32. Chapter 32
Chapter 32
Noah
" S o, honestly," Will mutters. "Is my daughter doing okay?"
His voice barely pulls me from my thoughts.
My mind is elsewhere—half in this conversation, half scanning the crowd, trying to track her.
Jake wouldn’t be stupid enough to try something here. Not with so many people around. Not with Meg and Elijah’s parents chatting away, not with professors scattered throughout the event.
And yet…
Something feels wrong.
The crowd grows denser, the conversations louder, making it harder to see her through the shifting bodies.
My fingers twitch.
"Ana?" I murmur, my attention flickering back to Will, but my focus still split.
Will exhales, shaking his head. "You seem to know her well," he says, watching me closely. "And I played it off earlier, but let’s be real. I don’t know many professors who would fly out a student’s parents. Or let their student call them by their first name."
His words sink into me like stones.
Slowly, I straighten, finally tuning in to the conversation.
Will’s expression is unreadable as he studies me.
"How long?"
My stomach tightens.
"How long have you been seeing my daughter?"
The question lands like a hammer, the weight of it pressing down on my chest.
I take a shallow breath, trying to play it off. "I don’t-"
"Spare me," he sighs. "Before you back yourself into a corner and try to talk your way out, just give me clarity."
There’s a ghost of a smile on his lips, but his voice is firm.
I exhale, my jaw tight. "Since the school year started."
Will nods slowly, letting the words settle between us.
Then, after a beat, "Was there anyone before her?"
"No." I don’t let him finish the thought. "There will only ever be her."
He watches me carefully.
I know what he’s thinking. That I’m fucked up, that maybe I get some sick power trip out of this.
So I cut to the chase.
"I know how this looks," I admit. "I know what you’re probably thinking. But I didn’t take this job to fall in love with one of my students."
Will’s brows crease slightly, but he stays quiet.
I press on. "I took this job to get away from a family that was breaking me down, day in and day out. I was drowning in a life I wanted nothing to do with, ready to slip into my own miserable existence."
A pause.
"But then?" Will prompts.
I drag a hand down my face, exhaling sharply. "Then I met your daughter. And, God, I didn’t want to feel how I did."
Will leans back, crossing his arms over his chest. "You want to know something?" he mutters. "Something cancer has taught me?"
I brace myself.
"Nothing is ever black and white," he says, letting out a dry laugh. "You see, I knew my baby girl was struggling with my diagnosis. Knew she was distancing herself, so I made a trip to campus earlier this year."
My brows knit together.
"She didn’t know about it," he adds.
I stare at him.
"I knew Eden Briar from my time here," Will continues. "And I asked her to keep an eye on Ana for me. When she told me she suspected my daughter was involved with a professor, I was livid. Hell, I wanted to rip you apart."
My pulse quickens. Where is this going?
Will watches me, something unreadable flickering in his gaze. "But then… I saw you."
My breath stills.
"You and her. Just walking through the courtyard, talking about one of her reports. I was ready to hobble over and tackle you with what little strength I had left."
Then, something shifts in his face.
A smile.
"But then I saw her smile. And, God… I hadn’t seen her smile like that in ages." His voice turns softer, almost distant. "She looked at you like the world started and ended with you. And you looked at her like life itself relied on her."
I swallow, my throat tight.
"And that’s when I had to sit back and reflect." He exhales, shaking his head. "Because, in the end… I’m no better than you."
"What?" I frown.
Will glances over his shoulder. Across the courtyard, Ana’s mother stands among Elijah and Megan’s parents, laughing, her presence vibrant, alive.
He looks back at me.
"Ana’s mother," he says, voice quieter. "She used to be one of my students."
The air shifts.
The world stills.
My heart slams against my ribs.
"Your student?" I whisper.
Will nods, his expression unreadable.
And suddenly—everything makes sense.
Will nods, his expression thoughtful as he shrugs.
"Nothing happened between us until after she graduated," he admits. "Though… I can’t say there weren’t moments where my professionalism slipped. Where my love for her got the best of me."
His voice is calm and steady, but there’s something nostalgic in it.
"I resigned the moment I realized I was in love with her," he continues. "Only came back once she was gone. Our marriage happened pretty quickly after she graduated, and, man, I do not regret a single second of it."
I blink, trying to process. "Ana never said-"
Will chuckles. "She doesn’t know.
The words catch me off guard.
"But I think I’m telling you all of this because I need to know," he says, leveling me with a look. "Will you resign? Do you love my daughter enough to put this career on hold to be with her?"
There’s no hesitation.
I meet his gaze, my voice steady. "I already gave the dean my resignation letter this morning."
Will’s brows lift slightly, but he says nothing, letting me continue.
"I thought I was staying here to protect her," I admit. "But in reality, I was only hindering her college experience. Holding her back."
Will studies me for a moment before reaching out, clapping a firm hand on my shoulder. He gives it a squeeze.
"Does she know?"
