Otis did not offer a comforting generality. She thanked him for naming the cost of the failure and asked Grace to explain the correction in plain language. Afterward, Otis found Samuel near the door and apologized for the oversight that had been permitted under the old governance structure. She could not give him back the years of uncertainty. She could ensure the plan no longer operated as though the people whose money it held were an inconvenience.
The independent ethics office opened in a suite once used for executive hospitality. Its director was an outside specialist with experience investigating workplace retaliation. Employees could make reports without seeking approval from their immediate supervisors, and serious findings went directly to an independent board committee. Otis refused suggestions to name the office after herself. It did not belong to her, and it should not depend on her popularity to function.
On the first month-end report, the office recorded complaints about shift assignments, biased promotion decisions, safety equipment, and retaliation. Some were substantiated; others were not. Each required careful examination and a response that did not confuse fairness with automatic agreement. Employees gradually learned they could disagree with a complaint's outcome without being punished for making it. To Otis, that was a more meaningful improvement than a lobby poster promising respect.
Ryan's case moved toward trial as federal prosecutors and defense attorneys exchanged evidence and argued over what could properly be shown to a jury. Several defendants entered agreements with prosecutors, while Ryan chose to contest the principal charges. The company cooperated with lawful requests and established procedures to protect commercially sensitive information and employee privacy. Otis was listed as a witness, not because her majority ownership gave her a special place in the courtroom, but because she could explain the firm's origins, governance, and what she observed during the critical period.
Judith prepared her carefully. She told Otis to listen to questions, answer what was asked, and never fill a gap with a guess. Defense counsel might explore her own decisions, her use of the voting proxy, and the time she had allowed Ryan to remain in power. Those questions were legitimate subjects of scrutiny as well as potential tools to challenge her credibility. Otis wrote notes and practiced telling the truth even when it embarrassed her.
The trial began the following spring. Reporters filled the corridor outside the federal courtroom, and cameras followed Otis as she walked between Judith and a court officer. She wore a simple navy suit, pearl earrings, and the same comfortable shoes she had worn to the boardroom. Ryan sat at the defense table in a charcoal suit, his posture rigid and his expression controlled.
Witnesses testified about consulting agreements, payment approvals, data-retention instructions, and the absence of contracted services described on invoices. Jake Wilson explained the accounting discrepancies he had identified and how the independent auditors verified them. Vanessa Reed described what the preserved system records showed, including the timing of proposed changes, without speculating about facts outside her expertise. Grace testified about bank transactions and the company's financial condition.