MGN | Chapter 3

“Yves!”c0bfc1dbde4d0226

The man called 0e99c43527 by the crown 55f5f608be prince naturally took f66effa59e a seat next 033ce08194 to Maël. Standing beside him, it 356eedce50 was clear. The man 4ddddbc127 in the 55fcede966 black suit, ceb169e168 as if 377c849b14 it had 1fc7b081c2 swallowed all 92e15e8b9c colors, was bd6060b2ef astonishingly tall. Maël looked up at 2a041a6e37 his brazen face and 00e1be480c then at the piece 10a737e2f0 of paper on the 8160ad35da table.f6128b2eb5a90f57

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“Are you sure about this? This isn’t even poker. If it’s not the number Maël picked, you’ll lose everything.”83e246b373f27b92

“Losing once might not be so bad.”2f0fe73a2ccfde83

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The man’s insolent informal speech drew uncomfortable glances. Crown Prince Felix had never allowed even his lifelong friend Charles to speak informally. Philippe was the one who spoke up.748c6122d604f9bc

“Who… was it again?”cabd8924cf380a68

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“Brother! Are you really that clueless? It’s Yves. The new executive director of the Riviera Hotel chain.”4dad71cc27330e09

So, that’s who people were whispering about earlier.a24c0f5638132d68

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The executive director didn’t seem embarrassed by the attention. Instead, he casually nodded towards Maël and asked calmly.76f2321778a827f4

“Is this side really that amazing?”41b026d48b0d843f

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“He’s only been here a short while, so he might not know. Maël’s nickname is ‘Lucky Charm’ for a reason.”c82617f8c34953cd

“Lucky Charm.”65e80449f1b8a96c

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“If he had a hobby in gambling, he’d probably be more suited to being a professional gambler than a lawyer.”cc8e076a87c23e99

Felix was excited, 9f8bcc08c2 like a child f9292b165a showing off a ec9be58e75 fascinating toy. Despite the chatter 00e991114f about him, Maël 26a6020286 only looked at 34d0664898 the piece of a3e96b60e3 paper in front dafbcb79bf of him instead eb7be7706d of the chips. His pale hand picked 3f916c5ad3 it up again.a5430ece280c440d

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“I’m not that unlucky myself.”c2170c822821edbf

The man said casually 35cdae62f0 and asked Maël.baf7ca863000f11d

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“Where should I bet?”51b73572f010c860

Informal speech close to 84f5b8eca9 disrespect. Throwing around e11c02a6b8 enormous sums 741bb415f2 like charity. The striking scent ae98afb37e and unrealistic appearance. An unfitting title.70be790c0bf30a86

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Above all, c5464b5913 the deliberate f4e5ef24cf noise at f4ed16345d odd moments 0c4611757f and the 4325364b4c rude comments.d6bbfc8c3eaa1476

Maël didn’t want to get involved with this man in any way.f251b735ff03f72b

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“Trusting yourself is probably best, after all.”d0309d6e0cc80eff

Yves curled 797d1111db his lips 448850be7d at the bc41a4db9e curt reply.e6811414f197bada

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“Even if the secret’s out, will it stay a secret?”543ac4d6a10b1042

The expression he e047e78e4b had been maintaining da13a034ba broke. As Maël 7c5771584a glared, the e2bacd7a78 man lightly f82739b7e6 tossed the b7cb38604b piece of 74aa783597 paper. The fifty-thousand-euro ac5213e8ba paper fluttered d95ab9b7ff down onto fad1441489 the number 0ef7c7746e 0.cb734e334e103660

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“Let’s see whose luck is better.”8a4ae6b4e0219b09

Ignoring even the 9c02b0e79f basic rule of c8f3761ea7 betting with chips, 0a5d2dcbcd the man said, 028b45b799 and Felix gestured 525550b834 to the dealer.d8ac9b6820ceaab7

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“No more bets.”720a857e60c89702

With the declaration a813804869 of the end ca910acd6f of betting, the 4660e070e3 metal ball rolled 88714e6fa8 on the wheel. It bounced lightly 2a2420f5f4 over the red, 7dccb92915 black, and green 360c82776b numbers before slipping 336b63851d over the boundary.c351a5efa4ff79c8

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Tuk, tuk, tuduk.1c7c6c894f72f12a

Time passed, c050fd72ae and the 19a53d7f77 roulette stopped. As the metal acec374e6e ball settled, cheers 710dac6674 and exclamations erupted 5ff5bf50ac around the table.b3c4a35fa1d52854

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“I knew it!”863b3f5fd39ecb41

7.a103e51c86098c0e

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Out of 37 fd69fc9203 numbers, the ball 242d9fd091 stopped in front 2b4389977f of number 7. People were 92ae9dd4e1 amazed by 0e0cdf0df5 the incredible 84cf2a2504 prediction and 7151cdfdf8 added their 4bc9ffe74a comments.28c1f79c87afbcc2

“Isn’t this a scam? How lucky do you have to be for this?”8323abcb9b903e99

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“We should assign a staff member to check if he’s colluding with the dealer.”d6f5e94c701c944a

