Page 179 of Teacher's Pet

With that, he excuses himself, leaving behind a string of unanswered questions and revelations I’m not sure I’m ready to unpack.

I turn to face Roman. His arms are crossed, a knowing smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Dad knows?" he laughs, clearly amused.

I narrow my eyes. "I resigned."

Roman nods, unfazed. "I know." His smirk deepens. "Took you long enough."

"So all those threats-" I scoff.

"Were my way of keeping you from doing something stupid," Roman interrupts smoothly. "Staying in a job that hinders your relationship with someone you love? I wouldn’t wish that on anyone."

For the first time, I see something different in him. Something human.

Roman must notice, because he shakes his head, exhaling sharply. "But don’t take that as me suddenly being on your side. You’ve got a lot of fucked up shit to make up for."

I let out a humorless chuckle. "Are you just going to keep berating me, or is there an actual reason you’re here and not with Eden?"

"I’ve got an offer for you, Noah," Roman growls, his voice low and deliberate. "One you’ll want to listen to carefully."

I meet his stare, standing my ground.

"An offer?" I echo, my voice quiet but firm.

Roman tilts his head. "Tell me, Noah, how much do you know about cops?"

I shrug, trying to read where he’s going with this. "I know they hate me."

He smirks. "Did you know that as part of a rookie’s training, they’re tasked with getting an I.T.?"

I narrow my eyes. "I.T.?"

"An Informant Turned," he explains. "A crooked criminal looking to avoid cuffs. Someone willing to sell intel to the cops in exchange for staying out of jail."

And just like that, I see exactly where this is going.

My fists tighten. "You want me to be your rat?" I hiss.

Roman’s smirk widens, but his voice remains steady. "Rat? No. Unlike the cops, I don’t want you feeding me scraps of information from the sidelines. I want you in, full time. I want you to work undercover for Catalyst, using your connections to bring down crooked families just like your own."

His words hit like a slow-burning realization.

"You have knowledge I’ll never have," he continues, his gaze sharp. "You’ve lived the lifestyle I’m trying to dismantle. That kind of insight is rare. I’d be a fool not to use it."

"What’s the catch?" I grit out.

Roman lets out a humorless chuckle. "There is no catch, Noah. You come work for me, get paid handsomely to take down the kind of sick bastards your father bred. You do the work the government is too scared to handle. And in return?"

He takes a step closer, his voice dropping lower.

"Me and all my resources help take care of your little problem with your brother."

I clench my jaw.

"You get to live a life with Ana," Roman adds, pressing the final piece into place. "And every night, when you go to bed, you’ll know you’re doing something to keep her safe."

The weight of it settles over me like a lead blanket.

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