Chapter 5 - SOPHIA'S BLIND SPOT
Sophia wanted Emily to be the villain because it hurt less.
If Emily stole Ryan, then marriage had broken from outside.
If Ryan engineered everything, Sophia had missed it from inside.
She hated that more.
Rachel reviewed Sophia’s own conduct.
“You gave Ryan access.”
“Yes.”
“You signed summaries without reviewing attachments.”
“Yes.”
“You let him communicate with accountants on your behalf.”
“Yes.”
Sophia snapped:
“I trusted my husband.”
Rachel answered:
“I know.”
Not accusation.
Fact.
Then Thomas’s old notes surfaced.
One handwritten memo:
DO NOT GIVE RYAN UNSUPERVISED TRUST AUTHORITY.
Sophia stared.
Her father had warned her.
She had called him controlling.
Maybe he was.
He was also right about Ryan.
Then another note:
EMILY UNDERSTANDS PEOPLE BETTER THAN SOPHIA THINKS. SOPHIA UNDERSTANDS SYSTEMS BETTER THAN EMILY THINKS. THEY NEED EACH OTHER.
Sophia laughed bitterly.
Thomas had been dramatic.
Still.
The trust structure itself required joint notification for major transfers above $500,000.
Ryan had avoided that by splitting fees.
$198,000.
$240,000.
$175,000.
$220,000.
All below threshold.
He understood the rules.
Then used them.
Sophia’s blindness was not stupidity.
May you like
It was familiarity.
Ryan had become part of the system she trusted.
