Neutral Territory – Mountains of Savoy – November 16, 1937 – 3:48 PM
The car climbed the quiet slopes until it reached the secluded chalet nestled in the mountains. A thin snow had begun to fall, blanketing the trees with a softness that didn't match the weight they all carried.
Claire stepped out first, holding the envelope close to her chest. The original dossier. The final code. The last truth.
— "How long are we safe here?" Solène asked.
— "Hours, at most," Émile replied. "No more than that."
Lorelei was already inside, spreading documents across the large wooden table.
— "We have two options," she said bluntly.
— "We release everything now. Global scandal. Diplomatic chaos."
She placed another sheet beside it.
— "Or we use it as leverage. Pressure governments. Demand real dismantling."
Claire looked at both pages.
One meant fire.
The other, blackmail.
— "Which one saves more lives?"
Madeleine appeared in the doorway, unnoticed until that moment.
— "The one with less idealism and more calculation," she said flatly.
—
Makeshift Communications Room – 4:12 PM
Solène set up the radio. Protected frequency. A direct line to journalists, allies… and enemies.
Claire prepared the message.
Across the world, reporters were already waiting.
— "Are you ready to lose everything?" Émile asked.
She nodded.
— "I've already lost the illusion. I can lose the rest."
—
On the paper, she wrote the decision.
Folded it. Sealed it.
And said:
— "The truth will go out. But it won't be thrown. It will be used. One last time. Before it destroys me."
—
Outside, the snow was falling.
But inside the house, it was the world that stood frozen.
Waiting to see what Claire would choose to reveal.