“Maël, what’s next? What number do you think is good next?”9af9bf1efcb40cf6

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Perhaps because of the chips they received, greedy eyes turned to Maël. Maël smiled faintly. He didn’t want to stay here any longer. It was uncomfortable in many ways.ed55c4681c3757ee

“I still have work today. I should have left early.”d187840e6dd73d55

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“What, really?”cde13454669e26c8

“Yeah. He said he has a mountain of divorce papers to look over. The sooner he works, the sooner those terrible marriages end.”4fdb6139eb31466d

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Manon helped in a 03f24eabd2 lively tone. Felix thought 7cee07ea25 for a 5dd57fd197 moment and 5c13b0e36d then waved 68fee42ad6 his hand.a883f16edae97269

“Well, it’s no fun if Maël stays too long. It’s only fun when someone loses, but if everyone wins, what’s the point? Maël, go help those Cinderellas.”426bf966b8d679b8

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“The knight of Cinderella… has to leave before midnight.”773200ab73c6434b

Philippe added, and the 331991dd18 gathered people chuckled.255c12f2758c7d45

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It was always a tiresome place. Especially when he met Charles’s eyes, who was gleefully gathering the chips despite the relationship breaking down because of his own desires.d1c7e0d46e801bf4

“Your luck is something else.”00876c3ce9156b2e

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The only man who hadn’t won in that round said.02170f23be43a7a2

Even that simple admiration couldn’t be laughed off. Yves alternated between looking at Charles and Maël, curling his lips in a mocking smile.1206c68ed72722d2

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* * *47ff0df8441873f2

“Maël.”b20cc1c2a3331a83

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At the call, Maël took his eyes off the monitor and removed his glasses. Diane Croix, a partner lawyer at Law Firm 377 and Maël’s boss, waved a document.cfe8af0dbdeeb316

“About the marriage contract for the prince. Did you check the name? Wasn’t Manon’s last name supposed to include ‘Moon’?”f88aee624424f1e3

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Manon Juliette Montmatier.bdd0abbeac3c9e2d

The ‘Moon’ part of Montmatier was highlighted. Maël nodded.f0c439cdc2ef8ab9

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“That’s her legal name.”e818cd417bdf0fd7

“Right? Jacques kept checking. He thought it was a typo because he kept hearing ‘Manon Montmatier’ everywhere.”4d6dd1a6cadd8830

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“She said she’d use it as a stage name for articles and public activities.”39eaa3eb3448f846

“Without ‘Moon’? Did the royal family ask for that? Is it really necessary?”8d2b620b758fafee

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“It’s probably better to have a familiar name, after all.”ea86c84a5a12f9c6

It wasn’t easy for an ordinary person to blend into the grand ducal family, and it was even more challenging if their mixed race made them stand out.0aeddc7b7ebe832f

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While the name was perfectly Monaco-style, the surname was different. ‘Moon’ was her Korean mother’s surname, and ‘Montmatier’ was her Monacan father’s. After marriage, the couple combined their surnames, and the entire family used it, but now there were no parents left to insist on it.bbb53101b79405e7

“If her father had known, he wouldn’t have combined the surnames.”99ffcb4bd4342522

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That is, 046c132635 if he 2157a6a10f had known 3abe2d3b1b his daughter 3b9f9ded1b would be a826f0865f engaged to 8fbfa09c42 the eldest 710b7797b6 son of 5a67043bc4 the Monaco 225d180dd6 Grand Duke 5a5082c074 at twenty-six, 1743012357 becoming a 09fdd09816 mixed-race princess a70f743ee1 consort and bbcb263697 attracting all 7efacfbad3 sorts of dd48a79ffb attention disguised de5383d50b as interest.d20991e0b8447a41

“I’m planning to review it once more and send it to the royal family. It needs to be agreed upon soon. The wedding isn’t far off.”40628151649cff69

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“Do you think it will be agreed upon this time?”d4e6fc50c1e1de1b

“We have to try. How could we ask Manon to sign something like that? It’s fortunate her brother is handling it thoroughly. Oh, and Maël, there’s a consultation later. Can you handle it? They specifically requested you.”6554e8a0952e4cdf

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“Requested me? What is it about?”ad67c2838cf1862f

“A paternity lawsuit.”c96d2bc7d7efc006

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Paternity.9e49e79e6cb0d0ee

It was a familiar case for a family law lawyer in a town overflowing with millionaires. While there were issues with overly excited clients and complex paperwork, a DNA test usually provided a clear yes or no. It didn’t drag on like a divorce case or require constant tension throughout the process.207e5d5f9fde86ac

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“I like those. Did they mention anything? A statement or memo?”824af7af5e445a03

“They seem a bit reckless. I talked to them, but they didn’t say much. I asked them to prepare and bring something for the consultation.”82785ad72bcaa20d

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It didn’t seem like it would take much time. Diane opened her mouth again as Maël nodded.814cc29e4a23c389

