“I discovered something regarding Chloe.”
Nicolas whispered:
“What?”
Then the video cut off.
Black screen.
A single message appeared:
FILE 1 OF 3.
PART 3 — THE TRUTH NO ONE SAW COMING We remained silent.
Nicolas stared at the screen.
“He knew…”
I nodded slowly.
“Apparently.”
“Mom, why didn’t Dad ever tell you anything?”
“I don’t know.”
Maître Delmas took the flash drive.
“There are two other files.”
“Why not open them?”
He looked at me.
“Because your husband likely protected them for a reason.”
I took the drive back.
“Then we’re going to watch them.”
The second file opened.
My husband appeared once more.
This time, he looked much more serious.
“If you’ve made it this far, it means you found out Chloe tried to use the power of attorney.”
Nicolas jumped up abruptly.
“He knew exactly what she was going to do.”
I motioned for him to sit back down.
The video continued.
“Martine, I don’t want you to blame Nicolas. He may not even be aware.”
Nicolas looked down.
“Dad knew me well.”
My husband went on:
“I met someone who knew Chloe before her marriage to our son.”
I felt my heart sink.
“Someone?”
The video was now displaying a series of documents.
Photographs.
Bank statements.
Names.
I recognized Chloe immediately.
Yet she looked younger.
Much younger.
Next to her stood a man I had never seen before.
My husband said his name.
“Antoine Mercier.”
Nicolas leaned toward the screen.
“Who is that?”
I shook my head.
“I don’t know.”
My husband’s voice went on:
“This man has been tied to several shady real estate transactions. Chloe was seeing him before she met Nicolas.”
Nicolas remained silent.
The video then showed photographs of villas, office buildings, and financial records.
“I’m not saying Chloe took part in all of these operations,” my husband explained. “However, I discovered that she carried substantial debts prior to marrying our son.”
Nicolas closed his eyes.
“She told me she had never had any financial problems.”
I placed a hand on his arm.
The video continued.
“And most importantly, I found out something about our villa in Nice.”
My attention locked onto the screen immediately.
“The villa is not just a house.”
Maître Delmas frowned.
My husband continued:
“A portion of the land holds a unique legal value due to an old right-of-way and an easement dating back several decades.”
He went on to explain that the property had previously been subject to an old inheritance dispute.
A complex legal technicality.
Yet significant enough to make the villa far more valuable than it appeared.
Nicolas whispered:
“Why did Chloe want the villa?”
I answered:
“Maybe because she knew all of this.”
The third file opened automatically.
However, it was not a video.
It was an audio recording.
My husband’s voice echoed across the room.
“Martine, this is the last thing I need to tell you.”
The sound of breathing.
Then:
“If Chloe ever tries to seize control of the villa, do not negotiate with her.”
I closed my eyes.
“Protect Nicolas, but never grant him access to the original documents.”
Then his voice grew fainter.
“And above all…”
A long pause.
“Do not trust anyone who comes to you proposing an urgent sale of the property.”
The recording stopped.
Nicolas looked at Maître Delmas.
“Why was my father saying that?”
Maître Delmas stayed silent.
Then his phone rang.
He picked up.
“Yes?”
A few seconds passed.
His expression shifted.
“When?”
He listened a moment longer.
Then he hung up.
I stood up.
“What is it?”
He looked at me.
“Mrs. Laurent… someone just submitted a purchase offer for your villa.”
Nicolas frowned.
“A purchase offer?”
“Yes.”
“Nobody put it on the market!”
Maître Delmas nodded.
“Exactly.”
I felt a chill run down my spine.
“Who made the offer?”
He handed me his phone.
A name appeared.
Antoine Mercier.
Nicolas bolted up from his chair.
“That’s the man from the video.”
I looked at the name.
Everything was coming together.
The forged power of attorney.
The changed entry code.
The attempted transfer.
The villa.
And now this man.
Yet one question lingered.
Why would Chloe need him?
At that moment, my phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
I answered.
“Hello?”
No response.
Then a male voice whispered:
“Mrs. Laurent?”
“Who are you?”
“You should accept the offer.”
I froze.
“Why?”
A brief laugh.
“Because you have no idea what your villa is truly worth.”
“And you do?”
Silence.
Then:
“Far more than you could ever imagine.”
The call dropped.
Nicolas was staring at me.
“Who was that?”
I showed him the phone.
“Antoine Mercier.”
Maître Delmas immediately stood up.
“We need to leave this house.”
I looked at him, startled.
“Why?”
“Because if this person is truly connected to what your husband uncovered, we don’t know how far he is willing to go.”
Right then, a dull thud sounded outside.
Something had just hit the gate.
Nicolas looked out the window.
“Mom…”
I walked over.
A man was standing on the other side of the gate.
Dark suit.
Glasses.
Phone in hand.
He slowly raised his eyes toward the villa.
Then he smiled.
I recognized his face instantly.
It was the man from the photograph.
Antoine Mercier.
Nicolas stepped back.
“It’s him.”
Antoine held up an envelope.
Then he placed it against the gate.
He didn’t try to break in.
He only wanted us to see it.
Maître Delmas moved toward the window.
“Don’t move.”
“What does he want?”
“Probably to scare us.”
I looked at the envelope.
Written across it was a single sentence:
“YOU FOUND THE FIRST SECRET. THERE ARE TWO LEFT.”
Nicolas looked at me.
“Mom…”
I took a deep breath.
“Call the police.”
Then I took one last look at the man in front of the gate.
I realized something right then.
Evicting Chloe was not the end of this story.
It was only the beginning.
Because my husband hadn’t left that video to tell me what Chloe had done.
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