Page 66 of Sweet Twins For My Brother's Best Friend

And she’s been here for years, working her way up. How long has she operated under the radar, a trustworthy face with backstabbing behaviors?

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what comes next.

I text Hannah where I am and that I have her soup. Then, I turn over my phone, sit, and wait.

Once Sarah gets back, my feet are asleep, and I shake them under the table as she opens the door.

“Oh,” she says, letting out a little gasp of surprise. “Hey, Chris. I didn’t expect you to still be here.”

I force a smile, trying to keep my emotions in check. "I said I wanted to talk.”

“I guess you did,” she mumbles from the doorway, her hand poised on the doorknob as though she might run at any point.

“So. Can I talk to you?”

Her smile falters slightly, but she nods and closes the door behind her.

"What's up?" she asks, taking a seat across from me.

I take a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts. "Sarah, you know I hired a CPA to expand the gym, right?”

“Sure, of course. I think that’s a good call. You’ve got a lot of business here. It just makes sense.”

Her words and tone are both cool, her body language relaxed even as she lies to my face. The only perceptible change in heris her compulsory hair twirling. Her silken jet-black hair spins round and round her index finger, sliding over and under it.

I inhale and consider my options. With Sarah in front of me, I don’t feel as angry as I did earlier, only sad.

“Sarah.” I sit up straighter. “Are you happy here?”

Her eyebrows fold toward each other. “Yes…why?”

“You’re sure I didn’t do something to you? Offend you in some way? You can tell me.”

She smiles, her fuchsia lipstick opening to reveal her straight white teeth.

“I’m sure. Chris.” She chuckles lightly, “I would leave if I wasn’t happy. Why? Are you okay?”

She crosses one leg over the other and leans back against her chair. She notices herself twirling her hair and stops, flipping it behind her back. She folds her hands into her lap, holding one down with the other.

I look at my fingers, inspecting my nails, and then meet her eyes, a sharp grey that lingers for just a moment before she breaks eye contact.

“The CPA noticed some discrepancies.”

Her brow furrows in confusion. "Discrepancies? What do you mean?"

I turn the monitor to her and point at a line. "I mean transactions that don't add up, expenses that don't match our actual business activity or are grossly inflated.”

“Oh.”

“And I have reason to believe that you're responsible."

Sarah's eyes widen in shock, and her mouth falls open. "What? No.”

I drum my fingers on the desk. "Sarah.”

I find her eyes again and sigh. “The facts don’t lie. And…there’s only you. You've been stealing from the business. From me."

Her expression shifts from shock to panic, and she opens her mouth to protest, but I cut her off as the anger switches to indignation.

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