His Father Bought Me-Chapter 35: I Want The Contract

The silence that followed was louder than any words.

Estelle held Magnus’s gaze for a moment longer, her expression unreadable, even as her mind spun beneath the surface. Then, slowly, she turned her head toward Vance, her eyes hardening. "I’ll need a copy of the contract," she said. "I want to know exactly what I’ve been pushed into."

Vance let out a faint, humorless breath, his lips curving into something that wasn’t quite a smile. "Why don’t we focus on what is more immediate?" he replied, his tone laced with condescension. "Like proving you even deserve to stay in this house." He tilted his head slightly, studying her. "Or better yet, standing on your own two feet first. Because if you fail," he added, almost idly, "that contract won’t matter anyway. You won’t be here to use it." The jab landed.

Estelle looked at him, her gaze steady, but she didn’t respond, she didn’t need to. Inside, her thoughts burned. I’ll find that contract. Her fingers curled slowly against the armrest. And when I do... you’ll regret it. Her jaw set, just slightly.

—

Upstairs, Roman paced the length of the room, back-and-forth, back-and-forth, like movement alone could outrun the unease clawing at his chest, but it didn’t. He stopped for a second, dragging in a breath, trying to steady it. Still, it came out uneven.

You shouldn’t have let her go. The thought hit hard for the hundredth time. His jaw tightened as his mind spun, too many possibilities stacking on top of each other. He yanked off his jacket, tossing it onto the bed, the fabric landing in a careless heap, but it didn’t help.

"But she just went to the stylists, right?" he muttered aloud, like saying it might make it true. But silence answered him. He turned, staring at the door.

He paused for a breath. Then— "Damn it." His hand dragged briefly over his face before dropping to his side. "I need to make sure she’s fine," he said under his breath. "I don’t trust him."

He didn’t wait another second after that. He crossed the room in quick strides and yanked the door open, stepping into the hallway. The air felt cooler and quieter out here, but it didn’t calm him. If anything, it made the tension in his chest sharper.

He moved fast, turning the corner, and stopped abruptly. His brows pulled together, his body going still. Something was off. He inhaled again, slower this time, his senses sharpening as a familiar scent reached him. His eyes narrowed slightly.

"Lena?" he murmured, the name barely leaving his lips as confusion twisted his mind, but it was quickly replaced by something darker. "What is she doing here?"

A low curse slipped under his breath as he started moving again, following the trail, hastening his steps as it led him straight to Magnus’s private waiting room, and his pulse kicked harder. Without knocking, he pushed the door open, and there she was, sitting comfortably, legs crossed, the soft glow of her phone lighting her face as she scrolled, a faint smile playing on her lips, like she had nowhere else to be. Like nothing else mattered.

Lena glanced up at him briefly and gave just a flicker of acknowledgment before her gaze dropped back to her screen, dismissing him.

Roman’s jaw clenched hard, and his fists curled tight as he stormed toward her, tension radiating off him with every step. "What are you doing here?" he demanded, his voice low but edged with anger.

Lena didn’t respond, she didn’t even look up. She just kept scrolling, the faint tap of her fingers seemed louder than it should have been. Her dismissal snapped something in him, and before she could react, he reached out and snatched the phone from her hand.

She shot to her feet instantly, her chair scraping faintly against the floor as she faced him head-on, her jaw tightening. "Give that back," she snapped.

"Answer me," Roman shot back, his grip firm on the phone, his eyes blazing. "What makes you think you can walk in here and ignore me?"

Lena stepped closer, the soft click of her heels echoing faintly against the floor. Her jaw tightened, nostrils flaring as she lifted her gaze to meet his. "And what makes you think you have the right to question me or demand answers?" she shot back, her voice low, but the anger beneath it burned hot. She let the words hang for a second. "For the record," she continued, her lips pressing into a thin line, "you lost that right the moment you betrayed me."

Roman’s grip on the phone shifted slightly.

"Declaring your love for another woman in front of the entire world?" she added, her voice tightening. "After being with you for three years?" She shook her head, a short, disbelieving scoff slipping past her lips.

Roman swallowed, something flickering across his face. "Lena, listen, it’s not—"

"I’ve already accepted it." She cut him off, the firmness in her tone left no room for interruption. "I respect your decision," she went on, her gaze steady, even if something deeper moved beneath it. "But you don’t get to step up to me anymore. So give me that."

She reached forward, her fingers brushing his as she pulled the phone from his grasp. Her eyes flashed as she straightened. "Now, shoo!"

The dismissal was sharp, and it snapped something in him.

Roman moved without thinking. He stepped into her space instead, close enough that she had to look up at him, and Lena froze as his scent hit her. It was familiar, grounding, and dangerous, and the tension in her body faltered before she could stop it.

"Don’t speak to me like that," Roman said, quieter now, stepping closer. Not touching her, but not giving her space either. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Lena’s eyes lingered on his for a moment, then followed his gaze, down to his lips. "And what exactly are you going to do about it?" she murmured, her voice softer now, but edged with something dangerous. "Because I’m pretty sure you can tell," her eyes lifted back to his, "that I don’t care anymore."

The words were calm, but they cut.

"Stay away from me, Roman Whitehall," she added, her tone sharpening again as she pushed against his chest, breaking the contact. "You made your choice. Now live with it." A small, bitter scoff escaped her as she stepped back, putting space between them, her chin lifting. "You don’t get to have me anymore. Go be her husband," she said. "That’s the burden you chose."