"That's not true."
"He says you have the authority to protect the family."
"I have the authority to protect the trust. That's different."
Helen was quiet.
Then she said something Victoria had not expected.
"I think Richard is afraid."
Victoria looked toward the window.
"Why?"
"Because he knows what happened."
"Then he should tell the truth."
Helen took a breath.
"There's something I haven't told you."
Victoria felt her stomach tighten.
"What?"
Helen's voice became almost inaudible.
"Your father confronted me about the second account before he died."
Victoria sat upright.
"When?"
"About a week before he was hospitalized."
"What did he say?"
"He asked whether I had signed the documents Richard gave me."
Victoria remained silent.
Helen continued.
"I told him they were routine. He didn't believe me."
"What happened?"
"He became very upset. He said that the money belonged to the trust and that neither Richard nor I had the right to move it."
Victoria closed her eyes.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because Richard said your father was confused."
"Mom..."
"He told me that your father was taking medication and that the financial situation was more complicated than he understood."
Victoria felt anger rising.
"Did you believe him?"
Helen was silent.
Then she answered.
"I wanted to."
Victoria stared at the floor.
Helen continued.
"Your father asked me to call Daniel. He wanted the audit to continue. He said that if we didn't correct the situation, he would remove Richard from his position in the company."
Victoria felt a chill.
"Did he?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Richard begged him to wait."
Victoria remembered the letter.
Her father had wanted to give his son an opportunity to correct his mistakes.
He had hoped that Richard would choose honesty.
But apparently, he had not.
Helen's voice broke.
"Victoria, I should have helped him."
Victoria did not respond.
"I know I failed you."
For the first time, the apology sounded genuine.
But an apology could not undo a year of deception.
It could not restore the money.
It could not erase the documents.
And it could not change what had happened in the ballroom.
Victoria finally spoke.
"Mom, I need you to understand something."
Helen listened.
"I am not asking you to choose between your children. I am asking you to stop protecting one child by sacrificing the other."
Helen began crying again.
"I know."
"If you have information about the accounts, give it to Daniel. If Richard asks you to lie, don't do it."
"I won't."
"And if you want to apologize, do it because you understand what happened. Not because you're afraid of losing the money."
Helen whispered.
"I am sorry."
Victoria looked down.
She wanted to believe her.
But trust was not restored by one phone call.
"I need time, Mom."
"I understand."
They ended the call.
Victoria sat quietly for a long time.
She had imagined many conversations with her mother over the years.
She had imagined apologies.
She had imagined explanations.
But she had never imagined that the truth would involve so much money, so many documents, and so much betrayal.
***
Two weeks later, the investigation reached a turning point.
Edward Miller agreed to provide a statement.
He initially claimed that he had acted under instructions from Richard.
However, when investigators presented him with the original correspondence, he changed his position.
He admitted preparing several authorization documents.
He also acknowledged that he had communicated with Martin Blake about the second account.
But he denied knowing that Victoria's signature had been forged.
Daniel called Victoria with the update.
"His statement is important."
"Does he have evidence?"
"Yes. He has emails and internal messages."
"Can they prove who gave the instructions?"
"Some of them point directly to Richard."
Victoria looked at the report.
"What about Martin Blake?"
"That's where things become more complicated."
Daniel explained that Martin had established Northbridge Holdings through an intermediary.
He had also communicated with Richard shortly before the major transfers.
But several messages had been deleted.
The investigators were working to recover them.
Victoria asked whether the money could be recovered.
"Some of it, potentially. But it will take time."
She nodded.
"I understand."
Daniel continued.
"There's also the matter of the waterfront property."
Victoria looked up.
"What about it?"
"The transfer was not properly authorized. We have grounds to challenge it."
"Can it be returned to the trust?"
"That is the objective."
Victoria felt a small sense of relief.
Her father had loved that house.
It was where he had spent holidays with the family.
It was where Victoria had learned to swim.
It was where Richard had once promised that they would always look after each other.
She wanted it restored.
Not because of its market value.
But because it represented something her father had worked hard to preserve.
***
The following month, Victoria received an invitation to attend a special meeting of the Naval Veterans Association.
The organization wanted to acknowledge her service and thank her for attending the gala despite the difficult circumstances.