He was supposed to be evaluating her honesty, not listening to conversations between a woman and a cleaning tool.
Eventually, Catherine carried her supplies upstairs.
Ethan left his office and quietly moved toward the master suite.
He stood behind the partially open bedroom door.
Her footsteps approached.
“Serious question, Riley,” Catherine was saying. “Do rich people make their own instant noodles?”
She entered.
“Or is there somebody whose whole job is—”
She stopped.
Every trace of humor left her face.
Catherine saw the money.
For several seconds, she did not
move.
Ethan knew that expression.
He had seen versions of it many times.
Shock.
Calculation.
Temptation.
Catherine slowly approached the dresser.
“Oh my goodness.”
Her voice had changed.
She stared at the bundles.
“That is…”
She swallowed.
“That is more money than I have ever seen in one place.”
Her fingers trembled.
Ethan watched through the opening.
Catherine whispered, “Megan’s tuition.”
Ethan’s expression hardened.
There it was.
The reason.
November 8, 2026 · editor editor
Everyone had one.
Catherine’s younger sister, Megan, was attending college nearby.
Ethan had learned that much
