Meanwhile, Roman stormed down the hallway, each step striking hard against the polished floors, the sound echoing after him. His thoughts ran wild, tangling over themselves, the sting of Estelle's rejection burning in his chest.
He didn't slow down as he pivoted to Magnus's private waiting room. The office door stood open, a soft spill of warm light stretching into the dimmer waiting area.
Roman stepped inside without knocking. "Why the hell did you lie to Estelle?" he barked, his voice sharp enough to cut through the room.
Magnus, still on the phone, glanced at him once, brief, assessing, before letting out a quiet sigh and turning slightly away. "Yes, I'll call you back shortly," he said into his phone. "I need to deal with something."
He ended the call and set the phone down, then lifted his gaze to Roman, calm as ever. "What is this about?" he asked.
