His Father Bought Me-Chapter 40: I Want Both

The words lingered in the air.

Lena didn’t answer right away. Her brows drew together as she stared at the table, her mind turning, weighing, calculating. Then she leaned forward, elbows resting against the cool surface, her gaze lifting back to him sharper now. "Why can’t I have both?" she asked.

Magnus said nothing.

"I take Estelle’s place," Lena continued, her voice gaining strength. "And I still become captain." A faint smile touched her lips. "You wouldn’t be sitting across from me if I wasn’t valuable, so, let’s not pretend otherwise." She held his gaze, unwavering. "I’m more useful to you in that position. We both know I have influence over Roman, something Estelle will never have." She tilted her head slightly.

For a moment, Magnus just looked at her. Then he smiled, slowly, and shook his head. "Oh, Lena," he said softly, almost pitying. "You’re more out of touch than I thought." The words were gentle, but they cut. "If you were truly more valuable," he continued, his tone cooling again, "we wouldn’t be having this conversation."

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharpening. "You’re merely a distraction," he said. "A useful one, when needed. But Estelle?" His lips curved faintly. "She has something you don’t."

Lena’s expression tightened.

"Something Roman wants," Magnus added quietly. "Something he can’t seem to look away from."

"You’ve always underestimated me," Lena said, her voice steady, though something tight echoed beneath it. "You’ve never thought I was worthy, no matter what I’ve contributed to the team." She swallowed, a quiet breath leaving her as she straightened slightly. "Let’s not pretend, Mr. Whitehall, you want Roman under your control, and I can give you that."

Magnus’s gaze didn’t shift, but his jaw tightened just enough to betray him.

"For instance," Lena added, leaning forward, her tone lowering, "I know something you don’t."

Now, that caught his attention, but he remained calm, his expression unreadable.

"I know that Roman and Estelle are making a fool of you," she said softly. "And not just you, but the entire world." A beat of silence followed.

Magnus’s jaw hardened for a fraction of a second before he smoothed it over, his expression settling back into something calm. "And you think that’s valuable?" he asked, his tone cool, though a trace of heat lingered underneath.

Lena smiled. "What if I told you," she said, leaning in further, her voice dropping almost to a whisper, "that Roman just told me Estelle demanded that ring in exchange for helping him deceive you," she continued. "They’ll play the perfect married couple in public, but behind closed doors—" Her smile deepened. "He’s still mine."

For a moment, Magnus didn’t respond. He swallowed once, subtly, as if forcing something sharp and rising back down. Then he leaned back, shaking his head with a quiet, almost amused breath. "Well," he said lightly, "I’m sure we can agree that’s a family matter. Nothing for you to concern yourself with." The dismissal stung. "And that brings me to the second thing I need from you."

Lena didn’t speak, but the sting of being brushed aside settled heavily in her chest, her fingers curling slightly against the edge of the table as she watched him.

Magnus continued as if nothing had shifted. "I need you to get close to Estelle," he said.

Lena blinked, her jaw dropping slightly.

"She needs an ally right now," he went on, his tone measured. "And I want you to offer yourself."

A short, incredulous scoff slipped from Lena before she could stop it. "You want me to be her friend?" she asked, shaking her head, disbelief plain on her face. "Me?"

"Yes." Magnus didn’t hesitate. "There’s no one better suited for it," he said calmly. "In fact, with what you just mentioned, I’m more certain of it now. You already have the first key to earning her trust. You just need to use it."

He leaned back again, folding his hands. "Give me what I’ve asked," he said, his voice persuasive, "and you’ll have everything you’ve ever wanted. More than you imagined."

Lena tilted her head, studying him, her eyes narrowing. "You do realize what you’re asking," she said slowly. "If this ever gets out—"

"You know better than to let that happen," Magnus cut in, his tone dropping, the warmth vanishing completely. "If this conversation leaves this room," he continued quietly, "it means you’ve chosen to lose everything."

Lena looked away briefly, her thoughts racing, her jaw tightening. "But I can’t be her friend," she murmured, more to herself than to him.

Magnus didn’t miss it. "Then you’ve chosen your place," he said. "To remain small and invisible."

Lena opened her mouth to protest, her fists already clenched, defiance rising sharp in her chest, but then a loud bang cut through the room. A knock, then another, persistent, demanding. Both Magnus and Lena froze.

Lena’s head turned toward the door, her brows knitting together. And Magnus? He didn’t even glance up, like he already knew who it was.

"We both know exactly who is out there," he said calmly, drawing her attention back to him, tapping his fingers once against the table. "I want my answer before he gets here, or I will take your silence to mean you are too weak... and I was right never to recognize you."

The words landed hard in Lena’s chest, and her pulse kicked harder. She looked at the door again, then back at him, her foot beginning to tap against the floor, restless energy building under her skin.

The room suddenly felt smaller, tighter, like the walls were inching closer.

She inhaled slowly, closing her eyes for a moment, trying to steady herself. Then she opened her mouth—

—

Outside, the sound was much louder as Roman’s fist hit the door again, the impact vibrating up his arm. His pulse thundered, his breath uneven as frustration clawed tight in his chest.

"Lena!" he yelled, his voice rough, filled with urgency. "Come out here!"

He lifted his hand to knock again, but the door jerked open suddenly, leaving his hand hanging in the air, his nostrils flaring.

Vance stood there, blocking the entrance, his expression hard and unyielding. "What do you want?" he demanded, his voice clipped. "Why on earth are you causing a scene? Can’t you see that your father is in a meeting?"

Roman let out a sharp breath, and something close to a humorless laugh slipped through his lips. "You really think I care about that?" His gaze darkened, fixed past Vance, like he could see straight through the door. "Move."