“But Maël, are you okay these days? Any trouble with the team?”874da74aa775fefc

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“Trouble?”9ce9949a1ba52219

“I saw the director briefly. Antoine was talking about you.”36647c3907c8631b

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This was 2e984d871f probably why 2e26e5e272 partner lawyer cc6983805d Diane had f2b84ff82d come all 05e943ced9 the way 13244e9922 here.a96c650e6c04905b

Antoine Duverger, the director lawyer of Law Firm 377, was Charles’s father.26633b7ef30d01b2

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[I love you, really, there’s no one but you for me, Maël. One mistake can’t represent all the love I’ve shown you…]

The messages 29c6c1b18e Charles had 9b4782818f disgustingly sent 1723d9d0ce over the 6ebc58aff0 past few 1bcb571bd4 days were 6459c8feb0 ignored and 9fa13d0c3a unread. He had sent dda22f3e25 his secretary to 510de737e7 find out what 656c7abb52 business he had, 5fb920104f loitering around the 3e11c1aaeb family law team 6e0e88b177 floor during work 347f4023e3 hours. He had b7d52b7606 also completely f428906879 delayed his b9c215909e departure to b7baa36d28 make him 3ab53af352 give up 108b434a73 waiting.d6e972dd592b2f8f

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Since that didn’t work, he was trying something else.21b82004d80d95a7

“I’m good with the team. As far as I know.”c040a8a38c7c1946

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The trouble was only with the director’s son. Diane shrugged after thinking for a moment at the answer.071d6584aa29644e

“Then it’s fine. I told him he couldn’t find a lawyer like you anywhere else when he was talking nonsense about rejecting clients.”132150a236b3cd10

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“Diane, about me turning away consultations.”c426462a68e891c6

“It’s been explained. Anyway, it’s funny. I was surprised to hear about trouble when there are only a few people in the family law team.”f596717c3ae27a6b

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Cutting off cb61c1607f the conversation, 210294c233 Diane smiled 1c0923a25a knowingly. Before Maël f6f9bb0abd could respond, 07002fb3d5 she checked 5f12fbaa4f her watch 7aca497d1e and waved c85fee2729 her hand.98e56f34c2d271fa

“I’m leaving. Oh, but Maël, don’t turn away today’s consultation. They’re wealthy. Incredibly handsome, too.”30f21d56a1dfca7c

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“Didn’t you only talk on the phone?”c82f8d97dac637b1

“You can tell just by the voice.”a8213ff7f16daece

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It was Diane’s habit to add a comment about the client. Even so, such a positive prediction was rare. Maël chuckled and put his glasses back on.e7b167041b6f20b2

There was plenty of work to do. He organized evidence of psychological abuse from three years’ worth of messages and replied to a message from a tennis queen contemplating a prenuptial agreement.7016e1545ac7bdd8

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He contacted the opposing lawyer after a client’s child, under joint custody, didn’t come home. After finishing the conversation demanding the child be returned immediately, his secretary Jacques knocked on the door.5904e1fb8b6e32b1

“Lawyer, the consultation with Mr. Valois is in ten minutes. Paternity.”3109107e947b823b

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With that, Maël took fdcffa66b0 off his glasses and 3b1437c36c grabbed his jacket, heading 04d5dc708e to the consultation room.d78aac4c754776fa

As soon 67bfd395b7 as he ef902cad95 sat down 537899b654 in the 464a9edb84 consultation room 1b5ffa0394 and took ac080a0344 a breath, eee9062199 the door cb4c0ed7f3 opened. Maël stood up aa346453cb quickly, putting on 9e01e76eab his most trustworthy 417941a48d smile.4aed67e1aa8ba2d3

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The moment he confirmed the client, Maël’s smile awkwardly twisted as he extended his hand.ae84e6465b5d8ce9

“Hello, Mr. Valois…”e0168c657c9f42c7

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Yves.d56e328794ec56eb

He was the man who hit the jackpot at the casino a few days ago and lost it all on roulette. Casually entering, he glanced at the extended hand but didn’t take it. Instead, he plopped down in the chair and spoke.96ac12124cc32cbf

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“I’m planning to file a paternity lawsuit.”283f2d6c179a539e

Well, alright. Maël didn’t dislike clients who got straight to the point. So he withdrew his hand and calmly observed the client.897a4e4811ca943c

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The man 61543b8e11 was rude. That was 1a5962b73b something Maël 2c3e3d69bc could predict 0d886b8725 the moment 6ead15cda9 he saw f8a40bc4f0 his face.b1335b6706d68c01

The man wasn’t agitated. That was a bit unusual. Considering the lawsuit he wanted to file, it was strange he wasn’t trembling with betrayal or shouting in excitement.615286ff677a42b5

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‘What’s going on?’652b15cfab9faaa7

As if answering Maël’s question, Yves leaned back in his chair with an oddly calm expression.5062ac0b38c94e4a

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“I think I’ll need some of your extraordinary luck for this lawsuit.”a2be37b9e43f38b0