Investigators spent four months comparing Alma's records with bank subpoenas and contracts. I gave three interviews and turned over the settlement agreement, tax returns, and a backup drive I had kept in a kitchen drawer. It contained calendars, vendor emails, and invoice versions whose dates finally matched Alma's ledger.

Simon called me once from an unlisted number. He said Alma was unstable and warned that reopening family conflict would hurt our aunt, who still hosted both of us at holidays. I recorded nothing because the call came, but I wrote down his words immediately and sent them to Malik. I did not debate him. Ending the call felt more powerful than winning it.

Our aunt asked me to keep the matter private until facts were proven. I said privacy had already been used as an expense account. I would not discuss evidence casually, but I would not pretend the investigation did not exist. She stopped inviting me to Sunday dinner. Grief followed, yet so did relief. Belonging that required confusion was too expensive.

The financial unit eventually identified more than the hundred original invoices. Some vendors were real companies whose names had been altered by one letter. Others were accounts Simon controlled. The total loss crossed several businesses and included customer deposits meant for weddings that were canceled during a storm season.

Alma entered a cooperation agreement and faced consequences for her role. I was glad the process did not transform her into either villain or hero. She had been coerced, and she had also harmed people. Accountability could hold both.

When charges were filed, reporters called the arts office. My director let me choose whether to speak. I issued one written statement saying I trusted the legal process and hoped affected customers would receive restitution. I did not mention roses, family betrayal, or vindication. Those details belonged to my life, not a headline. The honest way forward was turning evidence over, answering questions accurately, and resisting the old urge to make the truth easier for everyone else to tolerate.