ISABELLA: "Who submitted it?"
RICHARD: "The record lists the administrator acting on behalf of the estate. The accompanying correspondence came through an address associated with the family business."
ISABELLA: "Alexander's company?"
RICHARD: "Yes."
Isabella slowly closed the folder.
She was no longer simply trying to understand a disagreement between her mother and brother. She was looking at a series of decisions that might have affected her father's care, the future of Harbor House, and the money he had carefully protected.
She thought about the slap in the ballroom.
Alexander had struck her because he believed she had no power in the family.
But the more she learned, the more she suspected that her presence threatened something far more important than his pride.
ISABELLA: "Why did Father leave the documents with you instead of keeping them at home?"
RICHARD: "Because he was worried they might disappear."
ISABELLA: "Did he say that?"
Richard opened a small notebook.
RICHARD: "He wrote it in a private instruction. He asked me to keep the originals outside the estate and to release them only if the protected arrangement was challenged or if he was no longer able to supervise it."
Isabella stared at him.
ISABELLA: "He knew this could happen."
RICHARD: "He was preparing for the possibility."
A long silence followed.
Outside the room, the orchestra had resumed playing. The gala continued, but the celebration sounded distant now.
Richard checked the time.
RICHARD: "We should stop here for tonight. You have been through enough."
Isabella shook her head.
ISABELLA: "I don't want to stop."
RICHARD: "I understand. But some of these records need to be reviewed in their original form. I also need to confirm that the copies you have seen match the documents held in secure storage."
ISABELLA: "When can we continue?"
RICHARD: "Tomorrow morning. I will arrange a meeting with the independent administrator and the financial examiner."
Isabella nodded slowly.
She looked at her father's letter one more time before placing it inside her handbag.
Then she turned toward the closed folder.
ISABELLA: "Richard, there's something I still don't understand."
RICHARD: "What is it?"
ISABELLA: "If Father was worried about the money, why didn't he remove Mother and Alexander from the arrangement completely?"
Richard considered the question.
RICHARD: "Because he still loved them. He wanted to protect the family without destroying it. He believed that clear rules would be enough to prevent anyone from crossing certain boundaries."
ISABELLA: "And if he was wrong?"
Richard's expression became serious.
RICHARD: "Then we have to establish what happened and who was responsible."
Isabella stood.
For the first time that evening, she felt the full weight of what lay ahead. The slap had been painful, but it was a simple act compared with the complicated truth waiting inside the documents.
She had spent years building a life based on discipline and honesty. Now she was being asked to examine the possibility that the people closest to her had used her father's illness, his trust, and her absence to conceal financial decisions.
She did not know whether she could forgive them.
She did not even know whether she wanted to.
But she knew one thing.
She would not allow anyone to rewrite her father's final wishes.
The following morning, Richard arrived at the appointed office before Isabella. The building was quiet, and the conference room had already been prepared. Several boxes of archived documents stood beside the table.
Isabella entered wearing a simple dark coat over her uniform. Her hair was tied back neatly, and the small mark on her cheek had begun to fade. The bruise remained visible, but she did not attempt to hide it.
Richard stood to greet her.
RICHARD: "Good morning, Admiral."
ISABELLA: "Good morning. Have you received the additional records?"
RICHARD: "Yes. The administrator sent the original account statements and the property correspondence last night."
He gestured toward the boxes.
RICHARD: "We also have an appointment with the independent financial examiner at ten."
Isabella placed her handbag on a chair.
ISABELLA: "Let's begin."
Richard opened the first box.
Inside were folders arranged by date. Each had a label indicating the account or property to which it related.
The first folder contained the original documents establishing the protected fund. The second contained medical and care expenses. The third contained the records of transfers to Montgomery Strategic Holdings.
Richard placed the folders in chronological order.
RICHARD: "We will start with the original arrangement and compare every subsequent change against it."
Isabella opened the first document.
She read the conditions carefully, paying attention to the restrictions and approval requirements.
The language was formal, but the purpose was clear. Her father had wanted to preserve certain assets, prevent unauthorized transfers, and ensure that his care would never depend on the financial success of Alexander's business.
The document also included a provision requiring that significant changes be communicated to named family members.
Isabella found her own name.
She looked at Richard.
ISABELLA: "I was supposed to be notified."