Great! Here's the **full, literary version of Chapter IV – "Tensions and Scars"**, a sequel to the novel:---

# **Chapter IV – Tensions and Scars**

The days after the discovery of the cellar brought a mixture of excitement and anxiety to Gabrielle. Each morning, she woke with the thought that they had to proceed cautiously, but they couldn't back down. The Beaumont house, though still silent and peaceful, seemed to watch her every move, as if remembering all the lies and secrets that had accumulated within its walls over the decades.

Marguerite, Gabrielle's younger sister, was the first to notice the changes in her siblings' behavior. She had grown accustomed to the quiet of the house and its orderly life, and the sudden discovery of Éloa's papers made her uneasy.

"Gabrielle," she said one evening by the fireplace, holding a cup of tea whose aroma mingled with the smell of wood burning in the stove, "you must understand this. Not everything you find will be good for our family." Not everything should see the light of day.

Gabrielle looked at her with determination. "Marguerite, if we are to discover the truth, we must do it now. We cannot live in the shadow of secrets that threaten not only us, but the entire Valley."

Marguerite looked away, tears welling in her eyes. "I fear the truth could destroy us… and that not everyone in the family will be ready to accept it."

Antoine, who had been watching the entire conversation in silence, felt the weight of responsibility. He knew his task was not only to protect his family but also to guide them through the coming storm.

"We all have our scars," he said slowly, sitting by the fireplace. "And some wounds are deeper than we think. Discovering what Éloi left behind not only reveals the project but also reminds us of old quarrels, betrayals, and secrets that still live in our memories."

Gabrielle felt Antoine's words cut straight to her heart. Images of her childhood flooded her mind: arguments with her brother, her father's anger, her mother's nightly tears, which had always seemed invisible. Now all these memories were linked to the discovery she had just made.

In the following days, the tension in the house became increasingly acute. Gabrielle spent long hours poring over the documents, trying to understand Éloi's project, each new detail raising new questions. Marguerite watched her with growing anxiety, and Antoine tried to mediate between the siblings, trying to maintain peace.

One afternoon, Gabrielle found a note among her notes, on which Éloi had written about the betrayal he had suffered and the archive fire that had been intended to conceal the truth from his family and the authorities. Gabrielle felt a knot in her stomach—the scars of the past were deeper than she had ever imagined.

"Antoine… we have to fix this," she said determinedly, showing him the note. "We can't let history repeat itself."

Antoine gave her a long look, then nodded. "I know. But we must tread carefully. Not everyone will be ready for the truth."

That evening, Gabrielle felt for the first time that the discoveries she had made no longer concerned only Éloi's documents and projects. They concerned all the scars the Beaumont family bore—and which they now had to heal together.

In the walls of the house, in the silence of the room, where laughter and shouts echoed one moment, then silence, Gabrielle felt that her return was not accidental. Every step, every discovery led her deeper into the truth that would ultimately unite the family—if only everyone had the courage to accept it.

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