Roman turned and left the room, his steps faster now, sharper as he made his way down the hall and toward one place, Magnus’s study. He reached the door and didn’t hesitate. His fingers wrapped around the handle, twisting, but before he could push it open—

"Where do you think you’re going?" The voice cut clean through the air.

Roman froze, and slowly, he turned. Magnus stood a few steps away, framed by the corridor, his presence commanding. Roman hadn’t even heard him arrive. For a brief moment, neither of them moved.

Then Roman’s hand slipped from the handle. The door creaked open just slightly, like it was waiting, tempting him, daring him to enter.

Magnus stepped forward, his gaze steady, unreadable. "What were you about to do?" he asked calmly.

Roman faced him fully now, his jaw tight. "I need answers," he said. "And if you won’t give them to me, I’ll find them myself. Whatever it takes."

Magnus studied him, his eyes narrowing just a fraction. He could see it; this wasn’t a bluff. A brief pause stretched between them, and then Magnus sighed lightly, as if the situation bored him.

"Things are already heated," he said, his tone shifting into something almost reasonable. "Especially after your display on the pitch. Completely unprovoked."

Roman’s expression darkened. "Unprovoked? Did you not—" He stopped himself mid-sentence, shaking his head sharply. "It doesn’t matter." His voice hardened. "Tell me where Estelle is."

Magnus tilted his head slightly, a faint hint of mockery touching his lips. "And why would you assume I have her?"

Roman didn’t hesitate. "Because you’re not looking for her," he said firmly. "And that tells me everything I need to know."

A flicker passed through Magnus’s eyes, subtle, but gone in an instant. "Estelle is your wife," he replied evenly. "Not mine. If she’s missing, it’s your responsibility to find her."

The words landed, but Roman didn’t back down. If anything, something inside him snapped. His eyes burned, red-rimmed now, glistening under the tension he was barely holding together.

"I never wanted her," he said, his voice rough, cracking at the edges. "You forced her into my life." A breath hitched in his chest. "And now I’ve accepted her, and you take her away from me?"

His voice broke. "Why, Father?"

Magnus didn’t answer immediately. He simply watched him, lifting his chin slightly, studying him as if weighing something unseen.

Roman took a shaky breath, his chest rising and falling unevenly. "Tell me one thing," he said, quieter now, but more dangerous. "Will she come back alive?" His voice trembled, but he pushed the words out anyway. "Or will you send me her body the same way you did with Mother?"

The silence that followed was heavy.

Magnus’s jaw tightened, the calm in his expression finally cracking, just slightly.

"I’ve said this a billion times, and I will say it again," he said, his voice steady, almost rehearsed. "I had nothing to do with what happened to your mother, and I have nothing to do with Estelle’s disappearance either."

Roman let out a short, humorless scoff, waving him off as he paced once, then stilled. "Oh, please. Maybe not directly," he said, his voice low, edged with heat, "but I know you’re the reason Mother is no longer here. And you’re sure as hell the reason Estelle isn’t here either."

Magnus’s jaw tightened for a fraction of a second, a muscle ticking beneath the surface, but his expression remained composed. "You should be focused on clearing your name instead of throwing baseless accusations—"

"Baseless accusations?" Roman cut in, a dry laugh slipping out as he dragged a hand through his hair. "We both—"

"Enough of this childishness," Magnus snapped, his tone sharp enough to slice through the air. Then, just as quickly, he smoothed it over. "In case you haven’t noticed, your situation has only worsened after that stunt you pulled on the ice, but it worked out perfectly."

Roman’s eyes narrowed, his chest rising and falling harder now. "I know this is what you want," he said, each word deliberate. "You want to ruin my—" 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"I can’t believe you’re losing your senses over a girl who chose to leave you," Magnus interrupted, pinching the bridge of his nose as if burdened, the lie rolling off his tongue with practiced ease.

Roman froze. His brows drew together, confusion flashing across his face before it hardened into something sharper. "What do you mean by that?" he asked, his pulse suddenly loud in his ears.

Magnus exhaled, adjusting the cuff of his jacket, his movements unhurried. "Listen," he said, calmer now, almost persuasive. "I can make all of this go away, if you do one more thing for me."

"Hold on." Roman lifted a hand, stopping him, his voice strained. "What did you just say? What do you mean Estelle chose to leave? Where did she go?" His voice rose despite himself. "And without her chair?"

Magnus didn’t answer. He simply watched him for a beat, then continued as if nothing had been asked. "I have an offer for you," he said. "A third of the payment from today’s incident will be transferred into your private account. The remaining third will be yours if you agree to throw the opening game of the championship. Let the Escrows win."

The words barely registered. All Roman could think of was Estelle leaving. Her choosing to go.

"I’m not interested in whatever you want," he said, his voice rough, almost breaking under the weight of everything pressing in. "Just tell me where she went. I need to go get her."

Magnus studied him, taking in the desperation, the tight set of his shoulders, the way his hands curled into fists. The corner of his lip twitched and then he straightened.

"You asked for it," he said quietly.

Roman stepped forward, impatience cracking through. "Just tell me already."

Magnus met his gaze, his expression unreadable. "Estelle asked me not to tell you where she went," he said. The words hung in the air for a split second. "Because she doesn’t want you to come looking for her."

The word hit. And they hit hard.

Roman’s breath stalled, his chest tightening as if something inside him had been yanked loose. "She said what?" he whispered, the words barely forming.

Magnus said nothing. He only watched. Watched as the realization settled in, as doubt crept in, as the fracture widened.

Roman’s gaze dropped slowly to the floor, his thoughts colliding, spiraling, refusing to make sense. She planned to leave me? Was I the only one who felt last night? His throat tightened.