Chapter 22
On the other side, Tobias, who had been kicked off the private plane, looked more pitiful thar
ever.
He had refused to leave, still trying to follow them back, but was unceremoniously thrown out.
His clothes were half torn from the scuffle and as he stumbled down the street, his dishevelec appearance drew curious glances from passersby.
“That guy looks so familiar. Isn’t that the CEO of Duncan Technology Group? Is the one always on TV? What happened to him?”
“You didn’t hear? A few days ago, he ditched his wedding with the Davis heiress, then ran off saying he’d marry his ex, only for the ex to dump him flat!”
Ignoring all dignity, Tobias snapped, “Who said she dumped me?!”
The two onlookers flinched, muttered and quickly slipped away. “Let’s go, let’s go. He looks like he’s lost it.”
After dragging himself back, Tobias again tried to track down Savannah’s whereabouts. But tc his frustration, Rafael seemed to have seen it coming, guarding her so closely that not even a shadow of a clue remained.
He had never felt so helpless. Day after day, he drowned himself in alcohol, using each burning swallow to numb the ache in his chest.
Only when he was completely drunk could he briefly escape the torment.
Bottle after bottle vanished down his throat and his world blurred into a hazy fog.
That night, he slipped into a dream.
He dreamt of Savannah, the younger version of her, nestled quietly in his arms, tracing the length of his ring finger repeatedly, whispering about the day she would slide a ring onto it herself.
He dreamt of Savannah looking at wedding dresses in a bridal shop, smiling and saying she would stand next to him wearing one someday.
He dreamt of Savannah’s teary–eyed envy when she saw someone else’s proposal, leaning on his shoulder while planning their future life together.
The images were so vivid, so warm, that a smile tugged at his lips in his sleep. He murmured her name again and again, “Savannah… Savannah…”
“Tobias.”
A gentle voice called out to him, brushing softly against the fog in his mind. It sounded familiar, achingly familiar.
Was it Savannah?
He suddenly opened his eyes and saw a figure in white standing beside him, the silhouette strikingly similar to Savannah.
“Savannah!”
He bolted up from the floor and pulled her into his arms, holding her as if letting go would shatter him.
4:09 am MMDA.
The woman trembled under his grasp, but her fingers slowly, deliberately wandered down his torso, circling just above his lower abdomen.
Feeling the woman in his arms take the initiative, Tobias was overwhelmed with joy.
“Savannah, this is wonderful. You’re finally willing to come back. You’ve forgiven me, haven’t you? I swear I know I was wrong. From now on, we’ll-”
But halfway through his sentence, Tobias froze.
Something felt off.
This breath wasn’t Savannah’s at all.
“Who are you?!”
He shoved the woman away, rage surging through him. The veins in his forehead bulged as his hands clamped around her slender neck like steel.
“Who told you to pretend to be Savannah? What the hell do you want?!”
Staring into his bloodshot eyes, the woman’s face turned pale with terror, her body trembling as she begged, “I’m sorry, please don’t hurt me…”
Outside the door, his brothers sensed the chaos and rushed in.
“Tobias, stop! Let go!”
“It wasn’t her idea, we arranged it! We just didn’t want to see you suffer anymore. We thought if someone looked like Savannah, it might help you let go.”
Only then did Tobias release her, his gaze dark and cold as he looked at the woman who barely resembled Savannah.
“Get out.”
Then he turned, shouting with fury, “A substitute? No one can replace Savannah!”
The woman fled in panic. His brothers sighed helplessly, trying to reason with him.
“Tobias, you’ve been drowning in misery over her for days now. There are so many women out there; does it really have to be her?”
“Yeah, if you just want someone to stay by your side, there are plenty who’d be even more obedient than Savannah. If it’s just her face, we can find others who look like her.”
“Besides, Tessa is still waiting for you. She’s not any worse than Savannah.”
