His Father Bought Me

Meanwhile, Roman sat in his car, parked along the quiet stretch of road. The engine ticked softly as it cooled, the faint hum filling the silence.

He dialed again and pressed the phone tight to his ear, his jaw clenched. "Why are you not answering?" he muttered under his breath, his grip tightening around the device.

The call rang out. No answer. He tried again and again. Each unanswered ring stretched his patience thinner, his thoughts spiraling faster.

With a sharp exhale, he pulled the phone away and opened the message thread. The glow from the screen lit his face as his thumbs moved quickly.

Why are you not replying to my messages? You saw that and ignored me? Damn it. Is this proof I shouldn’t have trusted you?

He hit send, then waited. Nothing. The message showed as delivered, the two green ticks staring back at him.

Roman let out a frustrated breath and slammed his palm against the steering wheel. The dull thud echoed in the confined space. He dropped the phone onto the passenger seat and leaned his head back, staring up at the dark ceiling of the car.

"She’s upset," he muttered, dragging a hand down his face. "Of course she is. I broke another rule." A humorless huff escaped him as he shook his head. "Roman," he said to himself under his breath, his voice edged with frustration, "you ruin everything. Every single time." 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

The image flashed in his mind. The impact, the crack, the way it all spiraled, and his jaw tightened. "Why did I hit him?" he whispered, because it hadn’t felt like a mistake. "Why?"

He closed his eyes, breathing unevenly, his thoughts colliding into each other. Then, his eyes snapped open, and something shifted. He leaned forward abruptly, grabbing the wheel again. The engine roared back to life as he turned the ignition, the vibration humming through the car.

Without hesitation, he pressed his foot down and pulled onto the road. Streetlights streaked past in blurred lines of gold and shadow, the city rushing by as his mind kept pace, fast, restless, unrelenting.

Minutes later, he pulled into the mansion grounds. The car screeched to a halt in his usual spot, the sharp sound cutting through the quiet. He was out almost immediately, the door slamming shut behind him as he scanned the area.

His gaze caught the empty spaces. Cars missing. A cold, knowing thought slipped in.

"Oh, perfect," he muttered.

Then he moved quickly toward the entrance, adrenaline rushing through his veins. The doors opened, and he stepped into the foyer without slowing, his footsteps echoing against the polished floor.

He took the stairs two at a time, his breath steady but fast, driven by the urgency rushing through him. He pivoted, not towards his room, not to the living area, not even to Estelle. He moved straight to Magnus’s wing.

The air felt different there. Roman didn’t slow as he approached the study, his thoughts racing ahead of him. He reached the door, his hand closing around the handle. He twisted, and it opened.

Roman froze for a split second, the door shifting inward with ease. A flicker of hesitation crept in. What if this wasn’t an accident? What if Magnus had left it open, knowing he would come? His grip tightened on the handle as he stood there, suspended between instinct and caution.

Roman shook his head sharply, as if he could physically throw the thought away. "If Father anticipated this, then he’d better cover his tracks. Because if there is something to find, I will find it."

Without wasting another second, he pushed forward, crossing the private waiting room in quick strides. The air was almost too still, the faint scent of polished wood and leather lingering as he reached the study door.

He grabbed the handle and twisted. It was locked. His jaw tightened as he tried again. Slower this time, then harder. Still nothing.

A quiet curse slipped under his breath as he stepped back, his gaze sweeping the room. There has to be something. The thought pressed in, sharp and insistent, feeding the rush of adrenaline already buzzing through him.

Then, his eyes landed on the computer in the corner. Vance’s.

Roman didn’t hesitate. He moved to it quickly and tapped a key, the screen flickered to life, and the best part? It was unlocked.

He paused for half a second, a flicker of suspicion brushing through him. This was too easy, and yet, he didn’t stop. He needed answers. And if those answers were here, he wasn’t walking away without them.

—

Unknown to him, he wasn’t alone.

The moment Roman had touched the study door, Magnus knew. And now, sitting in the back of the car, he watched silently, composed, with a faint smile, like this was exactly what he’d been waiting for.

Beside him, Estelle caught sight of the screen, and her heart skipped. She could not see the person clearly, but from the way Magnus’s lips curved, she could tell it was Roman.

Her fingers twitched slightly in her lap, instinct screaming at her to reach for her phone, to warn him. Her fingers twitched toward her phone, then stilled. If she moved, Magnus would notice.

So she said nothing, forcing her gaze away as if she hadn’t seen a thing, even as tension coiled tight in her chest.

—

Back at the mansion, Roman leaned closer to the screen, the soft glow reflecting in his eyes. His fingers moved quickly, opening files from the taskbar, documents, reports, and schedules.

He skimmed through them line after line, but he found nothing. His frustration built with every second. He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair.

"Where are you hiding it?" he muttered under his breath, his eyes scanning the screen. "There has to be something." He closed the files, the cursor hovering as his mind raced.

Then, something caught his eye. A file. His breath hitched slightly as he leaned in. There were two files actually. Roman – Private. Estelle – Private.

The words seemed to pulse on the screen. He swallowed, his throat suddenly dry, his pulse hammering hard in his ears. This was it. Before he could move, a distant sound reached him. Car doors closing.

His head snapped toward the open waiting room, every nerve in his body lighting up at once. They were back. Too soon.

His chest tightened, the seconds suddenly stretching thin and sharp. He had a choice. Leave now and stay in the dark, or open the file and risk everything. His jaw set. There was no real choice.

He turned back to the screen, his hand steadying just enough as he moved the mouse. The cursor hovered for the briefest second before he clicked on the first file.

The screen shifted, and Roman’s heart slammed hard against his ribs as he stared, waiting.

Outside, footsteps echoed faintly. They were coming.