Chapter 23 - When the Company Turned on Itself
After the ruling, Meridian’s executives began protecting themselves.
The chief financial officer surrendered internal accounting records.
Two regional directors admitted that Helena personally approved fraudulent acquisitions.
An attorney provided copies of instructions ordering employees to destroy historic surveys.
Mason requested a meeting with Nora.
Priya attended.
He looked older than he had a month earlier.
“I’m cooperating with investigators,” he said.
“That doesn’t erase what you did.”
“I know.”
“Why did you help them?”
Mason stared through the conference-room window.
“Ethan was always the responsible one. Our parents trusted him. People respected him. When Helena offered me a position, money, and influence, I wanted something he didn’t have.”
“You wanted his home too.”
“I thought the farm belonged to our family.”
“It belonged to Lily.”
“I told myself she was a baby. I told myself you would waste it.”
“You tried to declare me incapable of caring for my own daughter.”
Mason closed his eyes.
“I became the kind of person who could justify anything.”
He offered to testify against Helena in exchange for a reduced sentence.
Nora did not forgive him.
She also did not oppose the agreement.
Forgiveness and accountability were not the same thing.
Before leaving, Mason placed Ethan’s watch on the table.
“I took it after the funeral,” he admitted. “I wanted something that was his.”
Nora picked it up.
“You didn’t want something that belonged to Ethan. You wanted the life he built.”
Mason had no answer.
May you like
Nora returned home and placed the watch beside Lily’s music box.
For the first time, every piece Ethan had left behind was back where it belonged.
