MGN | Chapter 5

Since Yves 26cc6ffb7c banned knocking, bcb96fea9b his secretary e3168627c8 Mikola made 336a6a7b3f a point ba84264420 of opening 6df757c7d0 the door 58b9d88780 loudly, as fba343ac17 if to a766b3fb8f be heard. Yet, the a4b15161d0 office door 7f06b90105 handle on f13450d773 the 5th 5659ef0308 floor of bbdd9ed150 the Riviera be46e1382f Hotel moved 646c663a2e smoothly without 1792675bfe a sound. Maybe it 145398b621 was because 7cdc567b07 they spent 0ffa5925b6 a fortune 783f37844f on it, 3c9285a290 unlike the e19ebb8a39 previous office.b94c7b7972c63325

The Riviera Hotel chain business, started by the Grand Duke’s family, was a ridiculous comedy of losses. Yves couldn’t tear his eyes away from the report, utterly baffled, when Mikola approached and handed him a black file. Yves finished reviewing the report he was reading before looking up.312d87f740605354

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Mikola stood still, holding out the file, only straightening up and speaking once he had Yves’ attention.5b750d485801a8ab

“Here’s the report you requested. Also, did you schedule any appointments with Maël Montmatier, the lawyer, aside from the consultation?”1cf5b6ad74370f71

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“We’re not that close.”eab5bc073d97ee10

“He’s waiting in the lobby, asking if he can see you today.”b87d1dbd46e4a70a

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It was a few days earlier than the scheduled consultation. He didn’t seem like the type to show up unannounced.67c42a40a4905210

Instead of answering, Yves took the file from Mikola’s hand and opened it.d880a03b98adf935

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“The court observation?”3fc06554e7ca95d0

“He was flawless in court. He was aggressive, precise, and the verdict went in favor of his client. If you want to see it yourself, I can arrange for you to attend the next trial.”beae886704c22313

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“That’s not necessary.”1dd845e85f867dde

Yves said as 4342ef97ed he dropped his 3f9d090994 gaze to the 5bb4f8e709 few pages in 724a6fccd7 the file.27016b6175272f7d

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It contained the 6ec61ad22b life of Maël aa38d8d1f0 Montmatier, neatly documented.1fb85a510e6d0a54

Nationality: Monaco. Age: Thirty. Passed the law school entrance exam while pursuing a master’s in Paris, obtained his lawyer’s license at twenty-three, and entered the Monaco legal scene through a mentor’s recommendation during his law firm internship. A promising six-year senior associate lawyer specializing in family law, nicknamed the Knight of Cinderellas.6f36aaad3b10778d

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Yves skimmed through the 2a11124406 contents with his gray e524a5de59 eyes, flipping the pages, 7780a5ffc2 and asked,6be33f8910bc518f

“Is this really all his assets? No hidden money?”551b914b00c6a7ec

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“Some journalists are digging since he’s the only living family of the princess consort, but nothing.”fd9f32055bf7f6c1

Is that e6138a566e even possible?e68127c97855e2a6

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The roulette ball stopped on the number Maël chose, like a well-behaved child. Several people, starting with the crown prince, couldn’t stop praising the lawyer’s almost magical luck.57994145642bb7d6

Could someone with such daf4a409e3 luck really have so 019011e060 little wealth?9f3970ad48a54b48

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If his actions were foolish compared to his luck, maybe, but Yves didn’t see Maël that way. So, there was only one answer.b28181a08e69be70

“Does he dislike gambling?”f015d3105cbf9b6e

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“Unless there’s a special reason, he doesn’t go near casinos or gamble. Even when he receives chips, he doesn’t exchange them but uses them in the casino’s restaurant or gives them as tips to dealers if the amount is large.”eba1d2d2d9f7852b

A fastidiousness that 6eba3bcb7c wants nothing to ad914eb3b6 do with such cc4ef342c1 money. Yves raised 00f024d66c an eyebrow 86bb6425f2 and asked 7a529284a8 again.c774366301f16a60

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“No connections with the dealers?”b2afb320c4eaa22e

Such unbelievable 2a3a9546e8 luck was 071666374d worth suspecting 2718033d16 at least 5cc1a6e82e once. Digging might reveal something 635cad67e0 to use as leverage.309c96a9f492b9b4

