Shit. I’m not getting anywhere.
Stretching under the desk, I run my hand over the bottom panel, and my fingers brush over another notebook.
Yes. What’s this? Finally, something a bit more enticing.
Before I pull it out, I move the chair back to examine exactly how it’s clipped under there so that I can put it back in the same way.
Then I sit cross legged on the floor, carefully remove it from the straps, and flip it open.
It’s not about Miron.
It’s coded, so technically it could be about anything, but I recognize this because my brother has a similar record. It’s the movement of money. Laundered money. I flip through the entire book and it’s all the same. A very detailed account of every transaction done over the past few months.
Dammit.
What I need must be on his laptop.
I wonder if he has the password written down somewhere. Maybe I need to go through the first notebook again and look more carefully for a single random word.
“Ulyana?”
His voice makes me jump and hit my head on the edge of his desk.Fuck! Oh no. This is so bad. How do I explain the fact that I’m sitting on the floor of his office looking at his personal notebook?
“Hi, I—thought you were out,” I stammer, my cheeks heating.
His eyes are dark as they lock on me. My throat goes tight and I swallow hard. Anxiety bubbles in my stomach.
His voice is low and dangerous when he speaks. “Yes, clearly you thought I was out. What are you doing in here?”
He steps around the desk and his eyes drift to the notebook in my hand. He doesn’t move to take it from me, but the tension in his jaw tells me he isn’t pleased.
I laugh nervously, lifting the notebook slightly. “Um, Nestor has one just like it.” I duck under the desk and put it back where I found it. Blood is draining from my head as adrenaline rushes through me.
When I’m done, I stand up and face him, trying to remain calm as though I wasn’t up to anything at all. As though this is all innocent.
“What were you looking for, Ulyana?” he asks.
I don’t want him to know I came here to investigate my step-brother. Even my brother doesn’t know I have my own plot against Miron and why that might be. It’s my secret to carry.
If it comes out that I’m interested it might causes issues between Benedikt and myself.
“Mm. Nothing. No, I was just curious about your office setup. I know how Nestor does things, but I wanted to know if yours was similar.”
I’m confident my explanation will work. Especially because I made sure to mention my brother’s name. Letting Benedikt know that I know the ropes, that Nestor shared things with me—that I can be trusted.
It’s plausible I’d want to know if he does things the same way. Just simple curiosity. Nothing more.
I’ve been tricking my brother ever since I was little. He was always so bossy. He made so many rules. I know he took on the role of keeping me out of trouble, but even when he caught me, I always managed to talk my way out of it. So, I know how to handle men. Benedikt will be no different.
I smile at him, giving him my most confident yet innocent look.
But his eyes haven’t changed. They are still dangerously set on me as he steps closer.
I try to back away, but my ass hits the desk, and now he’s pressed against me.
Pine. Fresh rain. That masculine scent that keeps teasing me.
His muscular body locks me in place, and his solid form pours heat into me. I can feel his breath against my lips when he huffs in annoyance. His eyes flare as he glares down at me.
