Chapter 43

Amelia's face fell as she slowly descended the stairs, her eyes glued to the pile of papers at her feet.

Perry watched as she knelt down, picking up the scattered sheets and trying to make sense of the mess.

It was clear that something serious was going on, but Perry couldn't quite understand the details. She watched as Mr. Tate paced back and forth, muttering to himself in frustration.

She also watched as Amelia slowly unfolded them, her eyes scanning the contents.

Mr. Tate's voice rose as he turned to face her, his anger palpable. "This is what you wanted, isn't it?" he yelled accusingly.

"No, Dad, that's not what I wanted," she said softly, trying to keep the tears from falling. "I didn't ask Andrew to pull out his funds, and I didn't ask to be used as a business transaction either."

Mr. Tate's tone turned harsh as he spoke again. "Did Andrew tell you he's some kind of charity? The deal was to marry you and he'll save us from bankruptcy, but your pride ruined everything."

Amelia d