His Father Bought Me-Chapter 30: Flood Of Hearts

For a moment, the world stopped.

Everything else, the noise, the pressure, the watching audience, all of it fell away until there was nothing left but the two of them. The kiss lingered longer than either of them had planned, long enough for their breaths to sync, long enough for something unspoken to take root.

And when they finally pulled apart, it wasn’t abrupt, it was slow, reluctant even. Their foreheads met instinctively, resting together as their breaths came uneven, rising and falling in sync. For a second, neither of them opened their eyes. They just stayed there, suspended in the quiet they had somehow carved out for themselves.

Then, gradually, they pulled away, but something had shifted, something neither of them had expected.

Estelle swallowed, her face warm, a soft flush spreading across her cheeks. Her fingers curled slightly in her lap as she tried to steady her breathing. But Roman didn’t move right away, for a some reason, he could not peel his eyes from her. His brows drew together slightly, a faint crease forming as something unsettled flickered behind his gaze.

Who is she? And why does this feel like this? The question lingered, unanswered.

Then, Estelle’s expression changed. The color drained from her face, her body going still before she leaned forward, eyes fixed on the screen like she wasn’t sure she was seeing it right. Roman followed her gaze, and there it was.

The comment on the screen cut through whatever moment they had just had. Finally glad to see you accepting your new role. I wish I could say the same about your legs, or your career, because that’s completely gone.

For a second, the words didn’t fully register. Then they did and they made Estelle’s breath feel stuck in her throat. "Mother..." she whispered, the word barely forming as it left her lips.

Roman’s jaw tightened instantly, a hard edge settling into his expression as he read it again. Heat rose in his chest, and his instinct immediately began to scream. Respond. Shut it down.

He opened his mouth, but Estelle’s hand found his arm. His head snapped to her and she shook her head. There was something fragile in her eyes, something that made some of his anger melt away.

.

"Today is about us," she said quietly, her voice steadier than he expected. "No one ruins it."

Roman held her gaze for a second longer, something pulling tight in his chest. "But—"

She shook her head again, firmer this time, already turning back to the screen. The comments kept moving relentlessly and then another one caught her eye.

Betrayer. I’d watch out if I were Roman.

Estelle’s gaze lingered on it just a second too long and Roman noticed. His chest rose sharply, tension coiling through him. The urge to step in, to shield her from it, was stronger now.

She’s mine, and no one gets to tear her down. Not while I’m here. The thought came unfiltered. His jaw hardened, he was ready to act, but before he could say anything, another name appeared in the flood of comments.

It was Leah. This is a sham! Roman was going to propose to me just yesterday. If you doubt me, ask his best friend, Nathan. Or even his father.

The comment sat there, bold and impossible to miss as it climbed to the top of the feed. Roman’s jaw clenched, hard and he turned to Estelle. She was already staring at the screen, her eyes were wide, the color drained from her face as the words settled in. Fear flashed there before she tried to bury it.

Leah, Justin, Victoria. One after the other. They weren’t just commenting, they were trying to tear this apart.

Roman felt something shift in his chest, something darker, more protective. This wasn’t part of the plan, and he wouldn’t let it unravel, not in front of the world. So he reached for Estelle’s hand, his fingers closing around hers, warm and steady. He gave it a small squeeze, firm enough to ground, gentle enough to reassure.

Estelle looked at him. Her mind was racing, thoughts colliding too fast to sort through. This was supposed to be their way to control the narrative, but it was slipping, crushing under the weight of everything being thrown at them.

The public had seen it, the doubt was already there, and if they didn’t lock this down now, everything would start to fall. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Roman exhaled slowly, then turned fully to her, still holding her hand. "From this moment, Estelle," he said, his voice low, rougher now, like something real had pushed through the performance, "it’s you and me against the world. I promise you."

Her eyes stayed on his, her heart hammering.

The words landed heavy. Not just between them, but through the screen, carried out to everyone watching, and the comments surged again.

Rooting for you two!

This is insane! I love them already!

Hearts flooded up the screen in a steady stream as Roman turned back to the camera.

"My wife and I are grateful we could share this moment with you," he said smoothly. "We’ll be sharing more of journey with you all." He paused briefly, smiling at Estelle befire turning back to the screen. "Thank you for watching. Until next time."

Beside him, Estelle lifted her hand, offering a small wave. It trembled slightly, but her smile held. Then the screen went dark as Roman ended the live.

The silence that followed was immediate and heavy in the space. Roman let out a slow breath, lifting a hand to rub his forehead, the tension finally catching up with him.

For a second, neither of them spoke. The room still held the warmth of what had just happened, the lights, the closeness, the echo of everything they’d said and done.

Then sudenly, a loud knock cut through the silence and both their heads snapped toward the door. The air shifted instantly, tension rushing back into the room. Who could that be?

The knock came again, louder this time. Roman’s grip tightened as Estelle’s stomach dropped.

They weren’t ready for this.