Page 27 of The Boss and the Wedding Mess

He looks amused. “How much did you hear?”

“That she earns more than I do and still helped herself anyway,” I admit through clenched teeth.

Alexander smiles. “Her story touched me. I wanted her to earn well and still have time to care for her son and her sick sister.”

“How much did she steal?” I press.

“Twenty thousand pounds.”

My eyes go wide.

“I kept it in a box. She found it while cleaning and took it. I had planned to use that cash, and when I checked, it was gone. I confronted her, and she confessed immediately.”

“Well, denying it would’ve been pointless. Unless other people come and go in your house…” I let the question hang, fishing for more. A relationship, maybe?

“She was the only one. But she promised to pay me back—either through a loan or monthly installments.” He doesn’t sound convinced.

"Do you believe her?"

He looks at me and says: "If I'm being honest: I think she's long gone."

"Do you have her number?"

“Yes, but she hasn’t answered since yesterday. Still, I want to trust she’ll be back by this weekend.” He pulls out his phone and types on it briefly before reading aloud. Then he reads a message aloud:‘You can pay it off in small installments, every month. And if one month doesn’t work out, then the next. We’ll figure it out—don’t worry.’

"Hmm..."

I wouldn’t have pegged him as so lenient. That makes me uncertain. Could this guy actually be one of the good ones?

"My father calls me naive, and if I told Marc or my other friends, they’d call me crazy. Maybe I am. But I wanted to give her a chance. My father was always very strict with the staff. My mother too. Once..." He studies me, then adds: "You’re off the clock."

"I’m also a good listener." I walk toward him slowly and notice he doesn’t have much water left in his glass. I open the mini fridge, grab the bottle, and refill it.

"Thank you. So..." He ponders briefly, then continues: "We had a maid who was fired on the spot when my mother found out she had stolen from the cash box."

"How much?" I ask as I put the bottle away.

"Just a few hundred pounds. I liked her. Elaine to me was like a big sister. I must’ve been ten or eleven, she was in her early twenties. She needed the job. Her mother was sick, her father had died, and she was the family’s only breadwinner. Debts piled up. She even skimped on food. When my mother threw her out, I tracked her down and gave her all the money I’d saved."

"So that’s why you trust your housekeeper?"

"Yes. Because not every person is evil. Everyone has their story. Who knows what happened that she couldn’t resist when shefound the money? Maybe she also has debts or something urgent to fix." He looks thoughtful.

"How did you find her to hire?"

"In the newspaper. Very traditional. She made a good impression, so I hired her right away. My house is big—I figured a woman’s touch couldn’t hurt. She was just supposed to dust and clean the floors and windows. Not much. I can take care of the rest myself."

"I hope she shows up at your place on Saturday," I say, giving him a small smile.

"Has Stephanie contacted you yet?" he asks, changing the subject.

"Honestly, I haven’t checked. My phone’s been in my bag all day. If she has, I’ll call her as soon as I get home."

Alexander raises his glass to me. "Stephanie’s my best friend. I’ve known her forever. She has a good heart. If you don't threaten to make her life a living hell, you definitely have a chance." He's probably going to hold that against me forever.

"Thanks for the tip," I mumble, embarrassed, then leave his office. As I go, I see him finish his glass and circle around his desk.

Phew. What a day. What an incredible situation. I honestly thought he’d fire his housekeeper on the spot or call the police.But this man actually has a good core. I wonder what else I’ll discover about him.