After a few minutes of silence, Shawn eased the car to a stop in front of Catherine's destination. He turned slightly toward her, his gaze lingering on her slender, shapely legs for a moment before casually pulling out a business card and handing it to her.

Catherine immediately understood the implication.

What surprised her, though, was the fact that Shawn still seemed interested in her, even after learning who she was.

Sure, Shawn was undeniably attractive, and there was no doubt he'd be incredible in bed, but Catherine hesitated. Getting involved with someone as powerful and complicated as him was bound to be trouble. After a brief pause, she declined politely, saying, "Mr. Reed, I don't think it's a good idea for us to stay in touch."

Shawn simply shrugged, clearly unfazed by her rejection.

There was no denying Catherine's beauty, but he wasn't the kind of man to push if someone wasn't interested. Slipping the card back into his pocket, he remarked with a faint smirk, "Conservatism suits you."

His words made Catherine feel slightly awkward, but before she could think of a response, Shawn got out of the car. In a gesture of surprising gentlemanliness, he walked around and opened her door. For a fleeting moment, she wondered if the entire evening had been some kind of surreal dream—had she really almost crossed such a scandalous line with him?

The moment she stepped out of the car, Shawn drove off without another word.

A cool breeze swept past her, sending a shiver through her body. Only then did she realize she was still wearing his coat. She hesitated, debating whether or not to try and catch up with him to return it. But before she could make a decision, her phone started ringing.

She glanced at the screen. It was her stepmother, Audrey. Concern laced Audrey's voice as soon as Catherine answered. "Catherine, come home right now! Something terrible has happened!"

Catherine tried to press her for details, but Audrey was too flustered to explain over the phone. She simply begged Catherine to return as quickly as possible.

When Catherine finally burst through the front door, she found Audrey sitting on the living room sofa, staring blankly ahead. Her eyes were red and puffy, evidence of heavy crying.

Catherine's heart sank as she looked around the room. "What's going on, Audrey? Where's Dad?" she asked anxiously.

Audrey, who was Catherine's father's second wife, broke down completely at the mention of her husband. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she choked out her words.

"It's Ryan! He's absolutely heartless! When the Howard Group was struggling a few years ago, you stood by him without hesitation. You supported him through everything. And now that his company is thriving and he's on top of the world, not only did he abandon you, but he's also trying to destroy us! He's accused your father of fraud and had him arrested! Your father is in a detention center now—all because of that ungrateful man!"

Audrey's words hit Catherine like a punch to the stomach. Her mind reeled as she tried to process the betrayal.

After a long pause, Catherine straightened her back and said in a calm but determined voice, "I'll call Ryan. I need to hear this from him."

Even though their relationship had ended, Catherine couldn't believe Ryan would take things this far. They had been together for years—surely he wasn't heartless enough to ruin her father's life.

She pulled out her phone and dialed his number. It didn't take long for him to pick up.

"Ryan," Catherine began, her voice trembling slightly, "we've already gone our separate ways. Please, don't drag my father into this. "