Estelle's heart hammered against her ribs as she looked up at him. Something inside her resisted it. Not the moment, but the end of it.
Why can't we just stay a little longer? The thought hit hard, almost startling her, as Roman's hands settled on the wheelchair and he began to push her toward the door. She kept her gaze forward, but the feeling lingered.
Because she knew that the moment those doors opened, the moment the cameras went off, she would no longer matter to him.
Roman barely registered the room anymore, his thoughts were loud. Why do you feel the need to protect her this much? The question circled, pressing in, refusing to quiet. "I'm just following the plan," he murmured under his breath, the words almost lost beneath the fading noise of the room.
Around them, the press shifted, their voices rising, questions thrown in their direction, but neither of them heard a word. It all blurred into distant noise as they moved closer to the door ahead.
