And it contained no authorization allowing the association to draw water from the pool for its fountain.
The later attachment Celeste circulated presented a different picture.
It described an ongoing recreational relationship and referred to shared maintenance responsibilities.
But the document's history raised serious concerns.
Electronic records showed that the disputed version had been assembled from multiple source files.
Certain pages contained language not found in Samuel's original agreement.
And the supposed extension lacked a reliable record of execution by the people identified as parties.
Hannah didn't claim that an unusual PDF automatically proved forgery.
She wanted the original files, the transmission history, and the supporting communications evaluated.
The association's attorney agreed that the disputed attachment couldn't simply be accepted as proof of current access rights.
For the first time, Luke felt that the arguments he'd been making for months were being addressed through evidence rather than Celeste's confidence.
He hadn't needed to win a shouting match beside the pool.
He'd needed the records to be examined.
Then Nora discovered where the wellness fees had gone.
The registration platform used for Cedar Ridge Wellness Weekends directed participants to a business called Harrow Lifestyle Events.
The company was controlled by Celeste.
It wasn't the HOA's ordinary operating account.
Some expenses were paid by the business.
Others had been reimbursed through association funds.
And certain charges appeared to have been categorized as community amenity maintenance even though they related to events held at Luke's private residence.
The association hadn't approved a formal contract with Harrow Lifestyle Events through an adequately documented process.
Celeste also hadn't clearly disclosed her financial interest to the full board.
An independent accountant began reconciling the transactions.
The review identified fees from several wellness gatherings, promotional expenses, and payments linked to pool services.
The amounts weren't imaginary.
People had paid for access.
The money had moved through real accounts.
But the services were being advertised and delivered at a property whose owner had never given permission.
Nora sat alone in her office after receiving the preliminary summary.
For several seconds, she stared at the numbers.
She'd known Celeste was ambitious.
She'd known the president enjoyed planning events.
But she'd never imagined that an HOA officer would repeatedly use another homeowner's private pool as the setting for a paid program while representing it as an authorized community amenity.
Nora called the association's attorney.