Chapter 56: An Unexpected Connection
(Caroline's POV)
From the moment Sebastian and I stepped into his office, Raymond Carter had that plastic, unsettling smile plastered on his face. It was the kind of smile a shark gives before it bites you in half.
We sat across from him. The air conditioning hummed, but the room felt stifling. Raymond folded his hands on top of the polished mahogany desk, leaning back in his leather chair. He let out a long, exaggerated sigh.
"Caroline, Sebastian," he began, his voice dripping with fake regret. "I wish it were simple. Truly, I do. But this commercial loan... it’s going to be very difficult to approve right now."
He paused for effect, shaking his head.
"The bank's liquidity is tight this quarter," he continued. "And the risk assessment depar
