But hearing it confirmed was different.
NAOMI: "So Father didn't sign the authorization?"
RICHARD: "The expert's conclusion is that the signature is not authentic. The authorities will determine the legal consequences."
Naomi sat down.
For years, she had trusted her family to manage the estate. Now she had evidence that a document had been submitted in her father's name without his genuine signature.
The money, the property, the missing letters, and the disputed authorization were no longer separate concerns.
They were part of the same investigation.
Richard continued.
RICHARD: "We have also received additional company records from Montgomery Strategic Holdings."
NAOMI: "What do they show?"
RICHARD: "The transfers were used for several purposes, including outstanding business obligations and payments to related accounts. Some transactions were recorded as investments, but the supporting agreements were incomplete."
NAOMI: "Was any of the money repaid?"
RICHARD: "A portion was transferred back through related accounts. However, the total repayments do not cover the original amount."
NAOMI: "And the rest?"
RICHARD: "The examiner is tracing it."
The confirmed amount transferred from funds intended for Frank's care and the preservation of Harbor House exceeded two hundred thousand dollars.
Some of the money had gone toward expenses associated with Sebastian's company. Other payments had moved through intermediary accounts, making it difficult to identify their final destination.
The investigation also found that several payments Naomi had sent for her father's care had entered accounts that were not directly connected to his medical providers.
Naomi felt sick when she read the report.
She had not sent the money to gain recognition.
She had sent it because she believed her father needed help.
Every transfer represented a small sacrifice she had made while working long hours and serving far from home.
She had never imagined that the money might be used for something else.
The next stage concerned Harbor House.
Richard arranged a meeting with the property administrator and the independent financial examiner. They reviewed the original ownership documents, the attempted transfer, and the later valuation.
The findings were serious.
The property had been prepared for a transfer through an intermediary entity connected to the family business. The valuation used in the proposed transaction was significantly lower than the earlier independent assessment.
Several improvements and land features had been excluded without a convincing explanation.
More importantly, Frank's original instructions clearly stated that Harbor House was to be preserved.
He had never authorized an unrestricted transfer.
The legal review confirmed that the later changes had not satisfied the requirements of the original arrangement.
The proposed sale was suspended.
The protective structure was restored, and Harbor House was placed under independent administration until the outstanding issues could be resolved.
When Naomi received the confirmation, she did not feel victorious.
She felt relieved that her father's wishes had not been permanently erased.
A few days later, Eleanor requested a private meeting.
Naomi agreed, but she chose to meet at Harbor House rather than the Montgomery estate.
She arrived in the afternoon.
The sea was calm, and the wind moved gently through the trees surrounding the property. Eleanor was already waiting in the garden, wearing a pale coat and carrying a small handbag.
For a moment, neither woman spoke.
ELEANOR: "I suppose you have everything you wanted now."
NAOMI: "I wanted the truth."
ELEANOR: "You have made this family look terrible."
NAOMI: "The documents did that. I didn't create them."
Eleanor looked toward the house.
ELEANOR: "You don't understand how difficult things became after your father became ill. I had to manage the household, the doctors, the business, and everything else."
NAOMI: "I understand that it was difficult. But that doesn't explain why money was transferred without proper authorization."
ELEANOR: "Sebastian needed help. His company was facing serious problems. If the business had collapsed, the entire family could have lost everything."
NAOMI: "Then why didn't you tell Father the truth?"
Eleanor looked away.
ELEANOR: "He would have stopped everything."
NAOMI: "Perhaps he had a reason."
Eleanor's eyes filled with tears.
ELEANOR: "I was trying to protect what we had."
NAOMI: "You were protecting Sebastian."
ELEANOR: "He is your brother."
NAOMI: "And I was your daughter."
The words remained between them.
For the first time, Eleanor did not have an immediate response.
Naomi looked at the garden.
NAOMI: "You told me Father didn't want to speak to me. You told me he was disappointed that I left. You made me believe I had abandoned him."
ELEANOR: "I never wanted you to feel that way."
NAOMI: "But you allowed me to believe it."
Eleanor began to cry.
ELEANOR: "I made mistakes."
Naomi looked at her mother.