His voice trembled with lingering fear.

Catherine shook her head. “It was just a coincidence."

With Richard's family now present, Catherine decided to stay a Little longer.

Inside the hospital room, Richard glanced at her and addressed his sons and grandsons. "There were so many people there at the time, yet only Miss Catherine had the courage to step forward. Kindness like this is hard to come by these days. If it weren't for her, I might not have made it to see another day. From now on, Miss Catherine is an honored friend of the Harris family. If she ever faces difficulties, you must do everything in your power to help her. Do you all understand?"

The Harris family members nodded solemnly and expressed their gratitude to Catherine.

Though she felt their thanks were unnecessary, Richard's authority within the family was evident, and no one dared to challenge him. Richard waved his hand dismissively.

"Alright, everyone, please step out for a moment. I'd like to have a private word with Miss Catherine." The Harris family exchanged puzzled looks, unsure why Richard wanted a private conversation with her but ultimately complied and left the room.

"Please, have a seat, " Richard gestured toward a chair.

Catherine hesitated, unsure of his intentions. If he wanted to thank her, his family had already done so, and they had even reimbursed her for the medical expenses she had covered—twice the amount, in fact. There was no need for additional gratitude.

However, Richard's next words caught her completely off guard.

"Actually, you were there today because you were looking for me, weren't you?"

Catherine's head snapped up in surprise, her eyes locking onto Richard.

"You knew?"

Richard chuckled softly and shook his head. "Of course. When I got out of the car earlier, I saw you standing there with those documents in your hands." His gaze shifted to the bag holding Catherine's carefully prepared files.

She stiffened slightly, her nerves betraying her.

Richard continued, "At the time, I wasn't interested in meeting you. I told my driver to leave and spent the day playing chess with some friends nearby. But when I was about to head home, I felt compelled to come back for another look. That's when the car sped by, and.. well, you know the rest."Catherine felt a wave of embarrassment and quickly stood up to explain.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Richard. I didn't mean to intrude on your personal life. I just didn't know any other way to meet you. Please accept my apologies!"

Richard had observed her actions throughout the day and smiled warmly. "I haven't finished speaking yet, Miss Catherine. There's no need to be so anxious." His tone softened further.

"I asked to speak with you alone because I realized I had misjudged you. My earlier impression of you wasn't entirely fair. Now, I think I should hear you out properly. Tell me, why were you looking for me today?"

Catherine froze for a moment, unsure if she had heard him correctly.

But when she met Richard's kind and inviting gaze, her confidence returned.

Her eyes lit up with determination as she pulled out the prepared documents.

"Well, Mr. Richard, it's about the plot of land in the northern part of the city. Our Harris Group..."

Two hours had passed, and the sky had begun to grow dark.