Chapter 19

Raphael pressed his lips together and stepped forward. He stood in front of Catherine's desk. "The food will go cold if you wait too long," Raphael gently reminded her. "You should leave these things to the housekeeper. There's no need for you to make food yourself," Catherine replied, her expression unchanging. Raphael instinctively took a step back. He had once insisted that Catherine call him Uncle Raph to maintain distance and make her understand the boundaries between them. Now, the term felt like a mockery to him—Catherine was reminding him that he was the one who should remember where they stood. "I didn't know that your parents found out about your feelings for me and what they did to you because of that. When I proposed to Fiona, it was only because I—" "Leave," Catherine interrupted him coldly. "Cathy, I—" "Raphael, I don't care about your explanations. I never cared about who you proposed to or when you were getting married. The only reason I let you stay here is be