Circe becomes angry when Milkman offers to give her money so that she can leave the Butlers' house because it isn't lack of money that is keeping her there. When he suggests that the reason she doesn't leave is that she's poor, he insults her by implying that she has no other reason to stay and that she has no power over her own situation. She says, "'You think I don't know how to walk when I want to walk?'" and her voice is cold because he so completely misunderstands her motives and treats her with pity when she feels empowered. If she wanted to leave, she says, she would leave.
However, Milkman further mistakes Circe's staying as a sign of her loyalty to "'those white folks [...]," the Butlers. Circe explains that it isn't loyalty; in fact, she is bitter that Mrs. Butler actually killed herself because she couldn't stomach the idea of having to do for herself the work that Circe had done for her entire life. Mrs. Butler was ashamed at her reduced circumstances, and most especially at having to lay off her servants, and she just couldn't bear to let Circe go because she would rather die "'than live like [Circe]." Now, Circe stays so that she can "'see it all go, make sure it does go, and that nobody fixes it up. [She] brought the dogs in to make sure." Circe wants to see, once and for all, that the house is destroyed and that no one comes in and tries to save it. The Butlers "loved this place" so much and it represents all of their corruption and selfishness; Circe cleaned it for years and years, and she takes pleasure in the fact that now it can be reduced to disgusting ruins and she will never clean it again. She finally has some power here as she is the only one left, and she can make the decision to watch everything the Butlers cared about crumble to dust.
As far as Milkman's character, his offer of money to Circe shows us just how much it plays a role in his motivations. He will do or not do depending on the money. He will rob his aunt or travel all over the country, for money. He won't do much else if it doesn't pay. Money, at least for now, makes Milkman tick, and so he assumes everyone else feels the same (consider his gift of money to Hagar, a gift that literally drives her crazy).
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