His family severed its business relationships with Richard.
Their considerable influence accelerated the financial collapse my father was already experiencing.
The life Vanessa had imagined with Nathan ended almost as soon as it began.
As for me, the Halden investigation transformed Clearwater Forensics.
Our work attracted significant attention throughout the financial industry.
Clients who needed discreet, technically rigorous investigations began contacting us from across the Midwest.
Our reputation grew rapidly.
Eighteen months after the wedding, I moved the firm into a spacious, sunlit office occupying an entire floor of a premium downtown high-rise.
The new space was a world away from the windowless room where I had started.
I hired three additional senior analysts.
I increased my team’s salaries by twenty percent.
And I received an invitation to speak at my alma mater about the importance of professional ethics in forensic accounting.
That invitation meant more to me than any expensive gift could have.
