The Swiss jury returns a verdict in two and a half hours: because Stéphane Breitwieser never used violence, his crimes are classified as simple theft. He receives four years, including time already served, plus large but not astronomical restitution. Expecting near-immediate release based on investigators’ hints, he feels betrayed as he is led back to prison, seeing his father cry for the first time.

In Swiss custody, Breitwieser works dismantling computers, clings to status conferred by inflated valuations, and receives no word from Anne-Catherine. Appeals fail. In July 2004 he is extradited to France, where conditions are harsher and degrading. He learns his French case will consolidate other jurisdictions.

Without warning, investigator Michèle Lis-Schaal convenes a joint meeting due to irreconcilable statements: Breitwieser had minimized Anne-Catherine’s role, while she denied any knowledge. When pressed, he abruptly claims he misremembered and declares she was never his accomplice. The exasperated investigator dismisses the room. In a fleeting hallway moment, he senses mutual warmth and renews hope.

On January 6, 2005, the Strasbourg trial opens. Breitwieser arrives prepared, spots both parents and Anne-Catherine. As Anne-Catherine swears to tell the truth, she adds that she is the mother of a nineteen-month-old boy. The revelation, implying a post-arrest pregnancy, emotionally floors Breitwieser and shatters his expectations.