Chapter 18 - the money corinne left behind
The criminal case against Corinne continued.
But another investigation had started quietly inside the family finances.
Marcus, our forensic accountant, called me one afternoon.
"You should come see this."
I went to his office.
He had several folders spread across the table.
"The foundation money wasn't all stolen."
I frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"Some of it was."
He pointed to one set of documents.
"Some was moved through shell accounts."
"And the rest?"
"Moved back."
"Where?"
He showed me the destination.
My stomach tightened.
It was an account associated with the estate.
"Why would Corinne move stolen money back into the estate?"
"She didn't."
I looked at him.
"Then who did?"
Marcus shook his head.
"We don't know."
For the first time since Corinne's arrest, I felt the old uneasiness return.
Not because I believed she had another secret.
Because I realized the financial investigation might have uncovered something that even Corinne hadn't controlled.
"How much?"
Marcus gave me the number.
It wasn't enough to change our lives.
But it was enough to matter.
Especially because the money belonged to the therapy foundation.
I called Daniel.
He arrived that evening.
After reviewing the records, he said:
"Don't touch it."
"Why?"
"Because if this money came from the foundation, you need to establish exactly where it came from before you return it."
I nodded.
For three years, I had trusted the wrong people because I wanted simple answers.
I wasn't doing that again.
"We trace every dollar."
Daniel nodded.
"That's the right approach."
I looked at the files.
Corinne had tried to control our family through money.
Now the money itself was forcing us to confront what she had done.
May you like
And I had a feeling the final accounting was going to tell us something important.
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