"There's also a document purporting to authorize the transaction on behalf of the foundation."
Diana looked toward the floor.
"Who signed that?"
The attorney's voice became quieter.
"It carries your name."
Diana went completely still.
She hadn't signed any such authorization.
And someone had apparently used her signature to move her mother's necklace into a financial arrangement she knew nothing about.
Diana returned to the gala ballroom with a smile she could barely maintain.
She finished speaking with donors.
Congratulated the scholarship recipients.
And posed for photographs beside several young designers whose work deserved the attention.
But her mind kept returning to Helena's words.
A document carrying your name.
She had signed thousands of business papers over the years.
Employment agreements.
Vendor contracts.
Property leases.
Insurance renewals.
And foundation authorizations properly prepared through the relevant procedures.
She knew how easily someone could misunderstand a document when they saw only a partial copy.
So she refused to conclude that a crime had occurred before the evidence was examined.
Perhaps a document had been mislabeled.
Perhaps an old authorization had been reused improperly.
Perhaps the signature belonged to a legitimate form covering something else.
But whatever the explanation, she knew she hadn't approved using her mother's necklace to secure a private loan.
That fact was certain.
She also knew that the company's own systems were supposed to prevent such a transaction.
The foundation's assets were separately controlled.
Major movements required independent verification.
And outside financing arrangements had to pass through legal and financial review.
If the papers were genuine, someone had exceeded their authority.
If they were false, someone had manipulated the process.
Either possibility was serious.
The following morning, Diana met with the foundation's trustees and the company's legal team.
The meeting began at eight.
Helena placed the disputed documents on the conference table.
The first was a custody authorization describing the proposed transfer of The First Light to an external appraisal facility.
The second was a financial schedule listing high-value jewelry assets connected to a private credit arrangement.
The third purported to authorize the use of the necklace as security for an obligation incurred by a company outside Aurelle's ordinary operations.
Diana examined the documents carefully.
Then pointed toward the signature at the bottom of the third page.
"That's a reproduction of my signature."
Helena nodded.
"We're having it examined."
Diana leaned closer.
"The date is wrong."
One of the trustees looked up.
"What do you mean?"
Diana pointed toward the document.
"It says I approved this on the afternoon of June eighth."
Helena checked her notes.
"Yes."
Diana looked toward the trustees.
"I was in London that day attending a conference. My office calendar, travel records, and correspondence should establish what I was doing."