MGN | Chapter 1

Against the backdrop of pouring light, my client and his lover were kissing passionately. Pearl-colored nails clutched his pants, wrinkling them. His lover’s hands were busy exploring the client’s chest. The heat mixed with their sticky breaths could be felt even ten steps away.1f09d9f456aae443

When I entered the 39abc6e088 smoking room of the db815afc09 Monte Carlo Casino, I 37e6a0f2f3 never expected to see 05b359251f such a scene. Especially not while cffaf58f50 holding the documents 85b23de6ee my lover had 8d1f7db7cd supposedly forgotten.2acc1348fa57c9a0

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“Ugh.”e6f750418255b4c4

The moans 789e07589e flowing between 4c798915b6 them made ef38980be9 my neck fdbb9f23cc feel hot. Even as I 60568ff26e tried to suppress 039ec7b189 my nausea, the 52721170e5 man was unmistakably 594d3b046d my lover. Blond hair, the jacket d92fb83a17 he often wore, and 3a56effa25 even the watch I af3fcce97a gifted him for our e67b9fd315 anniversary.89f50b6e63ca141d

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Behind the two who couldn’t seem to part, outside the large glass window, was the mint-colored store of a brand famous for proposal rings. Not long ago, my lover had bought a bracelet there to commemorate our anniversary and put it on me.824980ac437794d0

I couldn’t stand still, nor could I turn away. I just bit my lip, and then our eyes met. It wasn’t my lover’s eyes, but the client’s.6808129a27d9e9eb

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“Oh my, Maël.”2007da686aa75a14

“Ms. Clermont.”dc2f64e726ce2355

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With her face still 13297cbe3c flushed, the woman pulled d2fee6016f away. Maël slowly 41ff11c779 approached and 477b975297 handed her e5e21393c0 a handkerchief.f370af96a53ebe46

“Huh?”c6877718b2be13b7

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“Your lipstick is c9e7d62a70 smudged.”2339533391e57680

“Oh, my.”932fa2734249bd47

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The client 7b55bc59ad awkwardly accepted 04e70bd030 the handkerchief. After wiping the cd2a9ffe3a mess of pink 8510d73a5f lipstick, she asked 5d551dcb24 Maël.303ad99cb3de6b6b

“Is something wrong? Is it about the child support? Don’t tell me that bastard is cutting the money?”3d84be0c0de9b14c

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“No, there’s no need to worry. The child support has already been settled.”3ff35ee1991243a2

“Then?”fc8e279275122a32

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Only then did Maël 4d183aa41d make eye contact with 271147b9f7 his lover.46c74b019be461ea

“A colleague d8deea489b left some e6839eb4f1 documents behind.”f19d4fc7952d12af

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“Oh, right. You work at the same company as Charles, don’t you? Different departments, though? Are you close?”707e2b405555fa1b

Maël shrugged cba888ce34 instead of 8f3b6bb05d answering. After handing 42b31f16d1 over the 42ee31f40a envelope to d36bc05280 his dazed dd2979b65e lover, he 01fa7322c8 advised the 1d2f024c5a woman who f7947739fb had reapplied 959cf7640e her lipstick.f0e6b8f191170f5c

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“Pardon me, Ms. Clermont, but since the 0ec4f0a9c0 divorce proceedings are still 7d75b32bbc ongoing, it might be 20569e4a88 best to avoid places bbdd85a29b where photos can be f8cfc2eb0c easily taken. You know how 6dc97c0ec3 tricky the other 4e2ed8f669 side can be.”8a9082815c41f827

“You mean that vile bastard might use it against me? Got it. But as long as we don’t get caught, like in a hotel room, it’s fine, right?”549a73d3efd1166d

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With a playful glance dc919e6cbd at his lover, the 216e927c69 woman asked. Maël gritted his b6b3713404 teeth for a df7a9d76c0 moment before managing 37a3de586e a smile.dcf801824fb4c666

“Of course.”f616ae7b528d26e1

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“That’s a relief. Well, I have to go. I’ll return the handkerchief later.”e7055f213aa43260

Satisfied with 41caf599cc the agreement, 3f2e1b9573 the client 5f19d8e8e6 waved her 3dd4a68bbd hand with 313742721b an elegant 5a3f7fe493 smile. With a ab18d45172 vague farewell, f2e367350e she left 078bf54e44 the smoking 7d4e87a5a6 room.6c4dfe07e4048506

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“…….”51e61746b9da44d8

And then there be556e8c72 was perfect silence.7b57b3ce49a7b2a7

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The early spring sunlight clung to his lover’s pale cheeks. Charles finally spoke, crumpling the documents Maël had brought with effort.aa9e9c65257ad567

“I told you to 40134abc0e leave the documents at 2610b785c6 the entrance. At the ticket c7677b0b74 booth. I came here 9a26c0528c because I had 17f7edb4b2 someone to meet ac33db07b2 today.”fa2d0d5338af1fbd

