Part 3: The Audit Report
The first night in the hospital was the longest of my life.
Every sound startled me.
A cart rolling down the hallway.
A nurse opening the door.
The soft beep of the heart monitor.
Each noise made my heart race because my body still expected Ethan to walk into the room.
He never did.
A police officer remained outside my door throughout the night.
Hospital staff checked on me every hour.
For the first time in years, I slept without wondering if I would wake up to another argument.
The next morning, sunlight filtered through the blinds.
Dr. Liam Bennett walked in carrying two cups of coffee.
One for himself.
One cup of hot tea for me.
"Good morning, little sister."
His smile was tired.
He had probably been working all night.
I smiled back.
"I forgot what a quiet morning feels like."
"You'll have many more."
"I hope so."
After checking my injuries, Liam pulled a chair beside my bed.
"The orthopedic team reviewed your scans."
I held my breath.
"No surgery."
Relief flooded through me.
"You have several fractured ribs, a concussion, and extensive bruising."
"But you're expected to recover."
"Slowly."
I laughed softly.
"I'll take slowly."
A gentle knock interrupted us.
Daniel Foster entered carrying a thick envelope.
"I've brought something."
"The audit?"
He nodded.
"The independent firm finalized it before everything happened."
He placed the sealed envelope on the table.
"I haven't opened it."
"I wanted you to see it first."
My hands trembled as I broke the seal.
Inside was a professional report nearly two hundred pages long.
Financial statements.
Supporting schedules.
Corporate records.
The first page contained a simple summary.
Independent Financial Review
Prepared at the request of:
Claire Bennett
I stared at my own name.
For months I had wondered whether I would ever see this report.
Now it was finally in front of me.
Daniel sat quietly while I turned the pages.
"What did they find?"
I looked up.
"There are numerous transactions they recommend reviewing further."
He nodded.
"They didn't make accusations."
"No."
"They simply documented questions."
As a forensic accountant, I appreciated that.
Good investigators presented facts.
Not assumptions.
Liam looked between us.
"I don't understand half of these reports."
I smiled faintly.
"I used to write reports like this."
Daniel leaned forward.
"Then tell us."
"What stands out?"
I flipped to a highlighted section.
"There are payments between several related companies."
"Some documentation appears incomplete."
"Some transactions deserve additional explanation."
Daniel made notes.
"So the audit raises questions."
"Yes."
"But questions are not conclusions."
Another page caught my attention.
The auditors had requested supporting contracts for several consulting agreements.
According to the report...
Those documents had never been provided during the review.
I frowned.
"That's unusual."
Daniel looked over my shoulder.
"Why?"
"Normally companies maintain signed agreements."
"If records are missing..."
"There may be an innocent explanation."
"But auditors usually document that fact."
He nodded.
Around noon, two detectives returned.
They introduced themselves politely and explained that they wished to take my statement whenever I felt medically able.
Liam looked at me.
"You decide."
I took a slow breath.
"I'm ready."
The detectives switched on a digital recorder.
One detective spoke first.
"Claire, we're going to ask open-ended questions."
"If you don't remember something, it's perfectly fine to say so."
I appreciated the approach.
They weren't telling me what happened.
They wanted my own account.
For nearly an hour, I described the events leading to the assault.
The argument.
The audit request.
The threats.
The violence.
Whenever I couldn't remember exact details, I said so.
Whenever I was certain, I explained carefully.
The detectives listened without interrupting.
Occasionally they asked follow-up questions.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
When the interview ended, one detective thanked me.
"I know that wasn't easy."
"It wasn't."
"But it was necessary."
He nodded.
"We'll continue gathering evidence."
He made no promises.
No predictions.
Only that the investigation would continue.
After they left, I felt emotionally exhausted.
Liam helped adjust my pillows.
"You did well."
"I kept wondering if I forgot something."
"You told the truth."
"That's enough."
Later that afternoon, my phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
I almost ignored it.
Then a voicemail notification appeared.
The message had been left hours earlier.
A woman's voice spoke quietly.
"Claire..."
It was Olivia.
Our former executive assistant.
"If you ever decide to move forward with the audit..."
"...please call me."
"I think there are things you should know."
The message ended.
I looked at Daniel.
"She left the company six months ago."
He nodded thoughtfully.
"Do you trust her?"
"I don't know."
"But she always seemed uncomfortable around Ethan."
Daniel wrote her name in his notebook.
"We'll speak with her if she's willing."
That evening, Liam returned after finishing surgery consultations.
He stood by the window.
"I've been thinking."
"About what?"
"You spent years helping Ethan build Apex Development."
"Yes."
"And almost nobody knew."
I laughed quietly.
"I preferred staying behind the scenes."
Liam smiled.
"You always cared more about solving problems than receiving credit."
Maybe he was right.
Recognition had never mattered much to me.
Integrity had.
As sunset painted the hospital windows orange, Daniel received an email.
He opened it.
Then looked directly at me.
"The auditing firm just sent over an additional document."
"What is it?"
"They've located backup correspondence connected to the review."
He handed me his tablet.
At the top of the email chain was one sentence from the lead auditor.
Several requested financial records became unavailable shortly after the audit began.
I read the sentence twice.
Then a third time.
I slowly looked up at Daniel.
"They disappeared..."
He nodded.
"According to this email..."
"...the auditors noticed that too."
Outside my hospital room, the evening hallway remained quiet.
But inside...
May you like
It felt as though another small piece of the truth had just fallen into place.
End of Part 3