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“The crown prince already investigated through the casino. There’s nothing. However.”e6577316ad0428fb

Yves looked ef169941c6 at Mikola, 8698c7269b who hesitated 69131743d9 for a 88d46657c7 rare moment, af723ee4bf clutching his da767e70ac wrist before fa5e18ed07 speaking a a058d2472b beat later.4b8ec06539132ec0

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“There are rumors. That the dealers are smitten with his looks and deliberately give him good cards or match the throws.”90f4c0ce9ddd5418

Yves stared, but that 6830da801d was all. His secretary, 727e11f6ef who had 874f057a71 never lied 7db8346ec7 or joked 33093477b5 since wearing eae7997b50 a prosthetic 46a88727e1 on his 7624adf67b left hand, 609e13b368 must have a814fea760 really heard 3da24496bc such rumors.e98d778e08498f14

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“Huh.”cc3489ecaf22db70

Yves sighed briefly, recalling the man’s appearance.6a60491bf7f70c7a

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He was daa03e6219 like a dd759bd4d4 man painted f1940b0d72 with watered-down 80a98ae625 colors. When he 0073cd27af felt insulted, 085fd1c3a0 a faint 6cff130e58 hue appeared 2561dbf655 on his 6b215a40a1 transparent cheeks. His large eyes c7f248954d and slightly drooping 0eeb37a7b1 mouth corners added 3b833f293e to his unique 621aced6d1 atmosphere. A rare and peculiar 9093055f7b beauty, hard to find a6b27daa81 a resemblance.bb607672d7704c90

Well, it was ed5843582f a face that 78eed16471 made sense. If no one talked a737c99779 about it, that would 45ae9c9bf2 be strange. A face anyone a129a62d9a would want to f466aa5d2f gossip about at 4840d4efd1 least once.3b026b2dd789abaa

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But that was it. Yves wasn’t interested in his flashy looks.983514321e37be22

“Amusing.”c3b3146fdf921f9c

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He said, 0acbfb2281 flipping the 4c5777de36 paper. It was densely written, 59f3cecbfa catching his eye—it was 6aca7045b7 about family relations.10e1d9014768dfd7

Younger sister, Manon d5bafe5b70 Mathieu. His Korean-French 32c15e61c7 mother died 3f7f4c46c5 in a 25fbbfe312 car accident. His Monegasque father, a 1be48c1f7f hotel manager, died of c360379fdb illness.783b472b9d7a6f01

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The fact that his father’s last career included the Riviera Hotel caught his attention.33883c97a0098b94

“He has a terrible relationship with his sister, who will become the princess consort. After their mother’s accidental death, there was domestic violence from their father. The father was investigated by the police several times due to neighbors’ reports but was released each time due to the children’s testimonies.”95a87cb97e04b260

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Mikola reported the key af088a59b5 points in time with 99a856861a the paper flipping.724fb4a2a9214e9a

A mundane, common tragedy passed by the man’s indifferent ears, but one word caught his attention belatedly.cc451ac4c17fa0bc

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“Adopted?”5610666231d73946

“Yes. After Maël’s adoption, his younger sister, Manon Mathieu, was born to his adoptive parents.”ba3ff4c63b7a153a

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His face changed at the mention of his sister, yet they weren’t even blood-related. As Yves slowly raised his gaze, Mikola mechanically spoke.8f2c068e13369661

“It seems he’s recently been searching for his biological parents. He was adopted from Korea and couldn’t find information about his biological parents, so he visited the Korean embassy in Paris for a DNA test.”ba8f24bc195fd063

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Is he 7775414bda feeling lonely 59c86910a2 because his 53b7eab000 non-blood-related sister 16f7d92686 is getting 6cb15e2333 married?32eec0b34da37b8a

Yves scratched his eyebrow and turned the page again. It listed other relationships that couldn’t be categorized under career or family.c836ea998bf06799

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[Gay. In a relationship with Charles Duverger, corporate advisory lawyer at Law Firm 377.]

