She took a step closer, the scent of her expensive lavender perfume mixing with the damp air.

“We had forty-eight hours to cover the commercial debt,” she said. “Or we lost everything.”

“So you took the money my father set aside for the pediatric research grants,” I said.

“It was a temporary loan,” she said, her voice hardening. “We intended to replace it before the annual audit.”

“You never intended to replace it,” I said. “You’ve been draining the foundation for three years.”

“We did what was necessary to protect our legacy,” Helen said. “You wouldn’t understand the burden of carrying a name like ours.”

“Your name is about to be printed in a federal indictment,” I said.

She stared at me, her blue eyes icy and unblinking.

“You won’t do that, Emma,” she said quietly. “If you destroy us, you destroy the foundation too.”

“The foundation will survive,” I said. “But the Caldwells won’t.”

“You think Marcus Reid can save you?” she asked. “Or Lorna? They are old relics.”

“They are honest people,” I said. “Which is something you’ve forgotten how to be.”