Or had she accepted the growing revenue because the numbers made the company look successful?
She closed her eyes.
"Thomas, you should speak with your attorney."
He became angry.
"You're turning against me?"
Victoria took a slow breath.
"No. I'm telling you this needs independent examination."
Then she ended the call.
For several minutes, she sat without moving.
The company she'd built no longer felt like something she understood.
The board received a final report several weeks later.
The findings were serious.
The review identified improper charges that required correction, deficiencies in record handling, unauthorized sharing of certain information, and undisclosed financial relationships associated with selected outside vendors.
Some issues involved negligence and poor controls.
Others showed evidence of deliberate misconduct.
The investigators distinguished those categories carefully.
Not every employee who processed a questionable charge knew the underlying authorization was missing.
Not every vendor had acted improperly.
And some homeowner disputes involved legitimate obligations that remained enforceable.
But the overall pattern showed a company that had allowed financial incentives to overwhelm its responsibility to administer contracts accurately and treat homeowners fairly.
Thomas Vale's employment was terminated following the applicable review.
Other managers faced consequences according to their roles.
The board also authorized the appropriate referral of evidence concerning potentially unlawful conduct to external authorities.
The company didn't attempt to determine criminal guilt on its own.
Its responsibility was to preserve evidence, correct its operations, and cooperate with lawful oversight.
Malik supported the decisions.
But he refused to describe the outcome as a victory.
Several employees had lost their jobs.
Families had experienced financial pressure.
And the company would spend substantial money correcting records and addressing documented harm.
There was nothing satisfying about discovering how much had been allowed to go wrong.
The work ahead mattered more than the headlines.
Victoria's final appearance before the board was nothing like the meetings she used to dominate.
She entered wearing a tailored cream suit and carrying a leather folder.
Her blonde hair was perfectly styled.
Her jewelry was expensive.
And she still possessed the polished appearance of a woman who had spent decades persuading investors to trust her judgment.
But her confidence had changed.
For the first time in years, she entered the conference room knowing that the other directors had documents she couldn't explain away with a beautiful presentation.
The independent committee summarized its findings.
Victoria listened.
She challenged some conclusions.
Accepted others.
And acknowledged that she had failed to ensure important complaints received proper attention.
She denied personally knowing every questionable action taken by Thomas Vale.