Travel claims.
Consulting invoices.
Wire transfers.
Then Vanessa’s business registration appeared.
Her face went white.
Daniel turned sharply toward her.
“You told me that company was closed.”
She snapped back without thinking.
“You told me nobody would ever check!”
Silence filled the room.
I leaned back.
“Thank you, Vanessa.”
She froze.
Daniel’s expression collapsed as he realized what she had just admitted.
I folded my hands.
“Northstar has suspended funding connected to your project while an independent fraud investigation is conducted.”
Daniel stared at me.
“The institute has already received copies of the relevant records.”
His chair scraped backward.
“You’ll destroy years of work.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“The valid research will continue.”
Then I let the next sentence land.
“You simply won’t be the person leading it.”
His hands began shaking.
“You’re doing this because I left you.”
“This has nothing to do with the affair.”
I pushed another file toward him.
“This is about fraud.”
Vanessa stood abruptly.
“I’m leaving.”
Daniel caught her wrist.
“You’re involved too!”
She pulled away.
“You promised nobody would investigate those invoices!”
One of the attorneys looked up.
“For both your sakes, I recommend you stop speaking immediately.”
Neither of them said another word.
And something inside me finally settled.
I wasn’t furious anymore.
