All Chapters of TOO RICH TO BE MINE.: Chapter 31 - Chapter 36

The hotel room was cheap. Anonymous. Safe — or at least, safe enough for someone trying to disappear.Catherine had barely slept. The smell of the room clung to the sheets, and the distant hum of traffic outside the window buzzed louder than her thoughts. She hadn’t eaten. She hadn’t called anyone. She hadn’t even looked in the mirror since the night she’d tried to burn her entire life to the ground.She curled up in the scratchy armchair, knees pulled to her chest. The news had slowed for now, but she knew better — scandals didn’t die. They went quiet to reload.A knock at the door startled her.She didn’t move.Another knock, softer this time.Then silence.She crept to the peephole. No one.Cautiously, she opened the door.Nothing — except for a plain white envelope on the floor.She picked it up slowly, hands trembling before she even saw the name on the back.“Catherine.”Elijah’s handwriting.She closed the door behind her like the world might sneak in. Then sat on the bed and s

Catherine stood frozen, a silk robe barely clinging to her trembling frame, heart hammering like a war drum.James’s mother—Margaret Cater—stood still in the doorway, the icy judgment in her eyes more scalding than any slap. James, too stunned to speak, stared at her with something between horror and disgust.Catherine wanted to disappear.“I knew you were reckless,” Margaret finally said, voice as sharp as broken glass, “but I didn’t expect you to humiliate my son like this. Is this how you plan to thank us? By turning our family into a mockery?”“Get out,” Catherine whispered. Her voice cracked, but it was the only dignity she had left. “Both of you. Now.”But Margaret didn’t budge. “You think we’ll let this slide? Your parents may be turning a blind eye, but the public won’t. This is what you offer before marriage? Disgusting.”James finally blinked. His jaw clenched, but instead of exploding, he turned cold. “You’re going to marry me, Catherine. After this? You have no choice.”He

“Welcome back to Society Scoop Live! Tonight’s guest needs no introduction — heir to the Carter Group, the nation’s most eligible bachelor, and the man at the center of what’s being called The Royal Romance of the Decade…”Catherine’s hand clenched the remote as James Carter’s smirking face appeared on the massive flatscreen in her living room.He wore a charcoal suit and a white shirt with the top button artfully undone. Clean-shaven. Dimples on full display. The lighting made him glow like a saint.“I didn’t come here to clear my name,” James began, chuckling softly. “I came to speak my truth.”Catherine rolled her eyes.The host swooned. “You’ve been trending non-stop. Is it true you and Catherine Hale are officially tying the knot?”He hesitated. Just enough to seem sincere. Then gave a small, heartbreaking smile.“I wouldn’t say officially yet,” he said. “She’s… been going through a lot. And I don’t blame her for wanting space. But I love her. I’ve always loved her. Our wedding i