Page 47 of Steal Me

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But when I look at Sylvain, and my husband nods as if he's read my mind.

C'est impossible.

How can all of itnotbe real?

And I only realize I've blurted the words out when my husband holds up a small USB drive between his fingers.

"AI ran the whole thing," Sylvain murmurs. "And so everything that happened between us...stays between us."

"But your friend..."

A faint grimace crosses my husband's features. "Calixte says I should've figured it out from the start. That I should've known better than to think he'd be inclined to spend millions of dollars just to knock some sense into my head...and make me realize I'm in love with you."

I can only smile. Whoever Calixte is, I think he and I are going to get along great. But then I remember someone else who's involved—or I thought was involved—and my smile fades. "Sylvain? What about—"

"Giancarlo Marchetti?"

I nod.

"He's not our enemy. He never was. And he authorized Calixte to use his image for the test."

"And my...brother?"

My husband's jaw clenches, and I just...know.

"He's gone," I whisper. "Isn't he?"

"Je suis desolé, Liana."

My heart aches at his confirmation. Even though I know next to nothing about Viktor Biancardi...he's still my brother. And I wish I could've met him, even just once.

"I'm sorry I never got to tell you about him," Sylvain says tautly. "I promised him years ago that I'd take care of you. But I chose to stay away. I didn't think—"

I throw my arms around him, and my husband stops speaking.

"You didn't do anything wrong," I whisper. "You came at exactly the right time." And someday soon, I pray I'll be able to tell Sylvain why that is.

But for now?

"I've just realized something," I say in a small voice.

Sylvain stiffens. "What is it?"

I inch up, my lips brushing his ear, and just as my husband jerks at the contact, I tell him one of the best things of all about this.

"I'm still a virgin,monsieur."

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