Chapter 8 - THE MONEY MEREDITH CALLED CHARITY
Meredith Waverly chaired three donor funds.
Beautiful names.
Children.
Arts.
Women’s health.
The money did real work.
Scholarships.
Clinics.
Grants.
Then Naomi found administrative contracts.
A company called M Gold Advisory received fees from all three.
Owner:
Meredith’s longtime friend, Joanne Pike.
Then bank records showed Joanne sending large monthly payments to a trust benefiting Meredith.
Not illegal automatically.
But undisclosed.
Meredith’s defense:
Consulting revenue from Joanne’s unrelated businesses.
Then invoices.
Vague.
Brand strategy.
Donor positioning.
Social outreach.
Maybe real.
Maybe inflated.
Claire felt sick.
“How much?”
Over six years:
$2.1 million.
Naomi cautioned:
“Not all of that is necessarily foundation money.”
Good.
Then an independent accountant isolated questionable flows.
Approximately $740,000.
Still serious.
Now Meredith had her own reason to stop Claire’s audit.
Then Claire asked:
“Did Austin know?”
Some emails suggested yes.
Preston definitely knew parts.
The family had become a web of mutual protection.
No one could expose one person without risking everyone.
That explained the violence.
Claire was not threatening Austin.
She was threatening the system.
Then Meredith called Claire.
First direct contact in weeks.
“I can still fix this.”
Claire put Naomi on speaker.
“How?”
“You withdraw the audit request.”
“And?”
“I’ll support an independent review of Austin.”
Claire almost laughed.
“You’ll sacrifice him?”
Silence.
There.
Even now, family loyalty had limits.
Meredith continued:
“You get your shares. Preston steps back. Austin pays penalties. We end this.”
“What about you?”
“I have done nothing criminal.”
“Then include your funds in the audit.”
Meredith hung up.
Naomi looked at Claire.
“Your mother just told you where it hurts.”
Then the trust examiner issued a preliminary finding.
Claire was competent.
The evidence supported concern that family pressure had affected her independence.
The clause designed to delay Claire might now justify protecting her from the Waverlys.
Preston’s lawyers panicked.
Then a new petition appeared.
They asked the court to appoint a neutral voting trustee instead of releasing Claire’s shares directly.
Claire stared.
“They’re changing goals.”
Naomi nodded.
“Because direct control is lost. Now they’re fighting to stop you getting control.”
Claire thought.
Then said:
“Give it to them.”
Naomi raised an eyebrow.
“What?”
“Neutral trustee. Temporary.”
May you like
Naomi smiled slowly.
That was the move.