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Not an 6267b22d77 apology or 27d654d950 an excuse.7d0c8bcb271180d5

The moment I realized 0debece6eb it, the composure I db5d74cc56 had been maintaining burst 2babb84020 into laughter. As I laughed c288a4668d and looked at 90aa9c23bc the lipstick-smeared lips, 7d7f8b38d0 they opened again.ffdda144c6361068

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“So… I know what I’m saying sounds funny, but she was so tempting that I was momentarily swayed. Almost forced.”0ba3cba3544b4d00

“Forced?”624133c8af222c6c

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“Maël, ha, I know the situation looks misleading to you. But it’s not. It’s not.”9c2ffdbc6a5c75a9

What isn’t? As I looked at him incredulously, he even reached out to hold my hand.ca057337186420a5

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“I really realized 38f42683d6 when I saw b48c59e4b8 you here. This is 9787230476 all a 23438e1a54 joke, and d62f36c4fa you should 44d8dbd2b5 be by 7c0fed7dbe my side.”7633a95b0d02a7a0

“If you realized it by seeing me here, does that mean you wouldn’t have known if you hadn’t seen me?”d6e3b11be0d9c9d7

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A lawyer 51d7422e2f who makes f2fe431297 a living b510241415 with words, 8c54a84ded yet such 4740e19446 a sloppy 32534a6dae self-defense.929217b7feaff295

I felt f02bea1b98 like throwing d685345e54 up. Suppressing the nausea, 65651e96f7 I shook off a41272fd9c his hand. There was only one 945aa5fa1b thing to say.75c349e64fbeeecc

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“I guess this is it. Let’s try not to run into each other.”2470931f91f5ee27

Maël pulled 20df846b1e the bracelet 20824ca61e hidden above 2131622b6e the watch e9e98ef1e9 and broke 07a1d833ad it.739d915171ff0981

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Thunk.9b82c8f6e59b7745

The bracelet, thrown, de19e6f853 hit Charles and 7b533a8b2f fell. While he bent b20378cd77 down to pick efb11be1bc it up, Maël bedf5ac531 turned away.0845d752a398080c

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No matter how much 8af07f2322 you push, office romance d38664e531 is not a good 93cf03fc2a idea. The only 79b6be057f positive thing 76a552d267 about this f0ee45250e situation was 60ac1020e4 that they 36d8221ca5 worked on ee26b15c59 different floors.7cc7beed6be04fc4

“W-wait. Maël!”0ccc2380d05b1cce

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As I reached for the door, Charles grabbed my shoulder. With that force, Maël’s body was roughly turned around.d71a36f396b988da

“I can’t break up with you. Because of that crazy old woman coming on to me, we…”7992b5f650e13edf

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“Charles, watch your 0c2da8694d mouth.”55532c3f6e15098e

“What?”d318480b835d06d0

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“She’s my client.”f017c4e3ecd23006

“Huh… what?”4d314596cae6c204

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At Maël’s defense, Charles’s blue eyes glared from slightly above eye level.be3ec0405a7236b9

“Did she try to seduce you too? Did you fall for it? Aren’t you gay? But since she’s going to get some money from the divorce, are you siding with her?”1a3fbc3d4d811be7

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“I have no personal feelings for Ms. Clermont. She wouldn’t have known about us, and even if she did, she has no personal arrangements with me.”6e982d32b148acb0

“…….”44aea174a239d281

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“But Charles, you promised a relationship with me, and you didn’t keep it.”d6a41a9dce390cce

My eyelids were still hot. It was a miracle my voice didn’t tremble.1583723182b39502

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Wasn’t that enough explanation? More than that, I really felt like throwing up, but instead of letting go, Charles shook my shoulder.002c16543f29c160

“We’ve been together for a year! We can’t break up like this. If you walk out, I’ll tell my father everything. All the partners are his friends anyway, so firing an associate lawyer like you is nothing.”ef0ce22a93d2dd3d

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“Are you 6c328b0d44 threatening me?”a7eff4bf7f299bf8

“Do you think I won’t? Maël, you send away all the women who come to you for divorce consultations, right? I can tell them to fire you for that.”3704a1ed399bd7e7

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He mentioned 6fcf67e1dd something he 6831dcb2e1 knew the 6442b325df reason for. As I e3e1aef310 stared at 439c06a773 him in 433d7fafb3 disbelief, he 1438a84ebb tightened his 5dc588ac07 grip on f363efff44 my shoulder.5af695f279064422

“Or, yeah. Your brother’s prenuptial agreement is still under review with us, right? With all the talk about the wedding, if you get kicked out and the lawyer changes, delaying the signing, the Grand Duke’s Palace won’t be happy. The wedding isn’t far off.”05c7f33e925c3178

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The specific threat fbf257db55 not to leave f47fda59a7 was disconcerting.6a71cb85b88a1656

