Chapter 11 - THE MONEY TRAIL
Daniel brought in an outside forensic accounting firm.
Irene worked with them from home while recovering.
Within seventy-two hours, the six million became eight.
Then ten.
Then fourteen.
The scheme stretched back almost four years.
Margaret had used legitimate family entities to disguise illegitimate transfers.
Some payments were labeled consulting fees.
Others were reimbursements.
Some moved through charities before landing in private companies.
Robert benefited.
Evelyn benefited.
Thomas benefited.
Carla received smaller payments without apparently understanding their source.
The deeper we looked, the worse it became.
One transaction led to a property in Sedona.
Another led to an investment account in Nevada.
A third funded a company registered under the name of one of Robert’s former employees.
Detective Ramirez and federal investigators began coordinating.
The case was no longer limited to what happened in my bedroom.
My mother’s defense team responded aggressively.
They claimed Irene had manipulated financial records.
They accused her of targeting the Wentworth family fortune.
Then a gossip site published a story.
PREGNANT WIFE AT CENTER OF BILLION-DOLLAR FAMILY WAR.
I nearly threw my phone across the room.
Irene stopped me.
“Don’t react.”
“They’re calling you a gold digger.”
“I have been called worse by your mother.”
“That doesn’t make it acceptable.”
“No.”
She met my eyes.
“But anger is what Margaret expects from you.”
I understood.
She wanted me emotional.
Impulsive.
Unstable.
Exactly like the forged medical letter described.
So I did the opposite.
Wentworth Holdings issued one statement.
An independent investigation is underway.
No further comment.
Then I went to work.
The board unanimously suspended Thomas, Gerald, and Martin pending investigation.
Thomas resigned the next morning.
Gerald hired a criminal attorney.
Martin requested immunity before anyone had even accused him publicly.
That was useful.
Very useful.
Martin told investigators that Margaret had approached him five months earlier.
She claimed I was neglecting the company because of Irene.
She promised stability.
Then she promised money.
He insisted he never knew forged medical records would be used.
He admitted attending two private meetings at Robert’s home.
Evelyn was there.
So was Thomas.
And Margaret.
“What was discussed?”
Ramirez asked him.
Martin’s recorded answer reached me later.
“Removing Austin.”
“How?”
“Legally.”
“Was it legal?”
Martin stared at the table.
“No.”
The final question mattered most.
“Why was Irene Wentworth considered a problem?”
Martin hesitated.
Then answered.
“Because she had found the accounts.”
The investigators finally had a witness from inside the conspiracy.
But Margaret still believed nobody could touch her.
Then the forensic team discovered a deleted folder from Evelyn’s cloud backup.
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Its title was simple.
PHASE TWO.
