CHAPTER HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SEVEN

RICHARD’S POV

The rest of dinner was a goddamn circus act. My brothers, suddenly on their best behavior, didn't dare breathe a word against Cathy after her little outburst. It was hilarious watching them tiptoe around her, terrified of saying the wrong thing.

William, the king of backhanded compliments, resorted to showering Cathy with insincere flattery. "You know, Cathy, for someone with such a sharp mind, you're remarkably open-minded about... alternative approaches." He said it with a strained smile, like he was trying to swallow a mouthful of vinegar.

Jonathan, bless his simple soul, wasn't doing much better. He kept trying to steer the conversation towards his latest charity project, probably hoping to impress Cathy with his altruism. It fell flat, like a bad joke told at a funeral.

Cathy, bless her heart, just sat there with a politely bored expression. It was obvious she saw right through their act. William and Jonathan, sensing the shifting tides of power, did thei