Page 170 of Teacher's Pet

"Walker," I mutter, "his family has it out for you, just as much as Jake does. And Cole… he has it out for Ana."

Roman’s expression shifts, his fists flexing.

"She saw something," I continue. "Something no one should’ve witnessed. The result of Jake getting sloppy. Walker and Cole are coiled around the Antonovs, and now they want to pin a murder on Ana just to punish me."

Roman exhales slowly, tilting his head. "The boy. Levi Trace. That hit and run. Who caused it?"

I swallow hard. "My brother gave the order to Walker," I admit. "But Cole… Cole is the one who carried it out. Ana just happened to be in the car that night-"

Roman pieces it together instantly. "And now, given your ties to her and your brother’s trigger finger, they want to make you both pay."

I nod, rubbing my temples. The weight of it all is suffocating.

"He wanted to exploit my job," I murmur. "My connection to your wife-"

Roman stiffens. "My wife?" His voice is razor-sharp, his tone enough to make any sane man tremble. "What the hell do those bastards want with my wife?"

I hesitate, watching the fire in his eyes grow deadly.

"To use her," I whisper. "To use my working relationship with her to get to you."

Roman reaches for the gun hidden beneath his suit coat, his fingers twitching against the grip. He’s going to shoot them. Right here. Right now.

Grabbing his wrist, I stop him before he makes a brash decision.

"Help me," I plead, my voice raw. "Help me find a way to keep Ana and Eden safe. I don’t give a damn what happens to me. If you want to throw me in jail for what I’ve done, fine." My voice trembles, but I push forward. "But don’t let them hurt the only woman I’ve ever truly loved."

His nostrils flare, his breathing heavy.

"There was a time, not so long ago, when you were fighting for something people thought was wrong." My voice is desperate now. "When you were willing to tear the world apart for a woman who made you see the better parts of yourself, the parts you thought were lost."

Roman’s jaw tenses, his teeth bared like a predator deciding whether to rip into flesh or walk away.

I take a breath, steadying myself. "So help me."

His eyes flicker with something unreadable— recognition perhaps or something close to it. His grip on the gun slackens, but I know him well enough to see the war still raging beneath the surface.

A long beat passes. Then, finally, his lips curl into something cold, almost mocking. "They’re staring," he mutters. "What the hell did you tell them we were doing?"

Shame burns through me. I clench my fists at my sides. "I told them I was threatening you. And Eden."

Roman nods once, inhaling sharply through his nose. "Fine," he whispers.

Then, with no warning, his knuckles collide with my nose.

The impact is sudden, the pain radiating through my face as I stumble back, gripping my cheek in shock. A murmur ripples through the crowd, guests whispering, exchanging silent conversations.

Roman adjusts his cufflinks, smirking like a man who just handled a problem with his fists. "Have to sell it, don’t we?"

I swallow hard, blinking away the daze, my nose throbbing. "Right."

Across the courtyard, Jake is watching. His expression shifts into something sickly satisfied, as if he just won a game he’s been playing for far too long.

Fucking hell.

How the hell am I going to pull this off?

A light touch brushes against my shoulder. I turn sharply, body still tense, only to meet her eyes.

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