Then answered honestly.
"I don't know."
His face fell.
She continued.
"But the company's decisions can't depend on whether I forgive you."
Edmund looked down.
"That's fair."
He stood.
For a moment, he seemed about to say something else.
Then he extended his hand.
Naomi looked at it.
She remembered the years they'd worked together.
The difficult meetings.
The early contracts.
The times he'd helped her succeed.
Those memories were real.
So were the choices that had brought them here.
She shook his hand.
Then said quietly, "I hope you take responsibility for your part in this."
Edmund nodded.
He left the room.
And Naomi remained seated long after the door closed.
Because sometimes the hardest consequence of dishonesty wasn't financial.
It was discovering that somebody you'd trusted had valued access and convenience more than the trust itself.
Charles Whitmore's business also faced scrutiny.
The inquiry examined how his concierge company advertised and arranged private aircraft travel.
It identified payments connected to disputed aircraft movements and communications suggesting that certain clients had been offered access without the required authorization from the aircraft owner and responsible operator.
His attorneys disputed portions of the findings.
They argued that Charles believed he was working through legitimate aviation intermediaries.
The available records told a more complicated story.
Some messages supported his claim that he expected the necessary approvals to be obtained.
Others suggested he knew the arrangements were informal and had encouraged Richard to avoid complications that might prevent a profitable trip.
The relevant authorities and legal professionals reviewed the information according to their responsibilities.
The company faced financial claims and compliance consequences.
Several clients demanded explanations.
And the business that had once promised effortless luxury found itself answering questions about whether its arrangements were as legitimate as its advertising suggested.
Charles eventually settled certain civil claims without admitting every allegation.
Other matters required separate review.
But his relationship with Richard ended.
He stopped taking the pilot's calls.
The man who had once called Richard a trusted friend now described him through attorneys as an independent aviation contact whose actions were outside the concierge company's control.
Richard learned about that explanation months later.