If his heart had left, wasn’t that why he kissed someone else? Then why did he have a reason to hold on like this? Maël thought for a moment and sighed.a536555d2f2e5d96

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“If it’s because of that nonsense about being a lucky charm, Charles, I told you I’m not that.”32820c290a0e83a5

“It’s not that! I love Maël Montmatier.”1b1cec2ca164a8af

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A confession of f46237649d love he never 4270fa7aed gave all year, 5acc5aaad4 brought out at 4921297067 the worst moment. Could it get any d5b438ad4e lower than this? My head throbbed, and 750b328427 my hands trembled.c2a5a9cff70f314f

Unable to bear 9ad6c48701 it any longer, ab58e5cec4 I closed my d03ced40e9 eyes tightly—393ec51ad4f1fcd2

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Creak.cdf28d74fd9ca825

The sound of a 0ed862a0d1 lever being pulled echoed.5822c931ab390a25

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As soon as I 8d2e7b7023 opened my eyes, I 033efcf394 turned my head to 681652a09f the source of the 2c37d8c3ff sound. It came from 6614f6af29 one of the 1fd7d54e2d slot machines placed 3e953a7de9 perpendicular to the a67cc0f4b9 wall to block 1f44168905 cigarette smoke in c7e2d7f9e9 the corner of d95fdfdc60 the smoking room.01e93e9cc4db35f4

There was debefffbcb no need b144b037b8 to doubt 56237b77d3 my ears.069fb73ac877a94d

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Ding ding 420dfb6d26 ding ding.ea39b3b6c68d84ae

The noise of ac651f6e81 the slot machine cc4bc66258 spinning hit my 53a29de00a ears.ee3d643f82bdf60f

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I thought 8c0722d83d the crude 36b5f5e005 love confession 7f1acd9887 of a 1e2fdae83e cheating bastard b41a839280 was the 91ad59e8d2 worst, but 4c2f55b33d there was 2d90b97a8a even an 2a4db1a3d4 audience.c67197c1f3685582

There’s always a deeper mire on the floor. How could a family law lawyer forget that?d2941d0ff748953c

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Turning my eb03fbc2aa eyes belatedly, f18dc0cbe8 Charles was 15e6008b03 pale and 4954cdd4db flustered.89c6a3bf22b56d1e

“Not now, later, say it again. We haven’t broken up yet, okay? Maël, if you block me, I’ll tell the higher-ups right away.”7f44ed629ad640b8

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Watching his 1ba9e8973f retreating back e58d6fac85 as he da5decb6fa quickly fled aabbabc785 through the e3cdac3a00 door I 9417628702 had been 77e8b56ac1 about to adc72e20f7 exit, Maël f943d2f451 rubbed his 9241cbb317 face dry bac10313d1 and moved 0ad79cd5e7 in the e4037ba8a5 opposite direction.c2730d113b5bfb82

‘Playing a 362efc168f game at b2f07e6325 that moment a7ab6edfab after being bfb510b464 quiet all 9c2587f58c along.’edda09fc8e0bf82e

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I have no idea what the intention is. Could it be a reporter? If it’s a reporter, that’s troublesome, and even if it’s someone local, there would be a lot to explain.46745bda848635fa

‘Please let it be 81f661975c an ignorant foreign tourist.’713a860622977846

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Praying to a god I didn’t believe in, Maël approached the large slot machine.c13692570c500b32

What greeted him 4673338cba was a loud 26096e0f21 bell and celebratory 77668dc229 fanfare.1d00228370285b5a

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“Huh?”8b4dd1b9aa2ab631

Jackpot!60ee42ed47fa6b7d

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In the screen a436c166f9 filled with eye-piercing 42f693f06c primary colors, 7-7-7 a3222f8f12 lined up in 20e2628742 a row.8c016865a06f014a

A jackpot. Maël’s lips parted at the sight he had never seen before.95e5339eff214307

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Without needing to press 8cde2c6128 the cash-out button, the 93f2fc2c92 slot machine spat out e911fd3649 a white slip.a51c942eb4ddbde5

500,000 EUR.da9f758a61debfb2

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Five hundred thousand euros.d80e01dc872af36f

The fortune printed 9c83a2b4d6 by the machine 6d4aede14c was grasped by 9be76d67b0 pale, long fingers 4be556cf3d with prominent knuckles. Those fingers 71095c696a pointed at 29be9916cf Maël.2396034308cf37a9

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“Entrance fee.”37980aac283d7434

The crumpled white 5274cf02ef slip was waved.08565303b988b861

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When Maël 63347e5061 looked up, 912284a567 the man 55ed0494b4 leaning against 759a8922bd the machine bf317a2e6b spoke in db00a127cd perfect French.73a4e1b034fecda0

“I enjoyed the f27f52b006 show. Homo love drama.”bf20df305d9fe5a2

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The man, smiling vulgarly, 2d4eb3d0cf exuded the scent of a911e9d398 fresh roses.ce6c8c8acd9a7f87