking grew louder.