Her good eye widened, panic fully setting in. “Connected? Connected to what?”
He took a deep breath, his voice low and measured as if afraid his words might shatter her. “There were… issues with bankruptcy. Some financial irregularities with the company. And the police believe you might have been involved.”
Esmeralda’s mind spun as she processed his words. “Bankruptcy? Irregularities?” Her voice broke as she tried to piece together what he was saying.
Diego’s voice was tense, his words deliberate, as though carefully choosing how to soften the blow. “Esmeralda, the perfume line, it’s more complicated than I initially let on. There were financial issues. Some irregularities. And… fraud.”
Esmeralda’s good eye widened, disbelief flooding her face. “Fraud?” she hissed. “How am I tied to f
