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“Exactly.”

“What are your plans once he’s in?” Callum asks.

“I want to put that family out of business once and for all. Until then, I’ll have to wait and hope Spencer can find exactly what they’re hiding.”

I’m back in the office before the sun is even up. I barely slept last night; my mind refused to shut down. I’ve gone over Spencer’s file again and again, convinced there has to be something I’ve missed.

There are payments going to several companies registered at the same address. Inflated consulting fees, unexplained overseas transfers, and money moving between the same small group of people. None of it proves they’re doing anything illegal, but when you put it all together, it’s hard to ignore. Something stinks.

My guess is we’ll find everything we need if Spencer can get into the encrypted system. There has to be a reason they went to the trouble of creating it. I can’t stand knowing there are companies going through what my father did, families losing everything to people like them; and I’m powerless to stop it.

When a soft knock sounds on my door, my eyes leave the folder in front of me and flick to the clock on the wall. It’s just after eight, too early for any of the staff to be here.

It’s not Callum. That fucker doesn’t know the meaning of boundaries and would just waltz right in, even if I’d told him not to. It isn’t Violet either. She called me last night to say she wouldn’t be in until ten because she was taking Mum to get an eye test.

I expected her to chew me out over everything she’d learned about Rose, but she didn’t. Instead, she admitted she was surprised. I’d never gone to this much effort to get close to a woman before, so Rose must mean something to me.

She’s right. She does.

What, exactly, I can’t say. I’m not even sure you could call us friends. The only warning I got before Violet ended the call was, “Don’t hurt her, Bronson. She’s sweet. I really like this one.”

My gaze moves to the door. “Come in,” I say.

I almost swallow my tongue when the door opens, and I see Rose enter my office, looking far too good for this early in the morning. Fucking hell. She’s wearing all white today, a form-fitting dress that hugs her delicious curves without being inappropriate for the office. It’s understated, but somehow that makes it even sexier. A short jacket sits neatly over her shoulders, and white strappy heels complete the look. She’s polished, elegant, and I have a sinking feeling this woman is going to be my downfall.

“Good morning,” she says.

I don’t bother standing to greet her, not because I’m being rude or ungentlemanly, but because I’m now sporting a semi.

My greedy eyes track her every move as she advances towards my desk. “Can I ask what brings you into the office so early?” Please say it’s because you’re eager to see me.

“I couldn’t sleep,” she admits.

I sit back in my chair and run a hand through my hair. “You too, huh? What kept you up?”

“That handsy swine.”

My smile widens at her choice of words. “Swine?” She shrugs, but I catch the hint of a grin tugging at her lips. My gaze drops to the A4-sized envelope in her hand. I hadn’t noticed it when she walked in. “What’s that?”

She glances at the envelope before meeting my eyes again. “Something I need to give you.”

A jolt of panic shoots through me. “That better not be your resignation, Rose,” I growl.

“It’s not,” she says. “But before you open it, I want you to know this is something I wouldn’t normally do.” She holds up a finger then adds, “Correction, it’s something I’ve never done before, other than this one time, obviously.”

My eyebrows pinch together. “I’m not following.”

She puffs out her cheeks, and I find myself smiling again. This woman is sweetness personified. “Maybe I should start from the beginning,” she says.

I sit forward in my chair and gesture for her to take the seat opposite me. “Please do.”

I wait until she’s seated before resting my elbows on the desk and steepling my fingers, giving her my full attention.

“When I was working for Sir Hands-a-Lot, I never did anything untoward. I came in, avoided him as much as humanly possible, did my job, and at the end of the day I went home.”

My jaw ticks when I think of that arsehole putting his hands on her, but I try not to let my anger show. “Okay.”

“Last week, he called me into his office and handed me a file. Long story short, his shredder was full, so he asked me to use the one at reception to shred the paperwork inside the file. He warned me not to read the contents and implored that Nosey Nelly go nowhere near them.”