Chapter 5 - THE PATIENT IN ROOM 214
Alexandre had not escaped through force.
He had escaped because one of the guards owed his sister a debt.
Years earlier, Isabelle had quietly paid for the man's daughter's emergency surgery. She had never asked for repayment.
When Alexandre mentioned Isabelle's name, the guard unlocked the basement door.
"He said he couldn't forgive himself if he helped Mother destroy another woman," Alexandre explained.
Elodie followed him through the service tunnel.
"Where are we going?"
"There's a maintenance exit beyond the greenhouse."
"And the cameras?"
"I disabled three of them."
"Only three?"
"The others are recording empty corridors from earlier tonight."
Elodie looked at him.
"You planned this."
"I started planning the moment I found your name in Mother's files."
They reached a narrow metal staircase.
At the top stood an old wooden door.
Alexandre opened it.
Cold morning air rushed inside.
A dark sedan waited beside the greenhouse.
A woman sat behind the wheel.
She was approximately forty, with short brown hair and an alert expression.
"Get in," she said.
Alexandre opened the rear door for Elodie.
"This is Claire Moreau. She's an attorney."
Elodie stopped.
"An attorney?"
"An independent one."
Claire looked at her through the open window.
"And if what Alexandre told me is true, you need one immediately."
They drove through a maintenance gate and onto a narrow country road.
For several minutes, no one spoke.
Then Claire handed Elodie a folder.
"I've reviewed the trust documents Alexandre obtained."
"Can Catherine really force me to sign away Henri's money?"
"No."
Elodie looked up.
"Then why is she doing this?"
"Because she needs to manufacture the appearance of lawful consent."
Claire explained that the Valmont Family Settlement was a private French-law arrangement involving a fiduciary holding structure, corporate voting restrictions, and a family charter.
Henri's late wife, Geneviève, had contributed shares in Aurelia Holdings to the structure.
Under the governing documents, those protected shares could not be transferred outside the approved family and charitable framework without several independent approvals.
One required Henri's personal consent while he retained legal capacity.
Another required approval from an independent protector appointed under the settlement.
A third required acknowledgment by Henri's lawful spouse, but only if he had remarried.
"The spouse's signature is not enough by itself," Claire said. "And it certainly cannot override Henri's rights."
"Then what does Catherine gain?"
"She intends to present your signature as evidence that the transaction was disclosed to the family and accepted by the person designated to protect Henri's personal interests."
Alexandre leaned forward.
"She also has a medical certificate claiming Grandfather lacks capacity."
Claire nodded.
"Which would allow his court-appointed representative, if properly authorized, to act within limited powers. Catherine appears to be trying to combine that certificate, a disputed representation order, a fabricated protector approval, and your future spousal acknowledgment."
Elodie stared at the folder.
"She's building a chain of documents."
"Exactly. If each appears valid, the receiving company may register the transfer before anyone challenges it."
"And afterward?"
"She could sell the shares, move the proceeds through multiple entities, and make recovery extremely difficult."
Elodie looked out the window.
"So the marriage is camouflage."
"And leverage," Claire said. "A young wife whose father's debts Catherine controls is easier to pressure than an independent trustee."
"Why me?"
Claire hesitated.
"That's the part we still don't understand."
Two hours later, they arrived at Saint-Aurèle Medical Residence.
The building stood on a wooded hillside, surrounded by gardens and high iron fencing.
It looked peaceful.
Almost beautiful.
Claire entered first.
She presented her professional identification and asked to speak with the administrator.
Alexandre remained beside Elodie.
"Whatever happens," he whispered, "you don't have to go through with this."
Elodie looked at him.
"Why are you risking everything for me?"
He considered the question.
"Because I once chose my mother's approval over my sister's safety."
His eyes darkened.
"I won't make that choice again."
A nurse appeared.
"Patient 214?"
Elodie stood.
"Yes."
The nurse looked uneasy.
"Are you family?"
"I'm her daughter."
The nurse studied her face.
Then her expression softened.
"Come with me."
They walked down a quiet corridor.
At the final door, the nurse stopped.
"Please prepare yourself."
Elodie's hands trembled.
The nurse opened the door.
A woman sat beside the window, looking toward the mountains.
Her hair had turned almost completely white.
Her shoulders were thin.
But when she turned, Elodie recognized the eyes.
The same eyes from the photograph.
The same eyes she saw every morning in the mirror.
"Mom?"
The woman stared at her.
Her lips parted.
Then she whispered a name Elodie had not heard since childhood.
"My little star."
Elodie began to cry.
But before she could reach the bed, the woman grabbed her wrist.
"Don't let Catherine see you here."
"Why?"
Her mother's eyes widened in terror.
"Because she doesn't want the inheritance."
Elodie froze.
"What?"
May you like
Marie pulled her closer.
"She wants the evidence your father hid inside it."
