Page 6 of Ben

“I didn’t move the money into my account, Ben. I might be spoiled and self-absorbed, but a thief I am not, and I don’t need the money.” She said haughtily.

“Well, from the number of times you checked on the account and the money now being in your account, it looks like you do.”

“Yes, I checked on the money, but that was it.” She moved to his bar and poured herself another drink.

“I will be fired over this.”

“Worse than fired Diamond.” He pointed out, making sure she knew how dire this was.

“Can you move it out and back into Hope’s account?” She sounded hopeful.

“Yes, but it will take some time. I tried, but whoever orchestrated this also attached a nice virus with it that if I try to move the money back, it will unravel, making it look like you were spending the money; you just bought an expensive purse. I suspect this is to make you look a lot more guilty than you already are.”

“Shit, what am I going to do now? I am sure the other account manager will check sometime today and see that there is nothing there.”

Diamond was good at concealing how she was feeling, her outer appearance giving nothing away about her distress except for the fact that she swallowed down some more of the liquid. From what he knew of her, Diamond was not a heavy drinker, but if she kept going, she would be drunk soon, and that was not what he wanted. He needed her sober for this next part.

“I will transfer money from my account into Hope’s account as a temporary fix. As long as no one looks too closely atthe transaction date, we should be fine until I can figure out how it was done and by who.”

“Just like that?”

“No, I will have to try and discretely access a large amount of money from my bank account, putting me and my family name in jeopardy if it gets out what is happening here.”

She nodded, putting down her drink.

She moved toward him, her brown eyes searching his face. “I am sorry, I got you mixed up in this. I don’t understand how this is happening; you are the only one that can help me now. Please.”

She stepped closer; he felt like a giant now standing next to her. Even in her high heels, Diamond was a 5'6 pocket Venus. Her body proportions were perfect.

He nodded.

She smiled. “I will owe you for this.”

“Glad you agree; we will be married by tomorrow night in front of the justice of the peace.”

For the first time he had known Diamond, he caught her by surprise. Her mouth flew open and closed like a fish until she collected herself.

Diamond’s gaze narrowed. “You can’t be serious. Wait. Who am I talking to... Of course you are serious. First Carter, then Michael, and now you.”

“I will—”

“Do you want to go to jail because that will happen with the evidence they have so far, and what about your parents and their hard-earned name and reputation, your sister Ambra, who just started a business with me?”

She stood there now gaping at him. He felt a little flushed with guilt but also excitement; he knew he was about to get what he wanted, what he always wanted.HER.

Diamond just stood there staring, and he began to feel a bit uncomfortable. “What?”

“That is the most I have heard you say in a long time. I finally get you to talk, and what comes out is a threat and an attempt to guilt me into marrying you.”

She waved her ring suddenly under his nose. “I am already engaged to be married to someone else.”

He went to her cell phone and picked it up, handing it to her.

She glanced down at it, not understanding.

“Break it off now.”

“You can’t be serious? I have known this man since we were teenagers, and he is soon going to be my husband. You can’t just think that I will follow through and dump him over the phone. Are you crazy?!” Diamond’s voice rose to a near shout, her eyes showing disbelief and shock now.

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