Inside the boardroom, Rebecca presented the employee complaints while independent auditors examined Richard’s division. An email appeared to instruct finance employees to conceal losses from corporate leadership. Richard denied remembering it. I refused to assume guilt without evidence, but the allegations demanded a thorough investigation.

The board voted to place Richard on paid administrative leave and restrict his access to company records. Before leaving, he warned that I didn’t understand everything happening inside my corporation. Then our chief financial officer revealed something extraordinary: approximately $8.4 million in suspicious transactions had been recorded under Project Heritage, a name connected to my late husband’s charitable plans. Several transfers carried electronic approvals linked to my credentials, although I had authorized none. One payment had occurred while I was visiting Thomas’s grave. Someone had apparently used my identity, and the investigation had suddenly become deeply personal.