In a matter related to Vida Warren, police forensic analysis of her photos and interviews with one of Vida’s Cleveland friends confirmed the truth of what Jeff wanted Lisa to know: the photos incriminating him were staged by Warren as a drunken prank. But later, desperate to gain custody of her son, Warren had attempted to use them to extort Jeff, with Clete Loften’s help. Jeff had never had any physical relationship with Warren.

For his part, Loften still faced the original charges arising from his burglary and attack on Lisa. He also faced new charges, those related to his escape, identity theft, driving without a license, and several related to his conspiring with Warren to attack and rob Jeff and Lisa.

Wanting to put Jeff on edge, Warren had directed Loften to invade the Taylors’ home and scare them any way he chose. Investigators believed that Loften had fully intended to sexually assault Lisa before Jeff stopped him. Investigators were also looking at Loften’s past activities and the possibility of additional charges in other jurisdictions.

Jeff and Lisa Taylor had committed no crimes, were not guilty of any criminal wrongdoing. They were victims. These facts were presented by detectives to Leland Slaughter and Foster Shore, much to their relief.

Still, Jeff blamed himself for the whole tragedy. The experience had shaken him to his core. His entire value system had undergone a tectonic shift. He’d spent days and nights reevaluating his career, his achievements—everything he’d thought held meaning.

He examined his life until it became crystalline that he’d been wrong about what really mattered to him. Dead wrong. He’d come so close to losing Lisa and realized how her love, the baby, Lisa’s honesty and compassion trumped everything. He knew what he had to do, and he was prepared to accept the consequences because, as long as he had Lisa, he had all that he needed in this world.

Jeff went to Shore and Slaughter and admitted to claiming Vida’s idea as his own. He returned the bonus money and submitted Vida’s original draft and his resignation, as he concluded that it was only right that he be terminated.

The corporation examined the matter and consulted the legal department. Asgaard found that all ideas conceived by employees are the intellectual property of the company, and given that Jeff had infused Vida’s concept with significant additional elements, it rejected his resignation. Asgaard returned half of the bonus to Jeff and determined that Vida Warren’s estate would receive the other half and that she would be posthumously credited for her contribution. Asgaard then helped establish a trust fund for Warren’s son.

Jeff returned to his job. His standing with Asgaard was bruised but offset by what he and Lisa had endured. The firm’s South American project was well underway and, after Shore spoke with the London office, Jeff’s European assignment was pushed back three months.