Anne-Catherine earns her license, buys a red Ford Ka, and moves into a Mulhouse studio, ignoring Stéphane’s calls for months. During this separation, Stéphane doesn’t steal, drifts through temp jobs, and broods in the attic. He finally persuades her with apologies, accepting the abortion and claiming his addiction is broken.

Craving excitement yet wary, Anne-Catherine sets terms: no violence and no active role in thefts. She keeps her apartment as a refuge but returns to live with Stéphane in the attic. The reconciliation restores intimacy but preserves distance from his crimes.

Revived, Stéphane resumes stealing alone while she works, first taking small items, then turning to churches he’d previously avoided out of deference to his mother’s faith and Anne-Catherine’s discomfort. Working without a lookout, he lifts a winged cherub, a Christ bust, a Mary Magdalene bas-relief, and other devotional objects, further crowding the attic.

As 2000 begins, they spend New Year’s at home. Their Swiss ban expires, and Stéphane secures a high-paying waiter job across the border, commuting long hours and earning more than ever.

Flush with cash, he pursues legal thrills, planning travel and taking Anne-Catherine on a two-week Dominican Republic vacation where he abstains from theft. She warns that stealing in Switzerland remains off limits. He agrees in theory, yet each commute rekindles temptation as he passes Swiss museums.