Chapter 500:


    Bartley’s eyes clouded with confusion. What was Katelyn trying to convey with that gesture? Was she pleased, or was he reading it wrong? Her gaze, distant and cold, certainly didn’t suggest approval.


    Katelyn’s lips curled slightly, her face calm, as if she were watching a scene unfold without any particr emotion. “I’ve met bold people before,” she said evenly. “But you? You take the cake. I’ve never seen anyone quite like you.”


    Bartley’s grin faded. “I’m doing this for mutual gain. It’s a good deal for both of us. You might think I’m heartless, but in the adult world, love doesn’t get you far. Interests are what matter.”


    He was sharp in business, always focused on profit, with emotions merely obstacles to be stepped over. Even if he had once cared for Elora, that feeling had faded the moment she stopped being useful. People like Bartley didn’t hesitate to walk away when the benefit was gone. His heart was as cold as the deals he made.


    “I won’t let my marriage turn into a business transaction,” Katelyn said, her voice calm but firm. “If you really care, you should patch things up with Elora. People who love you for who you are, without expecting anything in return, are rare. And the things they give? Money can’t rece that.”


    Inside, Katelyn struggled to understand how someone as wealthy as Bartley could still be driven by a hunger for more, never satisfied with what he already had.


    Katelyn had no real interest in wealth. She never spent time dreaming about how much money she wanted or nning how to elevate her career. For her, having enough to livefortably was more than enough. Her rxed way of living felt simplerpared to Bartley’s.


    Bartley’s smile faltered, and his eyes shifted away, as if a troubling thought crossed his mind.


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    “Miss Bailey,” he said slowly, “haven’t you seen the local news? Elora’s been cut off. Her family tossed her aside like she was nothing.”


    Katelyn’s eyes widened. “What? Are you serious?”


    Bartley nodded, a faint, knowing grin forming. “You heard me. Elora lost her im to the family fortune. She’s not the heiress anymore—just another regr person now.”<fn793f> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on FιndNovel</fn793f>


    Katelyn’s expression grew serious.


    She remembered Breck mentioning something about this in the hospital hallway, but at the time, she had brushed it off, thinking it was just an empty threat to remind Elora to behave. She never expected it toe true.


    Elora’s emotions were already fragile. She had barely been holding herself together, and if she found out she wasn’t even the family heiress anymore, things would fall apart quickly.


    “When did this happen?” Katelyn asked, taking a shaky breath as she tried to calm the storm in her mind.


    Bartley shrugged nonchntly, as if it were no big deal. “Two days ago, I think. And, of course, I broke off our engagement the day before that.”


    Katelyn pieced it together. All of this had happened while Earl Poulos was on his deathbed. That exined why she hadn’t heard about it sooner. Her thoughts spun in a whirlwind.


    Breck had always been protective of Elora, knowing she couldn’t handle any more bad news. So why was he so eager to cut her off? Was he deliberately pushing her toward a breakdown? And Bartley—he had always been cold, never caring about the consequences for Elora in the end.


    Katelyn pulled herself from her thoughts and fixed Bartley with a steady gaze. “You were with her for years. Did you really never feel anything for her?”


    A shadow flickered in Bartley’s eyes.


    “This is about you and me,” he said, his voice steady but edged with a quiet threat. “Don’t bring anyone else into it. If you turn down my proposal, I promise things will only get worse.”


    Katelyn blinked, momentarily stunned by his words.


    This was his idea of a proposal?


    To him, marriage seemed like just another business deal stripped of any real emotion or meaning. A man like him wouldn’t stay loyal—not to a wife, not to a family. Even after vows, he’d be looking for his next advantage. As soon as someone more useful came along, he’d propose a divorce and walk away without a second thought.


    He was worse than Neil—much worse.


    Meanwhile, Jaxen quietly eased the door open just enough to listen, pressing his ear against the crack.


    Had he heard correctly? Bartley was proposing to Katelyn?


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