we reached the car, Daniel opened the passenger door.
I paused and looked back at the celebration.
Through the windows, I could still see Dad smiling proudly beside Vanessa.
He’d spent years preparing her to take over his company.
He trusted her judgment.
He praised her ambition.
And he assumed that because she was confident, she was capable.
Perhaps she was.
But confidence didn’t explain suspicious payments.
Ambition didn’t justify missing contracts.
And being Dad’s favorite didn’t excuse anyone from answering legitimate questions about company finances.
I lowered myself carefully into the passenger seat.
Daniel leaned down.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
I nodded.
“My shoulder needs attention. But there’s something else I have to deal with.”
“Martin?”
“Yes.”
He gently closed the door.
As we drove away, my phone rested in my lap.
I looked at the message one final time.
The discrepancies are more serious than we expected.
