The others ate it up—Virginia's little power trip had them nodding along, thumbs-up behind my back.

I was silent for a few seconds.

Everyone watched me clench my jaw and figured I was about to lunge at her.

After all, in their minds, a nobody like me who'd never had real money must have spent it all long ago. No way I could pay anything back.

But I pulled out my phone, unhurried, and transferred three million to the bank's account.

Didn't even blink.

I held up the payment screenshot. "Three years at this bank. The gifts never hit eight hundred thousand in any single year. That's three million. Is that enough, or do you need more?"

I didn't wait around for their shock.

I didn't turn around for Virginia's screaming behind me that I must have embezzled bank funds.

I slowed as I passed Nelson Fox's office, my eyes catching the nameplate on the wall—President's Office. Three years ago his bank had barely any business. It was on the verge of collapse.

Now it was the largest private bank in the city, and I was the one who'd put him there.

"President Fox, Tracey is our biggest client. Out of the bank's two hundred and thirty million in deposits, she alone accounts for two hundred million!"

"You're letting her walk out? You're burning that bridge on purpose?"

I was about to move on when I heard Manager Lambert's exasperated challenge.

Nelson's answer was nothing but impatience.

"All she does is keep her money in our bank. She didn't hand it to me."

"I pay her two million a year in interest!"

"And the gifts your purchasing department sends her every year are worth close to a million. Whose money do you think that is? It's mine."

Greg let out a heavy sigh.

"President Fox, that's not how the math works. The bank's entire operation runs on Tracey's two hundred million. Without her there's no way we turn a profit. If she—"

"There is no 'if'!"

Nelson slammed his palm on the desk.

"She makes her living off that interest every year. When you get right down to it, she owes everything she has to me!"

I rubbed my fingertips together, and the only thing I could manage was a quiet laugh at how pathetic he sounded.

He actually believed he mattered that much.

Believed I survived on the interest from two hundred million, and was fool enough to think I had nowhere else to put it. His rate was the lowest in the city. Any other bank would have paid me three million a year minimum.

But we'd been classmates once, so I'd never bothered to fight him over it.

And all this time he'd convinced himself he was getting the raw deal—that I was the one feeding off him.

Greg was kicked out of the office.

He came through the door looking defeated, then froze when he saw me standing right there.

I gave him a nod.

"Come with me. Stay here working under someone like him, and it won't end well for you."

Greg had more sense in his little finger than Nelson had altogether. He handed in his resignation without a second's hesitation.

"I didn't drive today. Give me a ride?"

He took my box and followed me out.

Virginia came chasing after us, and the second she saw Greg at my side her voice cut across the lobby.

"Oh, would you look at that—I always said those two had something going on."

"Tracey gets the boot and Manager Lambert goes scurrying right out the door after her. Real subtle."

"Manager Lambert, aren't you worried your wife will find out?"

Greg stormed back toward her, glaring down at Virginia, looking ready to swing.

"One more word out of you and I swear I'll shut that mouth myself."

Virginia stepped closer, daring him. "Go ahead. Hit me."

"Good riddance to both of you. I'll have President Fox hand purchasing over to me—and I'll show him exactly who knows how to keep clients in line."

I caught Greg's raised fist and pulled it down, stepping in front of him.

Then I turned to Virginia with a cool smile.

"Go ahead. Let's see exactly how talented you are at keeping clients."

When I walked through the door, both my parents were home.

They looked confused to see me back so early and started asking questions.

I didn't answer. I just said one thing.

"I pulled all two hundred million out of Southeast Bank."

They glanced at each other and asked nothing more.

They never could figure me out. I didn't want Sterling Group—didn't want to run it, didn't want to inherit it. All I wanted was to drift through life without anyone needing anything from me. They let me, and they handed me two hundred million to do it with.

I couldn't spend it all. Then my old classmate Nelson Fox hit a wall in his career, so I deposited the money straight into his bank.

He'd thumped his chest and sworn up and down—once the bank was back on its feet, he'd roll out the red carpet for me, nothing but first-class everything.

I'd grown up swimming in that kind of treatment. None of what he was promising moved the needle. Then he heard I was bored out of my mind every day, so he carved out a position for me at the bank and practically begged me to take it—just something to kill time, he said.

But now he'd gotten full of himself.

Lost all sense of where he actually stood.

Fine. Then I'd help him figure it out.

The next morning hadn't even come and Southeast Bank was already in freefall. Depositors decided the bank was broke and started lining up to pull their money.

Virginia had just started the job and was desperate to impress the president. She loaded up on gifts and showed up at the Butler residence with her hair half out of place.

Walter Brooks opened the door, and she plastered on a gushing smile the instant she spotted my father on the sofa checking stock prices.

"Mr. Butler! You're our bank's biggest client—and oh my goodness, meeting you in person, you just have this incredible presence about you!"

"I brought some red wine and bird's nest for you and Mrs. Butler. Please, accept them."

My father despised flattery. He gave her nothing but cold silence.

Virginia's outstretched hands hung in the air, then dropped awkwardly to her sides.

"The thing is, Mr. Butler, I noticed you've had two hundred million deposited with us since the bank first opened. Why would you suddenly withdraw all of it?"

"You'd be losing quite a bit in interest!"

My father flipped his phone face-down and shut her right down with his first words.

"You came here to waste my time over a little interest?"

Virginia's face drained white. She couldn't get a full sentence out.

"Mr. Butler... that's not what I..."

"I know your time is valuable, and maybe... no, definitely you don't care about a small amount like that, but our bank's operations..."

The crease between my father's brows deepened with every word. His patience was gone.

He tossed his phone aside and took a sip of tea.

"Walter. Show her out."

Virginia clutched at Walter's arm, refusing to leave, still running her mouth.

Only now the panic had taken over, and whatever filter she'd had was gone.

"Mr. Butler, we need that money—we really, really need it, we've got projects that aren't even half done!"

"It's not like you even care about that kind of money, right? So just—just leave it in the bank!"

Walter knew my father's temper better than anyone. He knew those words were enough to set him off.

He leaned close to her ear and hissed: "Who do you think you are, telling Mr. Butler what to do with his money? Get out. Now. You cannot afford the consequences of making him angry."

He was right. My father was already on the edge.

He hadn't asked me why. He didn't need to. He knew I'd parked that money in Nelson's bank out of loyalty, because that was how I'd always been—once I cared about someone, I didn't count the cost. For me to pull every last cent out without a word meant they'd crossed a line I would never forgive.

I came downstairs still half-asleep, and jumped onto my dad's back the way I had since I was a kid.

I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"I'm starving. What are we having for dinner?"

The next second, I locked eyes with Virginia Austin, and she looked like a wreck.