Chapter 14 - The Man Who Finally Told the Truth
Liam arrived at Rachel's office the next morning with his business attorney.
The executive named in the records was his chief financial officer, Peter Lawson. Peter had managed the company's relationship with Richard's investment group for years.
Liam insisted he had never authorized the transfers.
But he admitted that he had approved several broad financial delegations without reviewing the details.
Rachel looked at him sternly.
“Negligence and intentional fraud are not the same thing. The evidence will determine what happened. You need to stop guessing and provide every record you have.”
Liam handed over his files.
The investigation revealed that Peter had processed the suspicious transactions through the subsidiary Richard controlled. Messages showed Peter coordinating with an administrator at Richard's company. Other documents indicated that Vanessa had learned about the arrangement only after the transfers had begun.
The evidence against Richard grew stronger.
Then Peter agreed to cooperate.
He admitted that he had been instructed to create the appearance that the transactions were connected to a company registered under my name. He claimed Richard's representatives had supplied the forged authorization.
Investigators would need to verify his account, but the records supported several of his statements.
Liam sat across from me after the meeting.
“I know an apology doesn't fix this,” he said.
“No, it doesn't.”
“I betrayed you. I lied to you. I made you feel like an inconvenience in your own home.”
I looked at him for a long moment.
“Why did you tell her you hated me?”
He struggled to answer.
“Because I wanted to justify what I was doing. If I made you the problem, I didn't have to face what kind of man I was becoming.”
It was the first honest thing he had said in weeks.
“I can't promise I'll ever trust you again,” I told him.
“I understand.”
“And Hailey comes first. Every decision from now on.”
He nodded.
Before he left, he placed the unsigned divorce papers on the table.
“I won't ask you to stay.”
That evening, Rachel called with an update.
Investigators had obtained the original records from Richard's office.
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The altered birth certificate was only one part of the deception.
The same handwriting appeared on the forged financial authorization bearing my name.
