Chapter 14 - THE TRUTH THAT ALMOST DESTROYED THEM
Élodie had spent twelve years believing she met Laurent by chance.
A charity dinner.
A spilled glass of wine.
A charming stranger who helped her clean her dress.
He had made her laugh.
Asked for her number.
Called the next morning.
She remembered telling Gabriel that she had finally met someone kind.
Gabriel had smiled.
Now she knew why.
He had already known Laurent.
And he had never told her.
The betrayal felt unbearable.
During their next conversation, Gabriel explained everything.
Years earlier, he had worked briefly for a company connected to Étienne Delmas.
He had been ambitious.
Young.
Eager to prove himself.
Étienne had praised his intelligence and offered him opportunities.
Gabriel had believed he was building a career.
Then Étienne introduced him to Laurent.
At first, the relationship seemed professional.
But gradually, Gabriel discovered irregularities.
Money moving between accounts.
Questionable contracts.
Unexplained payments.
He began asking questions.
Étienne noticed.
And instead of immediately threatening him, he tried to bind Gabriel more closely to the family.
Laurent was encouraged to meet Élodie.
Gabriel had been told it was a harmless introduction.
He hadn't understood the manipulation until much later.
“I thought Laurent genuinely loved you,” Gabriel said.
Élodie stared at him.
“Did he?”
Gabriel looked devastated.
“I don't know.”
She closed her eyes.
That answer hurt more than she expected.
Because despite everything Laurent had done, part of her still remembered the early years.
The flowers.
The laughter.
The night Mathéo was born.
The way Laurent had cried while holding their son.
Had any of it been real?
Or had she spent twelve years loving a performance?
Gabriel continued.
“When I realized Étienne was using your marriage to keep me quiet, I tried to get you away from them.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because I was afraid you wouldn't believe me.”
Élodie looked at him.
“You didn't give me the chance.”
He nodded.
“I know.”
For the first time, Gabriel didn't offer an explanation.
He simply accepted the truth.
And that mattered.
Élodie wiped her tears.
“I don't know when I'll be able to forgive you.”
“I understand.”
“But I don't want to lose you again.”
Gabriel began crying.
“Neither do I.”
They sat in silence.
Two siblings separated by seven years of lies.
Still wounded.
Still uncertain.
But finally speaking honestly.
Meanwhile, the investigation moved forward.
The archive evidence led authorities to additional accounts.
Several people connected to the foundation began cooperating.
One former executive provided communications that directly contradicted Étienne's public denials.
Another witness confirmed that Laurent had authorized surveillance of Élodie.
The custody strategy documents became central to the family court review.
And Mathéo, supported by a child psychologist and independent legal representation, was finally able to describe what had happened without Laurent watching him.
He explained the threats.
The photographs.
The fear.
The pressure to choose his father.
And the secret recordings.
When asked why he had lied in court, Mathéo gave a simple answer.
“Because I thought my mom would die if I told the truth.”
The room fell silent.
The judge listened carefully.
This time, Mathéo wasn't forced to choose between two people he loved.
He was asked what made him feel safe.
And he answered:
“My mom.”
Élodie cried when Claire told her.
But she also understood something important.
Her son's courage was not something to celebrate without acknowledging its cost.
Mathéo had been frightened.
Manipulated.
Separated from the person he trusted most.
He would need time to heal.
So would she.
A few days later, Laurent was taken into custody in connection with the investigation.
Étienne was also detained after investigators obtained further evidence concerning the financial scheme and related intimidation.
The legal process would take months.
Perhaps years.
But for the first time, Laurent could no longer simply make a phone call and expect the world to obey.
Élodie thought the worst was finally over.
Then Claire called.
“Élodie, we have a problem.”
Her stomach tightened.
“What happened?”
“Laurent has requested to speak with you.”
“No.”
“He says he has information about Gabriel's disappearance.”
“I don't care.”
Claire hesitated.
“He also claims there's another recording.”
Élodie went still.
“What recording?”
“One made the night Gabriel's car crashed.”
Élodie gripped the phone.
“And?”
Claire took a breath.
“He says the recording proves Gabriel wasn't the only person who knew about the plan.”
Élodie's heart began racing.
“Who else?”
Claire's voice became quiet.
“Laurent claims you knew.”
Élodie stared at the wall.
For a moment, she couldn't speak.
Then she whispered:
“That's impossible.”
But a memory suddenly surfaced.
A night seven years earlier.
A telephone call.
Laurent asking her to sign a document while she was exhausted.
May you like
A strange conversation she had forgotten.
And the terrible realization that she might have unknowingly helped him.
