Chapter 5 - The Sting
Thursday morning arrived with a pale, foggy light that draped over the city of Lyon. At 7:30 AM, while Antoine was at his firm finalizing the fraudulent transfer documents, Clarisse’s specialized technical team entered my apartment using a key I had duplicated months before my accident.
Within twenty minutes, three microscopic cameras were installed: one in the kitchen, one in the living room ceiling fan, and one directly above the dining room table. A high-sensitivity microphone was tucked into the base of the fabric lamp next to the sofa.
I sat in the back of a tinted surveillance van parked two streets away, watching the video feeds come alive on a monitor. I saw my apartment—the beautiful, sunlit space that had become a house of horrors.
At 8:15 AM, Élise walked into the living room, wearing another one of my silk blouses. She looked tired, pouring herself a cup of coffee and sitting on the couch, staring at her phone.
"It's time, Mathilde," the operations commander of the Financial Police said, checking his watch. "Antoine Delcourt just left his office. He’s heading back to the apartment. Our teams are positioned at both exits of the building. As soon as the signature is placed and he explicitly states the fraudulent nature of the document on audio, we move in."
Clarisse handed me the digital pen. "Remember, Mathilde. You are blind. You are weak. You trust him implicitly. Let him dig his own grave."
I breathed in deeply, closing my eyes for a moment to center myself, then opened them, filled with a terrifying, absolute focus. "I'm ready."
I walked back into the building, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. I climbed the stairs slowly, tapping my fingers along the wall, perfectly recreating the hesitant cadence of my blind movements. I unlocked the door and stepped inside.
"Antoine? Élise?" I called out, my voice high and slightly breathless.
Élise jumped up from the couch, her coffee spilling slightly. "Mathilde! Where... where were you? Antoine said you were resting in the bedroom, but when I checked an hour ago, you were gone!"
"I... I panicked," I said, letting my eyes wander aimlessly around the room, never focusing on her face. "The darkness in the room felt too heavy. I went down to the courtyard to get some fresh air. A neighbor helped me back up. I’m sorry, I... I’m just so confused today."
Élise let out a long breath of relief, her suspicion evaporating. "You shouldn't wander off like that, Mathilde. You know how dangerous it is for you."
At that exact moment, the front door opened, and Antoine walked in, carrying a leather briefcase. His eyes swept over me, assessing my state.
"Ah, Mathilde, you're up," he said, his voice instantly shifting into its familiar, smooth, patronizing tone. He walked over and kissed my cheek. It took every ounce of my willpower not to scream and scratch his eyes out. "Durand was pressed for time, so I brought the insurance papers myself. Are you feeling stable enough to sign now, my love?"
"Yes," I whispered, letting my body slump slightly into a chair at the dining table. "Let's get it over with. My head hurts so badly, Antoine. The drops... they make me feel so dizzy."
"It's just the healing process, darling," he said, opening his briefcase and pulling out the thick stack of documents. He placed them in front of me, aligning the plastic signature guide over the page. He handed me the black digital fountain pen I had brought with me, not realizing it wasn't his own.
Behind him, Élise stood by the kitchen counter, watching with a greedy, impatient intensity.
"Right here, Mathilde," Antoine said, placing my fingers on the plastic guide. "Just write your full name, Mathilde Delcourt, and the word 'Lu et approuvé'. It's just a formality for the insurance company to cover your medical expenses and our home equity."
"Are you sure this is the right thing to do, Antoine?" I asked, my voice trembling perfectly. "You promise this will protect our home? Our future?"
"I swear it on my life, Mathilde," Antoine said, his voice filled with a sickeningly sweet conviction. "Without this, we could lose everything. I am doing this entirely for you. Trust me."
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I lowered the pen to the paper. Through my eyelashes, I read the bold print right above my hand: UNCONDITIONAL AND IRREVOCABLE ASSIGNMENT OF ALL COMMERCIAL PROPERTY AND LIQUID ASSETS TO ALTAIR HOLDING LTD.
I pressed the pen down and began to write my name.
