The distance between us felt like a chasm that could never be crossed.

“Why are you here, Vanessa?” I asked.

My voice was flat, devoid of the anger I had carried for so long.

“The board wants you to take over,” she pleaded, wiping her nose with the back of her hand.

“They called an emergency meeting just thirty minutes ago.”

“They want you as the interim director to save the foundation’s reputation.”

“If you take the position, you can clean up the files before the investigators see them.”

I stared at her, amazed by the sheer depth of her desperation.

Even now, facing the collapse of her entire world, she only cared about preserving the lie.

“You want me to commit federal fraud to save Ethan?” I asked.

“To save all of us!” she cried, her voice rising to a high, panicked pitch.

“Dad is gone, Claire.”

“He packed a small bag and left the hotel before the reception even ended.”

“If the feds go through those books without someone fixing them, Ethan and Dad are going to prison.”