Magnus’s lips curved faintly as he studied Roman, reading every crack in his composure. This was the perfect moment to strike.

"So, will you take my offer?" he asked, his voice smooth, cutting cleanly through the haze in Roman’s mind. "I can make the scandal disappear by morning. It’s already served its purpose. We’ll tell the world it was all a misunderstanding."

Roman’s head snapped toward him, thoughts still colliding, refusing to settle. "I’m not interested in whatever you’re offering," he said, his voice strained. "I still feel guilty about the last one. I’m not doing that again."

Magnus pressed his lips into a thin line, irritation flickering before it vanished. "Too late for righteousness," he said evenly. "You just threw another game. The Avatars lost because you weren’t there, and the crowd wouldn’t stop booing." He paused, letting it sink in. "Do you know how much I made from that?"

Roman’s brows drew together, a dull pressure building behind his eyes. "I had nothing to do with that," he said, the words coming out sharper now.

Magnus tilted his head slightly. "And who will believe that?" he asked. "Right now, a third of that payment is sitting comfortably in your bank account."

Right on cue, Roman’s phone buzzed in his hand. The sound felt louder than it should have. He glanced down, and the notification glowed against the screen.

His stomach dropped. "I didn’t ask for this," he said, his voice rising as heat rushed to his face. "Take it back." His fingers curled tightly around the phone. "I won’t be part of your games anymore. I’ll go out there right now and tell everyone what you’re doing."

Magnus’s expression hardened, the air between them freezing instantly. "Then it means you’re ready to retire," he said, almost casually.

He adjusted his cuff, his eyes never leaving Roman. "And ready to face the panel. Because your words will never carry more weight than mine. Not with your track record." he paused briefly. "So stop overreaching."

Roman’s jaw clenched, teeth grinding as anger burned through him. Damn bastard.

Magnus took a slow step closer, his voice dropping. "I can make all of this disappear with a wave of my hand," he said. "And just as easily, I can tighten the noose around your neck with a snap of my fingers."

His gaze sharpened. "I’ll leave the choice to you."

Roman didn’t answer immediately, but his grip loosened slightly on the phone as his thoughts drifted, uninvited, back to Estelle. The empty bed. The wheelchair. The silence she left behind.

How could she just leave? How could she choose to walk away now?

"Be reasonable, Roman," Magnus pressed, his tone almost patient now, as if guiding a stubborn child. "What happens when your career is gone?" A faint, mocking edge slipped in. "You’ll work at a retail chain?" 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Roman lifted his gaze slowly, meeting his father’s eyes. The anger there had settled into something quieter.

"If it means I get to live my life on my terms," he said, his voice calm despite the storm still raging beneath it, "then a retail chain works just fine."

"You can’t be serious," Magnus said, a dry laugh slipping past his lips, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Roman didn’t share in his humor. His expression stayed flat, his gaze steady. "Estelle is gone," he said quietly. "I played my part. The NHL should know I tried, and you ruined this. You took her from me."

He paused, exhaling through his nose, something heavy shifting in his chest. "But maybe that’s the bright side. I finally get to live my life the way I choose, and you can’t hold me back anymore."

For a brief moment, Magnus’s composure cracked. His eyes widened, just slightly, but enough, and Roman caught it.

Magnus hadn’t expected this, he hadn’t planned for a move outside the board. But the moment passed quickly.

"You will be making a serious mistake, Roman," Magnus said, his tone tightening. "There’s already a ban hanging over your head. One wrong move, and it will crash on you like a guillotine."

Roman let out a quiet breath, the corner of his mouth lifting faintly. "In case you forgot, Father, I’ve never cared about scandals," he said. "They fade, they always do. Give it two weeks, and the world will be chasing something more interesting."

Magnus’s jaw flexed. "This time is different," he said, each word measured. "The panel has been summoned."

The words landed hard, settling into the space between them like a final verdict.

Roman’s jaw tightened, a flicker of tension passing through him before it hardened into resolve. "Then they should be ready, because they’ll have to drag me there," he said, his voice low but unyielding. "That’s the only way I’m showing up."

Before Magnus could respond, Roman turned sharply and strode away, his footsteps echoing faintly down the corridor.

Just as he was walking away, Vance appeared at the end of the hallway, the tension in the air almost tangible. His gaze moved from Magnus to Roman’s retreating back.

"Why is he walking away from you, sir?" Vance asked, stepping closer. "How long will you keep letting him to do that?"

Magnus didn’t answer immediately. His eyes remained fixed on Roman until he disappeared around the corner, the silence stretching thin.

Then, slowly, he spoke. "I have one more assignment for you, Vance."

Vance straightened, adjusting his jacket, already attentive.

"Make sure the world starts asking about his wife," Magnus said, his voice calm again. "I want them demanding to see her. I want the pressure to suffocate him until he has nowhere else to go and come crawling back to me."

A faint, cold edge crept into his tone. "He needs to remeber who is in control."

Vance’s lips curled into a thin, knowing smile. He gave a slight nod, his eyes gleaming. "Consider it done, sir."

With that, he turned and walked away, his footsteps fading into the distance. Magnus remained where he was, his hands curling slowly into fists at his sides, his gaze still fixed on the empty hallway.

"You will do my bidding," he murmured under his breath, his voice low and ominous. "Whether you want to or not." A second passed. "Or I will make you."