After the Fall A Leap into a Stranger's Arms novel Chapter 23

Nestor was so mad he jabbed a finger right at Lawrence’s face. “I’m her dad. I’ve raised her for over twenty years. Do you really think you can just sneak in and walk away with my precious daughter without paying a cent? Nothing in this world comes that easy.”

In Nestor’s eyes, Catherine’s worth had been measured a long time ago. She was supposed to marry Waldo, become Mrs. James, and guarantee the Blair family’s wealth for generations. There was no way he’d let some broke kid take her away.

Waldo couldn’t help but pile on, his voice smug. “Lawrence, what do you even have to offer Catherine? You can’t afford a decent wedding, let alone a proper gift. If you can’t give her the basics, how are you supposed to make her happy? You just think she’s easy to fool, trying to get everything for nothing.”

“Yeah, can you even afford a wedding gift?”

Right then, a clear, steady voice rang out behind Lawrence. “Dad, how much are you planning to ask him for?”

Catherine stepped into the moonlight, still wrapped up in the thin blanket Lawrence had draped over her. She’d obviously just been woken up by the arguing outside. There was still a bit of sleepiness in her expression, but her eyes were sharp and bright as she looked straight at her father.

Her sudden appearance silenced both men at the door.

Waldo’s breath caught in his throat. In the soft glow, Catherine’s unadorned face looked even more striking, a kind of cool beauty he’d never really noticed before. His heart skipped a beat. When did she start looking like this?

Nestor quickly switched to his fatherly role. “Catherine, come home with me right now.”

She walked over and stood next to Lawrence under the porch light, calm and steady. She looked at Nestor and asked again, “Dad, you still haven’t answered my question. How much will it take for you to be satisfied?”

She lifted her chin, looked Nestor right in the eye, and said, clear and steady, “Alright. One hundred million it is.”

Waldo’s face changed in an instant. “Catherine, stop this nonsense. We’re doing this for your own good.”

Catherine didn’t even glance at him. She looked over at Lawrence, who stood beside her, calm and unbothered, then turned back to Nestor. Her voice was light, but every word landed. “He has it.”

Those words hit Nestor and Waldo like a bolt of lightning.