Chapter 13 - The Story They Were Building
By 3:00 A.M., the pattern was clear.
Elise's stolen credentials approved transfers.
A fake Founder badge carried Victoire's initials.
Forged documents made Elise look like she had mortgaged the south bluff.
If the loan collapsed later, the records pointed upward.
Straight at her.
"You weren't just stealing from the hotel," Elise said to Sébastien. "You were building a fraud case around me."
He said nothing.
"Why?"
"Because you always win," he said quietly.
That answer surprised her more than denial.
"What?"
"You leave for ten years, return for two days, and everyone still calls you the Founder’s daughter like it is a title. I work here every morning. I fix every disaster. But the company is still yours."
"So you decided to take it."
"I decided to stop asking permission from someone who wasn't here."
Elise looked at him for a long moment.
There was pain in his voice.
There was also entitlement.
The second had eaten the first.
Antoine cleared his throat.
"There's another problem."
He opened the south bluff file.
A hidden page appeared behind the lien documents.
OPTION TO PURCHASE UPON DEFAULT.
Buyer: Dumas Heritage Trust.
Elise turned toward Victoire.
"Your trust buys the bluff if the hotel misses one payment."
Victoire shook her head. "I didn't know."
"You are the beneficiary."
"Marc set it up."
"Marc Dumas. The banker."
"He said it was for consulting compensation."
Elise almost laughed.
"Twelve million euros of land as a consulting bonus?"
Victoire began to cry again.
"I was stupid."
"You were greedy."
Victoire flinched.
Then her expression changed.
"If Marc is involved, the closing won't happen at the bank."
"Where?"
"Private notary office. Old harbor district."
Antoine checked the notice.
No address appeared.
May you like
"How do you know?"
Victoire whispered, "Because I was supposed to bring the original deed."
