Marchand de Poison: Les Batailles de la Vie

In the heart of early‑20th‑century Paris, a modest storefront on Rue de Châteaudun becomes the headquarters of a burgeoning empire. Two brothers‑in‑law, Vernier and Mareuil, have clawed their way from obscurity to dominate the city’s financial and beverage markets, weaving their influence through banks, the Bourse, and the vineyards that stretch across the Midi. Their company, a “Banque de l’Alimentation,” offers loans tied to wine warrants, binding producers to their will while supplying the capital that fuels their ascent. To the outside world they are respected financiers, yet the whisper of their name also hints at a darker command over France’s drinking habits.

Vernier’s own story begins in the ranks of a modest wine merchant, where he learned the alchemy of adulterating spirits. Disillusioned with selling ordinary wine, he engineers a potent, high‑proof aperitif that thrills the most hardened drunkards, exploiting a society restless under social upheaval. His philosophy is starkly pragmatic: if someone will profit from a vice, it might as well be him. As his concoctions flood the streets, the line between savvy entrepreneurship and outright poison begins to blur, setting the stage for a clash between ambition and conscience.