“Those assets do not exist, Mrs. Voss,” the agent said.

“The properties in Chicago and Miami were leveraged three times over.”

“The banks have already initiated foreclosure proceedings.”

The room went entirely silent, except for the hum of the air conditioning.

I watched Harrison’s face.

He looked at his mother, his brow furrowed in genuine confusion.

“What is she talking about, Mother?” Harrison asked.

“The Miami property is the core of our portfolio.”

“We just refinanced it last month.”

Patricia didn’t look at him.

Her eyes were fixed on the federal agent.

“There has been a mistake,” Patricia said, her voice dropping an octave.

“My husband established those trusts forty years ago.”

“They are untouchable.”

“Your husband’s trusts have been empty since 2018,” the lead agent said.

“You have been using incoming investor capital from the new development funds to pay the interest on your personal lines of credit.”

“It is a classic Ponzi structure, Mrs. Voss.”

“And it is completely insolvent.”

The word seemed to hang in the damp air of the boardroom.

*Insolvent.*