Page 86 of Ruthless Lord

“I will.” He slowly shakes his head. “But you took the keycard.”

“I know. It was a mistake.” I step closer to the desk, desperately clutching at my dress, feeling like an idiot but laying it all barefor him. “I stumbled into an opportunity when Giorgio was giving me that tour, and I took it. But the second I got home, I regretted everything. I was going into the office last night to use your shredder. I was going to get rid of the stupid card and never think about it again.”

His expression hardens. There’s an edge of confusion to him. “But someone used that card to break into the depot.”

“They did what?” I look around in surprise. “That can’t be right. I didn’t turn it over, I swear.”

He lets out a long sigh. Then he starts talking. He tells me about the GPS modules on the trucks, about the two different break-ins at the depot, how the second one used Giorgio’s credentials. A cold creep fills my stomach as he finishes.

“You see why I reacted the way I did last night.”

“It looks like I was the one behind it all.” I nearly choke on the words and quickly shake my head. “Stefano, I had nothing to do with any of that. I swear on my life. That man last night, I’ve never seen him before. He tried tokillme.”

“Yes, he did. Which is why I’m inclined to believe you. But still. You took the card, and someone used it to get in.”

“Are you sure? You said they had his credentials. Whoever’s been breaking in here is really good at tech stuff. Couldn’t they have made a fake?”

He considers that for a long moment. I can tell he doesn’t like the idea, but he grudgingly nods. “I think it’s possible.”

“What can I do to prove my innocence?” I move toward him. I want to touch him. I want to kiss him and tug at his hair and beg him to touch me back. Instead, I control myself, aching withhow much I hate all the stupid mistakes I’ve made. “I need you to trust me again.”

“Did you tell your grandfather anything about my operation?”

I quickly shake my head. “No, not a word.” I take out my phone and unlock it. “Go ahead, look through my messages.”

“I don’t need to do that.”

“Then I’ll give it to your tech guy. What’s his name? Davide? I’ll go to his office right now?—”

“Charlie, wait.”

But I’m already walking away. Determination fills me. If this is what it takes to clear my name, I’ll do it.

It’s obvious why Stefano’s so upset. I took the keycard, and someone used those same credentials to break in here. But it’s just a shitty, unlucky coincidence. I can prove to him that I haven’t been in touch with my grandfather, and I don’t care if that means violating my privacy.

Davide can look at my search history. I don’t even care if he knows I’m looking up why mosquitos drink blood, how to make your knees smaller, what roses smell like to dogs, if kangaroos can jump higher than humans. Actually, all that’s pretty embarrassing, but screw it. I don’t care if they know I think I have big knees.

I march down the hall. Giorgio showed me the tech office and joked about it being Davide’s littlecomputer cave.

“Charlie, stop.” Stefano tries to grab my arm, but I yank myself out of his grasp.

“No, you stop. You’re going to always wonder no matter what I say. But I know I didn’t tell my family anything. Yes, I agreed to spy, and yes, I snooped a little, but I hated myself for it. Now I want you to be sure you’re not married to a liar. Let me give my phone to Davide. Let me do this for you.”

He shakes his head. I can tell he’s not happy about this. But when I turn away and knock on the tech room’s door, he doesn’t stop me.

Davide looks surprised when I march up to him and thrust my phone into his hands. He’s a few years younger than Stefano with sandy brown hair and a handsome face. “Uh, thanks?” He frowns at me. “What’s this?”

“I want you to go through my phone and prove to Stefano that I haven’t been in contact with my grandfather.”

He seems totally bewildered. “Why don’t you let him look through?”

“He won’t do it.”

“You think I will?”

“You don’t know or care about me the way he does. Please destroy my privacy and prove to my husband that I’m not a liar.”

He laughs lightly and leans back in his chair, looking at Stefano for approval. “This is a little weird. But definitely not the weirdest thing I’ve ever had to do here.”