Chapter 8
Grant recommended a full independent forensic audit of the Carrow family office.
Not only Posy’s trust reimbursements.
Everything.
Benedict looked at him.
“Why everything?”
“Because Posy’s expenses were processed through systems that also handle family properties, foundation spending, travel, security reimbursements, and related-company accounts.”
“You think Margaux used those too?”
“I don’t know.”
“That answer is becoming expensive.”
“It may get more expensive.”
Opening the entire family office meant investigators could discover misconduct unrelated to Margaux.
The Carrows had spent decades treating personal and business expenses as neighboring concepts.
Vehicles used for both.
Family employees paid by operating companies.
Private travel connected loosely to business meetings.
Old arrangements Benedict inherited and never cleaned up.
His chief financial officer opposed the audit.
“So does half the family,” Grant said.
“My father would have hated it.”
“Your father also created the trust Margaux has been exploiting.”
Benedict leaned back.
The problem was larger than Margaux.
She had managed to redirect Posy’s beneficiary statements because nobody questioned family-office routing.
She had certified questionable expenses because adults trusted the Carrow name more than receipts.
Benedict himself had signed delegation authority while grieving and then stopped looking.
He thought of Posy standing in frosting while Margaux told her she did not belong.
The humiliation worked because months of hidden administrative decisions came first.
Benedict signed the authorization.
Independent forensic accountants received access to relevant trust, foundation, family-office, and family-company expense records.
No family veto.
No agreement that embarrassing findings unrelated to Margaux would disappear.
Benedict also voluntarily stepped away from the family reimbursement committee until the review ended.
Grant looked at him.
“You understand this may uncover your mistakes too.”
“Yes.”
“Potential tax exposure?”
“Yes.”
“Family lawsuits?”
“Probably.”
“Still want it?”
Benedict signed the last page.
“My daughter’s money disappeared inside a system everyone kept calling private.”
He handed Grant the authorization.
“I’m finished using privacy as an explanation.”
The decision could not realistically be reversed.
Within a week, two Carrow executives resigned.
A foundation review began.
A lender asked questions about related-party expenses.
Benedict personally reimbursed several business-paid travel costs that should have been private.
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Then the auditors found something far worse for Margaux.
Some of the items charged to Posy’s trust had never been purchased at all.
