At the mention of Harbor House, Isabella's attention sharpened.
Harbor House was an old property near the coast. It had belonged to the Montgomery family for generations, but it was different from the large estate where Isabella had grown up. It was smaller, quieter, and surrounded by a garden that her father had personally maintained.
When she was a child, she had spent many summers there.
Her father used to take her to the shoreline early in the morning. They would walk along the water before the rest of the household woke up. He taught her how to recognize the direction of the wind and how to read the changing weather.
He had once told her that Harbor House was the only place where he could hear himself think.
After his health began to deteriorate, he had spent more time there.
ISABELLA: "I thought Harbor House had been sold."
Richard shook his head.
RICHARD: "That is what the public records were made to suggest."
Isabella looked up sharply.
ISABELLA: "Made to suggest?"
RICHARD: "The ownership structure was changed on paper. The property was transferred through an entity that was supposed to preserve it for your father's care and future family arrangements. But the transfer was never intended to give anyone unrestricted control over it."
Victoria stepped closer.
VICTORIA: "That property was expensive to maintain. Frank agreed that changes were necessary."
RICHARD: "He agreed to necessary maintenance. He did not authorize its sale or the use of its value to support private business interests."
Alexander's jaw tightened.
ALEXANDER: "You're making accusations without explaining anything."
RICHARD: "I am presenting records. The explanations will come from the people whose names appear in them."
He turned a page and placed it in front of Isabella.
The document contained a summary of transactions made over several months. The amounts were substantial. Some had been described as maintenance payments. Others were listed as consulting fees, temporary loans, or property-related expenses.
Isabella scanned the entries.
The dates stretched across a period when her father had been receiving medical treatment. Several transfers had occurred during weeks when he was too ill to attend meetings or manage ordinary correspondence.
ISABELLA: "Who approved these?"
Richard pointed to the authorization column.
RICHARD: "Several were processed using instructions associated with the family business. Others were linked to a signature that was presented as your father's."
Victoria's face hardened.
VICTORIA: "He signed documents every week. You cannot possibly remember every instruction."
RICHARD: "I do not need to remember them. That is why the records exist."
He placed another page beside the first.
RICHARD: "The problem is that some of the instructions were submitted after Frank's medical condition had significantly deteriorated. We have records showing that he was receiving treatment at the time certain documents were supposedly signed."
Isabella felt a cold sensation move through her chest.
ISABELLA: "Are you saying someone signed for him?"
RICHARD: "I am saying the signatures require independent examination."
Alexander looked toward his mother.
It was a quick movement, almost invisible, but Isabella noticed it.
She had spent years learning to observe people. In the Navy, a small change in someone's expression could reveal more than a long explanation. A pause, a glance, a shift in posture—each could be important.
And Alexander had just looked at Victoria as though he wanted her to answer a question neither of them had spoken aloud.
ALEXANDER: "This is absurd. Dad trusted us. He would never have wanted strangers examining his personal affairs."
RICHARD: "He trusted the law enough to put his instructions in writing."
ALEXANDER: "You were his lawyer. You were supposed to protect the family."
RICHARD: "I was supposed to protect Frank's interests and carry out his lawful instructions. That responsibility did not end when he died."
The Master Chief remained a few steps away, watching the exchange. The security officers had not yet removed Alexander from the ballroom because Richard had asked them to wait until the immediate situation was under control.
Isabella glanced toward the guests. Some were still standing. Others had quietly moved away from the tables, giving the family space while remaining close enough to hear.
She did not want her father's private affairs turned into entertainment.
ISABELLA: "Richard, can we discuss this somewhere private?"
RICHARD: "Of course. But I need you to understand something first. Your father left instructions that required the matter to be disclosed if the protected fund was placed at risk. That condition has now been met."
Victoria's voice became sharper.
VICTORIA: "You have no idea what it was like managing everything after Frank became ill. I was the one who stayed with him. I was the one who dealt with the doctors, the household, and the endless expenses. You were away."
The words struck a sensitive place in Isabella.