# **They Mocked the Woman Who Came to Feed Them. By Winter’s End, Every Man at Grady Ranch Would Know Who She Truly Was.**NVP
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Chapter 6 / 30
Chapter 6 - Rafe’s Unsettling Past
That evening, the family gathered in the dining hall to discuss their options. Twenty thousand dollars was a fortune—far more than the ranch's current cattle herd was worth. Rafe sat in the corner, staring quietly at his coffee cup while the others debated. Finally, he spoke up, his voice raspy and grim. "I know who funded that loan," Rafe admitted, looking Coulter straight in the eye. "My father was the syndicate's local overseer before he died at Fort Ellis. The money isn't just debt, Coulter. It's stolen military payroll."
