Henry came with us. There was no reason for him not to, and while we waited for news about the transfer, we settled into a small waiting area, close enough to hear if we were called.
Ethan sat beside me, Charlotte on his left and the rest close.
“There’s something I need to tell you,” I said, looking at both of them.
Charlotte was worrying her lip, but she nodded right away. Ethan’s brows furrowed.
I kept my eyes on him. “About your dad.”
He stilled. Charlotte’s fingers went around his hand immediately.
“What about him?” Ethan asked.
“Do you remember when I asked if I could look into him?”
Worry crept into the edges of his expression.
“Well… I did.”
The muscle in his jaw ticked, his posture going very still. Charlotte had already told him his dad was in the city. At least I didn’t have to be the one to drop that part on him.
“I wasn’t sure if I should bring it up, especially with everything going on,” I continued. “But with him in town… you need to know.”
Oliver nodded once in agreement.
“Go on,” Ethan said quietly.
“He’s not just bad with money.” I held his gaze. “He’s been running investment scams—taking people’s savings, promising big returns, shuffling funds around to make it look legitimate. And he hasn’t exactly been honest with the IRS, either. They’re starting to take notice.”
Charlotte’s breath left her in a soft, broken sound.
Ethan didn’t react right away. “He’s being investigated?” His voice was nearly emotionless.
“Yes,” I said. “And it’s serious. Financial penalties and possible criminal charges. Maybe not prison, but it won’t just disappear this time.”
“And my trust?” He swallowed. “Was that?—?”
“It was part of it. He probably used it to cover losses. Hid it. Claimed things he shouldn’t have. Because it was a joint account, it wasn’t technically theft. But it still became part of the mess.”
Ethan let out a quiet breath. “So I was useful.” A hollow edge crept in. “Convenient.”
“Hey,” Charlotte whispered, squeezing his hand. “No.”
He stared straight ahead, like he was watching the truth assemble itself piece by piece.
“Darling, none of this is on you.” I leaned in slightly. “He took advantage of you. That doesn’t make you culpable. It makes you exploited.”
His jaw clenched hard.
“And now you have a choice,” I said carefully. “If you want, you can come forward. Talk to investigators. Your timeline, emails, bank records—it would help establish a pattern. It won’t give you your money back. But it could hold him accountable. Legally.” My gaze went to all of them. “Publicly.”
The room went quiet. Very quiet.
Then the reactions started to unfold. Charlotte’s eyes filled. Henry looked furious—his fist pressed to his lips, eyes blazing.
“And if I don’t?” Ethan asked.
“Then you don’t,” I said. “This is your call. Not mine. Not anyone else’s. There will be fallout if they can prove it—press, questions, public attention. And both of our families will get called out because of who we are to each other.” My gaze flicked to Charlotte and Oliver. “So it’s something to weigh. But no one here is going to pressure you. Or blame you.”
