The secretary feigned to have an urgent meeting at one in the morning. Confident that she wouldn’t notice, he departed. However, the two lovers were frozen in cold fear at three o’clock by an unexpected call.
The muted stillness of the Paris flat was broken by a sudden, piercing shaking just after one in the morning. Louis retrieved his phone from the bedside table after being startled out of his half-sleep.
His young helper Camille’s voice erupted instantly, breathless and almost too dramatic to be real:
“Louis… It’s a catastrophe. Ultra-confidential files have been obtained by the Chinese. You must come to the office immediately. I’ll be here waiting for you.
With a deliberate gesture, he hung up, then turned to face Élise, still enveloped in the blanket, wearing the somber air of an overburdened executive.
“Go to sleep, my dear. A crisis. If all goes according to plan, I’ll return early in the morning.
Halfway through, Élise opened her eyes, still dazed:
But you’re heading out right now? Do you want some coffee made for you?
Louis smiled tightly, almost disdainfully.
useless. It’s not an invitation; it’s labor. Take a nap and don’t worry about anything.
After putting on his immaculately ironed shirt and dousing himself in Dior, he walked out of the flat without turning around. Élise, who had suspended her architectural career to pursue his crazy lifestyle, was convinced that there was nothing to suspect. She was only a quiet, gentle presence to him, unable to perceive any dishonesty.
He was wildly mistaken.
Élise’s visage changed just as the door had closed. The tenderness was gone. Her features took on an ice, piercing sharpness.
A burner phone and an extra set of keys were waiting in a drawer, which she silently opened. Her pajamas vanished in a matter of minutes, to be replaced by a form-fitting black ensemble; a cap was placed over her eyes. She hurried down the stairs and got on the housekeeper’s old scooter, which was ideal for avoiding detection.
Her covert phone flashed a signal from the GPS tracker she had installed in Louis’s vehicle three months prior.
At the edge of Lake Annecy, in front of an opulent resort favored by couples with plenty to conceal, the beacon came to a stop.
Élise watched Louis enter villa No. 12 from behind the trees. The door opened. With a wine glass, a flaming smile, and satire, Camille emerged.
“You took your time, my darling. I assume your wife is snoring quietly.
“She isn’t very valuable,” Louis chuckled. “I’m getting rid of her as soon as I deposit the 1.2 million into your account. Then you and I head out together.
Élise had no sadness or jealousy.
Just that icy silence before a storm.
Using her ancient phone, she dialed a number.
Élise kept her gaze fixed on the dark villa as she gently dialed the number on her burner phone.
“Dad, start Plan B. Tonight, Louis is getting ready for a transfer. Put Camille’s and all of his accounts on hold. Additionally, dispatch villa 12’s financial investigators.
The firm yet piercing voice of her father, the president of the corporation, responded immediately:
I get it, my daughter. Man needs to understand who really controls this family.
Louis, meanwhile, sat in front of his computer with the frenzied eagerness of a child preparing to open a forbidden gift inside the villa, which was filled with the smell of red wine and lies.
“Look, my dear… Everything will belong to us in a matter of seconds.
He hit Enter.
The room was filled with two piercing beeps.
The screen was filled with a red message:
Just as she was ready to kiss him, Camille tensed up. Her phone started vibrating right away:
“The financial authority has ordered that your account be frozen.”
Her face fell apart.
“No, no, no! “Where’s my money?” She let out a half-hysterical scream.
Louis’s gut twisted, abruptly empty.
Then the resort was ripped apart by a long howl of sirens. The walls of the villa were illuminated with blue lights. The door flew open, and officers in uniform stepped in, meticulous and as silent as judges.
And there was a guy in all black walking steadily behind them.
Louis recognized Élise right away. His heart skipped a beat.
“Élise… Why? Are you present?
She took off her cap to show a composed, determined face.
She set a phone on the table and said nothing.
The room was filled with Louis’s recorded voice:
“She is foolish. I throw her out as soon as I have the money.
Louis’s shoulders gave way.
“I… I didn’t think you would ever comprehend.
Élise grinned, icy and spotless:
“You were never more than a background actor in business, Louis.”
In a whisper, he said:
“Your dad… knew?”
“For a long time.”
She turned calmly away:
“A divorce decree has been signed. You’re taking nothing with you. empty-handed.
Dawn was breaking outside.
Élise inhaled deeply.
She had just reclaimed her life.
