Chapter 12 - THE WOMAN IN THE DELIVERY ROOM
Dr. Hélène Fournier had been one of the most respected physicians in Paris.
She appeared at charity galas.
Spoke at medical conferences.
Raised money for children's hospitals.
And served on the board of the Saint-Clair Foundation.
Élodie had trusted her completely.
Twelve years earlier, Hélène had delivered Mathéo after a difficult labor.
Élodie remembered the doctor's reassuring voice.
The bright operating room lights.
The moment she heard her baby cry.
She remembered Laurent holding Mathéo for the first time.
She remembered Gabriel arriving with flowers.
But there were details she had forgotten.
Details that now returned with painful clarity.
Hélène had insisted that Laurent handle the hospital paperwork.
She had discouraged Élodie from asking questions about a trust document presented shortly after the birth.
And Isabelle had been there.
Always there.
Claire obtained copies of the relevant records through lawful channels.
Thomas reviewed the corporate connections.
They discovered that Hélène had received substantial consulting payments from companies associated with Laurent.
The payments had begun before Mathéo's birth.
And continued for years afterward.
Élodie stared at the financial records.
“Why would an obstetrician be paid by an investment company?”
Thomas shook his head.
“That's what we need to establish.”
The answer came from Gabriel.
He was recovering in a Montreal hospital under police protection.
His wound was serious but not life-threatening.
When Élodie finally spoke to him by video call, she could barely look at the screen.
Gabriel appeared older.
Thinner.
His hair was streaked with gray.
But his eyes were the same.
“Ellie.”
She began crying.
He did too.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then Élodie whispered:
“You let me bury you.”
Gabriel lowered his head.
“I know.”
“Seven years.”
“I know.”
“I went to your grave.”
His eyes filled.
“I'm sorry.”
She shook her head.
“You don't get to make that disappear with two words.”
“I don't expect to.”
“Why didn't you trust me?”
Gabriel looked at her.
“Because I was afraid Laurent would hurt you.”
“He hurt me anyway.”
The words hung between them.
Gabriel closed his eyes.
“I know.”
Élodie wiped her cheeks.
“I needed you.”
“I know.”
“Mathéo needed you.”
Gabriel's voice broke.
“I know.”
For a long moment, silence filled the call.
Then Élodie took a breath.
“Tell me the truth.”
Gabriel nodded.
“All of it.”
He explained how Laurent had used the Saint-Clair Foundation to disguise stolen funds.
How Hélène Fournier had helped establish fraudulent documentation connected to supposed medical research grants.
How private patient information had been improperly shared.
And how certain financial accounts had been placed under structures designed to conceal their true ownership.
Élodie listened in horror.
“But what does Mathéo have to do with it?”
Gabriel looked devastated.
“Laurent used his identity as part of the scheme.”
Élodie stared at him.
“What?”
“He created documents naming Mathéo as a future beneficiary. That allowed him to claim certain funds were being held for family purposes.”
“Without telling me?”
“Yes.”
“And Hélène?”
“She helped authenticate some of the paperwork.”
Élodie's hands began trembling.
“Was my son's medical information used?”
Gabriel hesitated.
“Some of it was included in documents that should never have been created.”
Élodie closed her eyes.
The violation felt unbearable.
Even her child's birth had been turned into a tool for Laurent's greed.
Gabriel continued.
“When I discovered it, I tried to reverse the arrangements and preserve the evidence.”
“That's why Laurent wanted you dead?”
“That's part of it.”
“What else?”
Gabriel looked toward the hospital door.
Then back at Élodie.
“Because I found the original records showing who authorized the scheme.”
“Laurent?”
“Yes. But not alone.”
“Hélène?”
“She helped.”
“Isabelle?”
“She recruited people and collected information.”
Élodie swallowed.
“Who was in charge?”
Gabriel's expression darkened.
“Laurent answered to someone.”
“Who?”
Gabriel took a shaky breath.
“His father.”
Élodie stared at him.
“His father died before we married.”
Gabriel shook his head.
“No, Ellie.”
A terrible silence followed.
“Laurent's father didn't die.”
Élodie felt her blood turn cold.
“Then where is he?”
Gabriel looked directly into the camera.
“He's been running the foundation from behind the scenes for twenty years.”
“And his name?”
Gabriel hesitated.
“Étienne Delmas.”
Élodie frowned.
The name sounded familiar.
Then she remembered.
Étienne Delmas was the wealthy philanthropist who had funded the courthouse renovation.
The man whose portrait hung in the lobby.
The man who had attended the custody hearing.
He had been sitting in the back row.
Watching.
Élodie's breath caught.
Gabriel continued.
“Laurent isn't the most dangerous person in this story.”
“Then who is?”
May you like
Gabriel's voice became barely audible.
“The man who helped choose the judge.”