I exhale. "I haven’t had the chance to tell her yet." I rub the back of my neck. "I just wanted her to have one good night. No drama, no fear, just peace."
Will smiles knowingly. "And that’s why you flew me and my wife out here."
It’s not a question. It’s a realization.
"For Ana."
I nod, releasing a quiet breath. "I have a feeling there won’t ever be another thing I do that isn’t for her."
And I mean it.
Every. Single. Word.
"Well then," Will chuckles. "I can spare you the ‘if you don’t resign, we have issues’ speech."
His lighthearted tone makes me exhale, just a little.
"But," he continues, "I did have one more question for you. My treatments… they were drowning us in debt, making it impossible to keep up with, but-"
Before he can finish, a familiar voice cuts through the conversation.
"Sorry to interrupt."
Roman’s deep timbre carries over the noise of the party, commanding attention. "Can I steal Noah here for a moment?"
Will glances at him, then over at his wife, deliberating. Finally, he nods, his smile easy. "We can pick this conversation up another time."
His eyes flick back to me, expression softer now. "Have a great night. Tell Ana her mother and I will be waiting for her."
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.
My hands curl into fists. "So… undercover work?"
Roman scoffs. "Don’t tell me you can’t act."
His smirk is razor-sharp. "You lied to everyone about you and Ana with a smile on your face. I’m sure you can slip right back into those Antonov shoes and get me the intel I need to make this world a little less dirty."
"So what?" I mutter. "You offer me the job, and that’s it-"
Roman exhales, shaking his head. "You’ll have to meet my boss first."
Something in his tone shifts.
A name surfaces in my mind before he even says it.
Echo.
The faceless name that every person in my family’s world fears.
Roman catches the flicker of recognition on my face and grins.
"Ah," he muses, satisfaction lacing his voice. "So you are aware of who my boss is."
"I’d be a fool not to," I whisper, my voice barely audible over the hum of the party. "Echo is one of the most nefarious thorns in any crime family’s side-"
Roman cuts me off with a knowing smirk. "Then you understand the opportunity I’m giving you is a one-time offer."
His words carry weight, the kind that settles deep in my chest.
"Echo doesn’t take kindly to criminals in his inner circle," he continues. "He’s choosing to trust my judgment, and I’m choosing to trust that your love for Ana is as genuine as it looks."
Then, he holds out his hand.
I stare at it—rough, calloused, steady. A symbol of power. A line drawn in the sand.
"Shake my hand now, Noah," he says, voice even, "and I make all your problems go away."
He pauses, letting the moment settle before adding, "But walk away and you’ll know very soon what the inside of a cell looks like."
The air shifts.
His voice drops lower, just enough to send ice through my veins.
"And Ana becomes my problem… for my wife’s sake."
A slow smirk tugs at his lips. "You’re lucky Eden has taken such a liking to the girl."
My jaw tightens. My pulse hammers.
Roman’s hand remains extended, his words digging in, sinking deep into my mind.
This is it.
A choice. A line.
I exhale sharply. "If I shake your hand now, you ensure Ana’s safety?"
Roman chuckles, shaking his head. "Ensure? No, Noah." His eyes lock onto mine, unrelenting. "You would be ensuring her safety."
A pause.
Then, a smirk. "You may think a life of crime is the only way to survive, but I guarantee you, life on the other side is a hell of a lot more rewarding."
The weight of the moment presses down on me.
And still, his hand waits.
God.
Please, let this be the right decision.
I grip his hand, hard. Not just accepting the deal, claiming my place in it. I pull him in slightly, refusing to let him exert all the authority.
Roman doesn’t flinch. Instead, he grins, that knowing, condescending smirk, like I’m a kid who just learned how to play the game. His grip tightens, unyielding.
"We’ll be speaking soon about the details," he murmurs, his voice low, deliberate. "Keep your eyes wide open tonight, your work began the second you shook my hand."
The weight of those words settles.
"Walker, Cole, and Jake are all in one place tonight," he continues. "If all goes according to plan, my men will have them in cuffs for the murder of Levi Trace by the end of the night."
I exhale slowly, letting the reality of it sink in.
"And you," Roman adds, tilting his head, "will do your due diligence and step back into your brother’s role. I want the whole Antonov empire on its knees, and you will ensure it happens."
I nod once, jaw tight.
Then, from the corner of my eye, I catch her.
Eden.
She stands a few feet away, waving Roman over with a look I know all too well, biting her lip, eyes flicking toward the building.
She wants him.
And for the first time since I’ve known him, Roman looks flustered.
Clearing his throat, he barely spares me another glance. "Excuse me," he mutters. "My wife needs me."
He starts to step away.
But I grab his wrist.
He stops. His gaze flicks back to mine.
"Tonight," I whisper, voice steady, "we make them all go away?"
Roman studies me. Then, slowly, his lips curl into a wicked grin.
"That," he says, "and so much more."
A pause.
A final moment of weight between us.
Then...
"Welcome to Catalyst, Noah."