Page 14 of Hearts of Wealth

“Everything has a price, Tim,” Henry said, finally breaking the silence between us. He loosened his tie and smirked arrogantly. “Shall we test that theory?”

I opened my mouth to retort, but before I could utter a word, Catherine entered the room.

She looked between us. “Timothy?” she said with surprise.

I shot another dirty look at Henry before turning and walking to her. “Catherine, you can’t work on this project,” I blurted out.

Her eyes narrowed at my words, her expression hardening with anger. “Excuse me?” she snapped, her voice laced with indignation.

“You don’t know who this guy is,” I said. “You need to quit. Walk away right now.”

She clenched her jaw. “Excuse us,” she said and turned her attention back to me. “Outside. Now.”

Henry chuckled as I followed Catherine outside. The moment we were out, she turned on me, her eyes flashing with anger. “You can’t tell me what to do, Timothy,” she hissed. “I know how to handle myself, and I’m staying on this project.”

“Catherine, you don’t understand.”

“No,” she snapped, holding up one finger. “The jealousy thing was cute for a minute, but this isn’t funny. This is my job. My career. I don’t need you to start acting like a jealous boyfriend.”

“I know him, Catherine. You don’t know who that man is.”

“I don’t care,” she snapped and walked away.

I watched as she stormed off. I knew I had overstepped, but my concern for her safety outweighed any rational thought.

“Catherine, wait.” I jogged after her, catching her just as she was getting into her truck.

“I’m pissed, Timothy. You need to leave me alone. I have no idea what got into you, but this was not okay. This is bullshit.”

“I came by to bring you some lunch,” I said. “I saw Henry and yeah, I lost it. I know him. We go way back. He’s not a man you want to be around.”

She paused then, her hand on the door handle, and looked back at me. “You knew him?”

“Yes,” I said softly. “He’s an asshole.”

“He’s my client.”

“You don’t want to work with him,” I insisted. “If I had known he was the client you were working with, I would have said something sooner.”

“And do you think I’m just going to turn down a client because you know him?”

“I didn’t know he’d bought the property. I didn’t even know he was in town. Catherine.” I reached out tentatively, touching her arm, but she stepped back.

“You didn’t answer my question,” she said icily. “Why does that matter? Why does your history with him have any relevance to me and my job?”

“Because he’s dangerous. He’s ruthless. He’ll trample all over you. He will cause problems. Trust me, the guy is bad news. Things are good between us. I don’t want to risk him unsettling it.”

She let out a long sigh. “I had his number the moment I met him. I’m staying on the project. I can’t run from every guy that hits on me. I’ve grown up in a man’s world. I’m used to dealing with men. I’ve got this.”

“Dealing with men and dealing with Henry are two very different things, Catherine,” I said. “He’s a predator. He’ll take what he wants and use anything in his path to get it.”

“I’ve dealt with my fair share of Henrys, Timothy,” she retorted, her eyes burning into mine. “I can handle him.”

“No! It’s not just about...” I paused, searching for the right words. “You don’t understand what he’s capable of.”

A moment of silence fell between us. Catherine held my gaze, her brows furrowed slightly as she studied my face. “Look, I appreciate your concern, but you can’t do this. I can’t have you getting worked up about every man I work for. I don’t like the jealous thing. You have nothing to worry about. Henry is not going to get in my head.”

I had a feeling I had lost the battle. Henry had won. “Do you want the sandwich I brought?” I asked softly.