Isabella opened it.
The first few pages were ordinary administrative letters. The next contained a copy of an email exchange. She scanned the dates, the names, and the brief messages.
Then she reached a page that made her stop.
It was a request to change the access arrangements for Harbor House.
The request had been made in the name of her father.
But the contact information listed on the document belonged to Alexander's company.
ISABELLA: "Why was his company involved in the property?"
RICHARD: "That is one of the central questions."
ISABELLA: "Was Alexander managing Harbor House?"
RICHARD: "Not under the original arrangement."
Isabella continued reading.
There were references to maintenance costs, property valuations, a potential sale, and a proposed transfer of ownership. The correspondence suggested that Harbor House had been treated as an asset available for commercial use, even though Frank had specifically instructed that it be preserved.
ISABELLA: "Did they try to sell it?"
RICHARD: "There was an attempt to prepare it for transfer. Whether a legally valid sale took place is still being investigated."
Isabella looked at the next page.
A handwritten note appeared at the bottom.
It was short, but the words were unmistakable.
"Do not send the revised copy to Isabella."
She stared at the sentence.
The handwriting was not her father's.
It was not Richard's either.
ISABELLA: "Who wrote this?"
Richard examined the page.
RICHARD: "I have seen this handwriting before, but I need to compare it with the original correspondence before identifying the writer."
ISABELLA: "Was I supposed to receive the revised copy?"
RICHARD: "According to Frank's original instructions, you were entitled to receive notice of significant changes affecting the protected arrangement."
Isabella leaned back.
The room felt smaller.
She had spent years believing that she was the one who had walked away from her family. Yet the documents suggested that someone had been making decisions behind her back and deliberately keeping her from learning about them.
She looked at Richard.
ISABELLA: "I want to know everything. Even if it makes things worse."
Richard nodded.
RICHARD: "Then we need to go through the timeline carefully. There are three important periods: the establishment of the protected fund, the months before Frank's death, and the transactions that occurred afterward."
ISABELLA: "Start from the beginning."
Richard placed a fresh sheet of paper on the table.
RICHARD: "The first document was signed more than five years ago. It was created after Frank became concerned about the way the family's business assets were being managed."
Isabella listened closely.
RICHARD: "At that time, Alexander had already begun requesting money for several investment projects. Frank supported some of those projects, but he did not want the family's long-term assets exposed to unnecessary risk."
ISABELLA: "Was Alexander already in charge of the company?"
RICHARD: "He was managing several operations, but he did not have complete authority over the estate."
RICHARD: "Your father believed that Alexander was ambitious, but he was concerned about his financial judgment. There had been projects that required additional funding after failing to meet their expected returns."
Isabella remembered Alexander's confidence. He had always spoken as though every new business idea was guaranteed to succeed.
RICHARD: "Frank wanted to separate the family's protected assets from the money used for commercial investment. That is why he created the structure around Harbor House and the care fund."
ISABELLA: "And Mother?"
RICHARD: "Victoria was informed of the arrangement. She was also given certain responsibilities, but not the authority to change the structure on her own."
ISABELLA: "Did she agree?"
RICHARD: "Initially, yes."
Isabella looked down at the documents.
ISABELLA: "So what changed?"
Richard took a moment before answering.
RICHARD: "According to the records, the first major disagreement occurred when Alexander's company began experiencing financial difficulties."
ISABELLA: "How serious were they?"
RICHARD: "More serious than the family publicly acknowledged."
Richard placed a financial summary on the table.
RICHARD: "There were outstanding obligations, delayed payments, and several projects that had not generated the expected income. The company needed additional capital."
ISABELLA: "And they used Father's money."
RICHARD: "That is what the transaction records appear to show."
ISABELLA: "Did Father know?"
RICHARD: "He questioned the transfers. He requested supporting documents. He also asked why the company had not repaid an earlier advance."
Isabella studied the dates.
RICHARD: "After that, the communication between Frank and Alexander became increasingly strained."
ISABELLA: "Did they argue?"
RICHARD: "There are written exchanges indicating that they disagreed about the use of the money. Frank wanted the funds returned. Alexander argued that the business needed more time."
Isabella looked at the next page.
RICHARD: "Then, several weeks later, the disputed authorization appeared."
ISABELLA: "The signature."
RICHARD: "Yes."
Richard placed a copy of the document beside a sample of Frank's earlier signature.
The two looked similar at first glance, but there were differences in the shape of the letters and the pressure of the pen.
ISABELLA: "That doesn't look right."
RICHARD: "An expert will determine whether it is authentic. We should not reach a conclusion based only on appearance."