Chapter 13 - The Last Secret of Saint-ClaireThe Saint-Claire property had remained abandoned for nearly three decades.
The original building had been demolished after the fire.
Only a cracked courtyard and the remains of an old stone wall survived.
Weeds pushed through the pavement.
Rust covered the iron gates.
And the neighborhood had slowly changed around the empty lot.
For twenty-eight years, nobody had wanted to remember what happened there.
Now police vehicles surrounded the property.
Victor Delacroix stood near the center of the courtyard.
He wore a dark coat.
His hair was disheveled.
His face looked exhausted.
For the first time in decades, he no longer resembled the confident executive who had controlled half of Beaumont Holdings.
He looked like a frightened old man.
Alexandre arrived with Thomas.
Genevieve, Sofia, and Claire remained at a secure location nearby at the request of investigators.
Victor had asked to speak to Alexandre.
The police allowed a brief supervised conversation.
Alexandre approached slowly.
Victor looked at him.
“You look like your father.”
Alexandre said nothing.
Victor sighed.
“Henri always believed he could fix everything.”
Alexandre stared.
“You killed him.”
Victor lowered his eyes.
“I made a terrible mistake.”
“A mistake?”
Alexandre's voice hardened.
“You stole his life.”
Victor looked away.
Alexandre stepped closer.
“You stole Claire's childhood. You destroyed Camille's life. You let my mother believe her daughter was dead.”
Victor closed his eyes.
“I know.”
“And two people died in that fire.”
Victor nodded.
“Yes.”
Alexandre felt rage rising.
But he remembered Thomas's warning.
He forced himself to remain calm.
“What do you want?”
Victor reached into his coat.
Police officers immediately ordered him to stop.
He froze.
Then slowly raised his hands.
“There's a document.”
An officer retrieved a folded envelope from Victor's pocket.
Victor looked at Alexandre.
“Your father never knew the whole truth.”
Alexandre stared.
“Then tell me.”
Victor's eyes filled.
“The Saint-Claire fire wasn't supposed to happen.”
Alexandre remained silent.
“Your grandfather ordered the building cleared because he wanted to sell the land. I falsified the evacuation report. I diverted the relocation money.”
“Then you set the fire?”
Victor shook his head.
“No.”
Alexandre frowned.
“The footage shows you carrying a container.”
“Industrial cleaning fluid. We were removing records from a storage room.”
“Why at midnight?”
“Because we didn't want anyone asking questions.”
Alexandre stared.
“Then what started the fire?”
Victor swallowed.
“A temporary generator.”
The words hung between them.
Victor continued.
“The power had been disconnected. Someone brought in a generator to keep the building warm. It malfunctioned.”
Alexandre felt sick.
“Then why did you hide the truth?”
“Because the building should never have been occupied after the shutdown. We knew people were still inside.”
Victor's voice broke.
“We could have prevented it.”
Alexandre looked away.
Two people had died.
Not because of a single dramatic act.
But because powerful men had decided that money mattered more than safety.
Victor continued.
“Your father discovered the truth years later.”
“Then why didn't he expose you?”
Victor looked at him.
“Because I threatened to reveal the hospital records.”
Alexandre stared.
“You blackmailed him.”
“Yes.”
“For twenty-eight years?”
Victor nodded.
Alexandre felt a wave of disgust.
“You destroyed everyone's life to protect yourself.”
Victor began crying.
“I know.”
Alexandre stepped backward.
He had imagined confronting Victor countless times.
He had imagined shouting.
Threatening.
Demanding revenge.
But now, looking at the man who had betrayed his father, he felt something unexpected.
Pity.
Not forgiveness.
Not sympathy.
Only the sad recognition that Victor had spent decades destroying others because he was too cowardly to face his own wrongdoing.
“Why did you come here?” Alexandre asked.
Victor looked toward the ruined wall.
“Because this is where everything began.”
Alexandre shook his head.
“No.”
Victor looked confused.
Alexandre continued.
“It began when you decided other people's lives mattered less than your reputation.”
Victor lowered his head.
Police officers approached.
Victor did not resist.
As they led him away, he turned once more.
“Alexandre.”
Alexandre stopped.
Victor's voice trembled.
“Your father wanted you to know something.”
Alexandre stared.
“What?”
Victor looked toward the envelope in the officer's hand.
“He wrote it before he died.”
Alexandre felt his chest tighten.
“What did he write?”
May you like
Victor swallowed.
“He knew you weren't his biological son.”
