The humiliation enraged him. He called Eleanor from the parking garage. She did not answer. He texted that she was choosing strangers over family.
Eleanor read the message twice and then handed her phone to Margaret, who was sitting across the breakfast table. Margaret read it and snorted. “Strangers?” “That appears to be the charge.”
“Martin held Dad’s hand at Richard’s funeral.” “I know.” Margaret set the phone down. “You’re still going to blame yourself.”
Eleanor poured more coffee. “For which part?” “For raising a man who thinks consequences are betrayal.” Eleanor looked toward the window.
“That is not entirely unfair.” Margaret leaned back. “Then be specific. You gave him second chances.”
“You gave him work. You gave him access. You also told him no on Mercer House. He heard maybe because he wanted maybe.”
Eleanor appreciated her sister most when Margaret refused comfort that required lying. The audit took twelve days. It found no evidence that Harrison had stolen money for personal spending. It found something more complicated and therefore more painful.
He had approved four invoices from Sloan’s company totaling $48,600 under a budget category broad enough to avoid immediate scrutiny. Some deliverables existed: demographic research, brand mood boards, site-activation concepts, and a launch strategy deck. The work was real. Its relationship to the Ashford apartment renovation was not.