Carmen barely had time to react before a stack of papers hit her chest, scattering across the floor.
Marco stood in front of her, his face twisted with pure rage, his chest rising and falling sharply.
His hands were clenched into fists, his whole body coiled tight like a predator ready to strike.
“What the hell is this?” Marco’s voice was low, sharp, deadly.
Carmen’s heart pounded violently, her mind spinning.
She looked down at the papers, her breath hitching as she recognized her own face in the photographs.
Pictures of her sitting across from unfamiliar men.
Emails with her name attached to bank transfers she didn’t recognize.
Detailed messages about Marco’s business, shipment routes, and finances—
All tied to her.
Carmen’s stomach twisted painfully.
“What…?” she whispered, her voice barely coming out.
She stared at Marco, confused, terrified.
“I don’t understand—”
Marco let out a harsh, bitter laugh, running a hand through his hair before turning back to her, eyes blazing with fury.
“You don’t understand?” he mocked. “You don’t understand?!”
Carmen flinched at the rage in his voice.
“Marco, I swear, I don’t know what this is,” she said quickly, shaking her head. “I didn’t do this!”
Marco’s jaw clenched so tightly it looked like he might break his own teeth.
“Then tell me why the hell your name is all over these transactions?” he snapped, his voice cold and venomous. “Why the hell are there pictures of you with the people trying to ruin me?”
Carmen’s throat closed.
She bent down, frantically grabbing the papers, flipping through them.
The emails—
The transfers—
The photographs—
It was her.
But it wasn’t.
“Marco,” she whispered desperately, looking up at him. “I didn’t do this! Someone is setting me up!”
Marco’s lips curled in disgust.
“Oh, that’s rich,” he scoffed. “You expect me to believe that? That all of this—” he gestured wildly to the damning evidence, “is fake?!”
Carmen’s heart pounded against her ribs.
It didn’t make sense. It wasn’t her. But she couldn’t prove it. And Marco—
Marco already believed she was guilty.
“You have been going behind my back,” he hissed, his voice dangerously low.
“No!” Carmen cried. “Marco, please, you know me—”
“I thought I did,” he cut her off, his eyes burning with betrayal.
Carmen felt like the ground was crumbling beneath her.
“I would never betray you!” she pleaded, stepping closer. “Marco, I swear on Matteo’s life—”
Marco’s face twisted with fury.
“Don’t,” he growled, his voice shaking with anger. “Do not bring our son into this.”
Carmen’s chest ached so badly she could barely breathe.
“But it’s the truth!” she insisted, tears burning behind her eyes. “I don’t know how this happened, but I would never do this to you!”
Marco just stared at her, his jaw locked, his hands trembling with rage.
Then—his voice dropped to something even colder.
“Is that why you wanted the nanny gone?”