Chapter 15 - THE MAN INSIDE THE BOARD
The emergency doors opened into darkness.
Roman disappeared through the outer corridor.
Camilla followed him.
Isabelle remained beside Marcel.
Mateo helped Victor return to his wheelchair.
Detective Fournier’s team entered moments later.
The upload had stopped at ninety-eight percent.
Most records reached the authorities.
The final files remained inside the vault.
They contained the names of the network’s political protectors.
Someone had cut power to prevent their release.
Security footage identified the person entering the electrical control room.
Gabriel Stone.
Vice chairman of Moreau Maritime.
Victor had considered Gabriel his mentor.
Gabriel worked beside Marcel for decades.
After Marcel disappeared, he supported Victor’s rise.
He advised Victor to remove Celia from the board.
He recommended Laurent as chief financial officer.
He had placed both the enemy and the apparent ally beside Victor.
Gabriel escaped through the harbor tunnel during the blackout.
Roman and Camilla used the same route.
Isabelle was detained for questioning.
Marcel surrendered voluntarily.
Victor met his mother before police removed her.
“You let Camilla push me.”
Isabelle looked exhausted.
“I believed Roman would stop the plan after the helicopter failed.”
“That is not an answer.”
“I knew Camilla intended an accident.”
“You did nothing.”
“I thought your death would prevent the network from destroying the company.”
“You chose the company.”
“I chose thousands of employees.”
“You always rename ambition when you need to sleep.”
The words struck her.
Isabelle lowered her eyes.
“I did love you.”
“You loved the version of me that protected the Moreau name.”
Victor looked toward the officers.
“You will answer for the rest.”
Marcel watched Isabelle leave.
“I should have exposed her years ago.”
“You should have exposed yourself.”
Marcel accepted the accusation.
Detective Fournier reported that Laurent’s warehouse contained the original helicopter maintenance records.
They proved Roman ordered the sabotage.
Camilla signed the payment authorization under a false name.
Laurent transferred the money.
Gabriel approved the repair company.
The first attempt involved all of them.
Victor’s paralysis had been an intended consequence of a murder plot.
Doctors reviewed the original crash injuries.
A spinal specialist offered cautious news.
Victor’s damage might not be permanent.
Armand had suppressed rehabilitation reports showing nerve improvement.
He kept Victor weaker through medication and limited therapy.
Victor could potentially regain partial movement.
The possibility brought no immediate joy.
It felt like another part of his body had been stolen by people he trusted.
Elena entered the vault carrying Gabriel’s personnel file.
“He has a private residence above Menton.”
“The police searched it.”
“Empty?”
“Not exactly.”
Inside the residence, officers found photographs of Victor, Celia and Isabelle taken over twenty years.
They also found letters from Roman’s mother.
Gabriel had maintained contact with her after Isabelle forced her to leave.
One letter revealed a deeper secret.
Roman Kael was not Marcel’s son.
Isabelle had lied inside the vault.
Roman’s biological father was Gabriel Stone.
Gabriel had allowed Roman to hate Marcel because that hatred made him useful.
Victor looked at the dark corridor.
Roman had spent his life seeking revenge against the wrong father.
May you like
Gabriel was now escaping with the only person who knew the truth.
Camilla.
