His Father Bought Me-Chapter 19: Do They Know?

Roman’s heart slammed against his ribs as he stormed forward and snapped the laptop shut with a sharp clap. "Stop talking nonsense," he spat.

"Do they know?" Estelle asked, her eyes never leaving his.

Roman shook his head impatiently. "What are you even talking about? You need to leave my room now. I’m sure you’re feeling better."

Estelle leaned back slightly in her chair, a slow smile spreading across her lips. "They don’t know, do they?" she said softly. "They don’t know you had a clear shot at the goal and you threw the game."

Roman’s jaw tightened as he swallowed hard.

"You betrayed them," she continued, her voice calm now. "The fans, your teammates, the badge. You betrayed every one of them. Why did you do it?"

"If you don’t stop talking right now, I’m going to lose my career," Roman said through clenched teeth. "Or do you want me to end up like you?"

"Who’s blackmailing you?" Estelle asked, ignoring the warning entirely. "And don’t bother lying to me. Because whatever this is, whoever this person is, they can destroy more than just your career."

Roman ran a hand through his hair, his voice dropping lower. "It’s complicated." He hesitated for a second before continuing. "I had no choice," he said.

The silence stretched between as the gravity of his words settled between them.

His jaw tightened. "He asked, and I couldn’t say no," he confessed.

Estelle stared at him, shaking her head as her jaw slowly dropped. "Magnus..." she murmured, already knowing. A small, incredulous smirk appeared on her face. "You evil bastard. It was him, right?"

Roman’s posture stiffened, the air in the room suddenly felt too thin. "We have more pressing issues to discuss, but I think we can talk more in the morning," he said, gesturing toward the door. "The maids have prepared a room for you," he paused and sighed. "And if you have any integrity at all, you’ll keep what I just told you to yourself."

"Integrity..." Estelle chuckled softly. "No, Roman, you are no longer in a position to talk to me about integrity," she said. "And news flash? I’m not leaving." She turned her chair slightly and glanced at the closed laptop before looking back at him. "Just in case you haven’t realized it yet... the tables have just turned," she said, her smile sharpening.

Roman frowned deeper. "What does that even mean?"

Estelle looked at him calmly, then nodded toward the laptop. "I hold all the cards now, Roman. So decide, am I the leash your father bought to keep you in line, or the one you’ll use to choke the life out of his legacy?"

Roman scoffed, shaking his head. "You have no idea who my father is."

"Then, sit down, Roman. We clearly have work to do," Estelle said.

Roman let out a low scoff, the sound dry with disbelief. "What makes you think I’d want to work with you?" he asked, his voice carrying irritation. "Why would I agree to that when you’re clearly trying to blackmail me too?"

Estelle exhaled slowly, shaking her head as she adjusted her position in the chair, as the soft hum of the room settled around them again. "Unlike you, Roman, I’m actually aware of my reality," she said calmly. "And more importantly, I’ve accepted it. That’s the first step to changing anything."

Roman was still, and for a moment, he just looked at her. Her words sank in, whether he liked it or not, a faint crease formed between his brows. He knew she wasn’t wrong. But admitting that, even to himself, sat poorly with his pride.

"I don’t fully agree," he said after a pause. "But go on, tell me what you have in mind." His gaze sharpened slightly. "I hope it’s worth it."

A small smile curved at Estelle’s lips. Finally. "What I’m proposing is simple," she said. "We put on a show." She let the words linger for a second before continuing. "For your father, for the world, for everyone watching."

Her fingers tapped lightly against the arm of her chair. "They think they’re in control," she went on, her voice was calm. "But behind the scenes, we take that control back, and we get what we want."

Roman’s jaw tightened as he processed it, his thoughts were moving quickly now. "What makes you think I want anything?" he asked, studying her carefully. "Or better yet, what do you think I want?" He was testing her.

Estelle didn’t hesitate, she answered. "For one, you want your father off your back," she said, watching his reaction closely. Then she added, just a millisecond later. "And you want to be with Lena."

Roman’s expression shifted, just slightly. "And you won’t stop me?" he asked, tilting his head.

Estelle gave a small shrug. "As long as I don’t lose access to my surgery and the rehabilitation your father promised, you can do whatever you want," she said evenly. "Let’s be honest, we’re not exactly each other’s type."

Roman almost smirked. You got that right. And yet, something about hearing it out loud didn’t sit quite right in his chest, but he pushed the feeling aside. "And why would you help me," he asked, his voice lower now, "when you can barely stand me?"

Estelle met his gaze, steady and unflinching. "Don’t misunderstand me, Roman," she said. "I’m not doing this for you." She paused briefly. "I’m doing this for me." Her voice softened, but the resolve in it only grew stronger. "For another chance to stand again, to dance, to stand on my blades again."

The room fell quiet.

Roman studied her for a long moment, something unreadable passing through his expression, and then he gave a small nod before shaking his head. "There’s something you need to understand," he said.

Estelle’s brows drew together slightly as she focused on him.

"This plan?" Roman continued. "It sounds good, but it’s a fantasy." He took a slow step back, running a hand through his hair. "There’s no getting away from my father. He’s always two steps ahead." His gaze darkened. "And the worst part? He has eyes everywhere."

A faint, knowing smile returned to Estelle’s lips. She leaned back slightly, her fingers resting against the arm of her chair. "Then that’s exactly what we use," she said.

Roman’s eyes narrowed.

"It’s our advantage," she added, holding his gaze. "If he’s always watching, then we give him something worth watching."