That hurt more than I expected.
I had allowed my feelings for Derek to cloud my judgment.
Even worse, I had failed to recognize how much influence I was exercising over an investment involving someone I loved.
“I should have been more careful,” I whispered.
My father shook his head.
“You should have disclosed the relationship and stepped away from those decisions. We’ll address that. But you are not responsible for Derek choosing to commit fraud.”
I appreciated that he wasn’t pretending I had done everything perfectly.
There would be difficult questions for me to answer, too.
But Derek’s financial crimes were only one part of what had happened.
I looked toward the tablet.
“What about the eight million dollars?”
My father’s expression darkened.
“Derek has been borrowing from Victor Raines, a private lender with a history of intimidation and illegal collection practices. Some of that money appears to have been used to conceal losses and repay earlier obligations.”
