Chapter 7 - The True ApologyAfter the police handled the situation, Lucas and Chloe sat inside his car. The atmosphere was quiet, filled with unsaid words.
Chloe handed the thumb drive to Lucas. "Give this to the prosecution. It clears your mother’s former co-workers and all the accountants my father tried to frame."
Lucas took the drive, staring at her in surprise. "If this goes to court, your family loses everything permanently. You won't have a dime left."
"I don't care about the money anymore, Lucas," Chloe said, tears streaming down her face, but her eyes were clear and sincere. "I ruined your mother's life and dignity for a moment of vanity. If taking accountability is the only way to earn back a fraction of my humanity, then let my father and me pay for what we did."
Lucas looked at her for a long moment, seeing for the first time the woman she could have been all along—brave, honest, and humble.
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"Thank you, Chloe," Lucas said quietly.
Two weeks later, at the official court hearing, Chloe took the witness stand. She publicly confessed to her family’s misdeeds, apologized to the affected workers, and accepted her responsibility without asking for leniency.
