“Is that Martin Collins?” the lawyer asked, his pen hovering over his legal pad.

“Yes,” I said. “And listen to what my mother says next.”

The recording continued, the sound of the winter wind howling against the window glass in the background.

*”He’s too stupid to check the books,”* Claire’s voice said with a cold laugh. *”He thinks he’s saving money for Sophie’s college fund.”*

*”I’ll make sure she gets a real education once we divorce him and take the rest of his assets.”*

*”She doesn’t need to know where the money came from anyway, she’s just as useless as her father.”*

I paused the recording, my fingers trembling slightly as I locked the screen.

The silence in the conference room was heavy, almost suffocating.

Ethan stared at the phone as if it were a weapon.

“That is a direct admission of financial fraud and embezzlement,” Ethan whispered.

“And it proves a deliberate conspiracy to drain the company,” Mr. Harrison added, a sharp smile finally appearing on his face.

“They explicitly admit to manipulating the accounts while disparaging Daniel’s ability to provide.”