“Those workers are precisely why we need reliable books,” Silas answered.

I thought about Ruth and the workers on the dyeing floor who worried whether overtime checks would clear.

Their livelihoods mattered more to me than hurting Marlene.

But protecting workers did not mean pretending the missing invoice trail was harmless.

“Dad, I warned you about duplicate supplier payments in April,” I said.

“Did you have them reviewed?”

He looked at Marlene.

That single glance told me more than any answer could.