Magnus's head snapped up from his phone the instant Leo's voice crackled through the speakers.
The sound seemed louder than it should have been, filling every corner of the room.
His pulse kicked hard beneath his skin, each beat heavier than the last. Turn it off. The command screamed through his mind, sharp and desperate, but his body remained still, locked in place.
"I want to use this opportunity to apologize to Roman Whitehall for lying against him," Leo began, his voice unsteady but clear enough. "It was never my intention. My family was coerced into it."
A faint static hissed under his words.
"I want the world to know that even though a fight happened between Roman and me, I only sustained a few bruises. Nothing more."
Across the table, Roman slowly shifted his gaze away from the screen. He looked at his father instead, not fully, just enough to catch it.