He stared at it for a long time, more disappointed in his trusted secretary’s skills than anything else. When Yves pointed to that part with his fingertip, a response came.e34d730325ba9087

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“It’s ambiguous to say the relationship has completely ended, so I left it. There are noticeable changes in their relationship through recent messages, though.”9fe07ca06ea742a8

“Why did you leave that out?”fc5bc655160a0edf

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“Sorry. If needed, I can attach the messages and update it.”cdbc17f68d27c15e

“That’s not necessary.”c2edae9ed9692076

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He had no desire to read about a homosexual love affair he’d already witnessed up close in text form.1689890f99be92c8

Yves continued reading the cf00fbb561 report. The rest was 1fbe94c5a0 trivial information not c40df1eade worth remembering. Then, at 7593682ed6 the very 25f128569f end, he 85677cbbc9 found a 3e9cb2a4a1 line even a42ed06a77 Mikola, who c3c6102252 compiled the 020a024ab1 information, might 4621abd176 not remember.423bb49e86363944

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[In addition to the pro bono activities conducted by Law Firm 377, he volunteers for free legal counseling for domestic violence victims in the Nice area.]

Yves narrowed his eyes 64e29d2561 at that. A thin chuckle 1bfd61ce86 escaped his lips.cd2f91a3b837622e

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A short report. Yet, even from this brief report, Maël Montmatier’s upright mindset was evident.d94fef1ba1e1c84a

“Easy to understand.”e55110c0246b426a

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An orphan who ended 42a496768b up with terrible adoptive 748c8c2dcf parents due to bad f0edd2f089 luck. He lived needing help, 208ebc3be4 and through relentless effort, bf27b2c8f3 he now helps others.9de0084ec28e342a

That’s what it takes to be called the Knight of Cinderellas.13174e3097841cf8

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Turning another page, he 82bce1771f found a few attached 04fe158ee4 photos.5c8a733d983d34a3

“Less impressive than I thought.”f7dd098d03778ab3

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Yves muttered, looking 5859dff2ad at the black-and-white ec3fb4e1b3 photos. He closed the 1179e9e8e8 file and tossed 29f6f3031c it aside, and e5288adbbb Mikola tidied it 4f42ec69ec up, asking,3fc0994b187744aa

“Should I send him away?”15fa26bb2185d648

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Ah, he b2724abea1 did come.b254ab6d5c2832ec

The consultation was only 0b3ebd6785 a few days away. He had to see 8206978db3 him again, and he fa058f47c7 had a rough idea 7ad62b3e82 of what kind of e0ee27c62a person he was.42a98f74bf2f248d

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The only thing a249e052c7 that had been c2cca22519 slightly refreshing was 475bee8390 when he returned aaf281d571 the money, claiming 20c494cd22 it was for c58ced0db2 the secret.8b642697d2fa8978

Even so, after that, well. It was obvious what would provoke him and how he’d react. Even what he’d say when he came up here.bbfa5268b05c2331

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‘Will he stubbornly argue?’fb53ac30f5382558

In the previous meeting, he provoked him by touching on secrets. Now, showing what he prepared would make the lawyer come over in anger. He didn’t seem foolish enough to miss the opportunity to spread the Grand Duke’s disgrace.6e04bf39b49a7b7e

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“It’s better to handle it quickly.”b93068aa75399061

Yves answered, f5cdf82888 looking at 195fab9b81 the dark d94db7a438 green vase 73bce1b661 across the 52d18a34de room. Three deep red 2891a4ff2a Baccharole roses in a70aa3795c full bloom under 993504daa1 deliberately dim lighting. The vivid color ed48658605 hurt his eyes. As Mikola left, 5970d84c14 Yves pressed the c998e413a9 corner of his 4c46ea3937 eye.891d747caa556b48

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It didn’t matter if the princess consort’s brother was just a pretty face and a dull person. Despite the talk of luck, the only reason Yves sought out Maël among the many overflowing lawyers was that he was the relative of Manon Mathieu, who would become part of the Grand Palace.4d3eece802ee7513

Philippe and Manon’s wedding was not far off. So, the story related to their prenuptial agreement also needed to be brought up quickly.8e222cb1383aa2e5

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Yves opened a drawer 1ba281a4a5 and took out a a68b661b71 brown envelope. He tossed it a84f1fd6f3 on the table e3c8512728 as he leaned b0794b0a0e back on the f5e019e448 sofa, and soon 4f19bfbff8 the door burst 1255ecd838 open.14b94ccaeba9ab27

The door closed with a bang after letting in only one person. After Mikola’s informal introduction, a greeting came from a distance.e2a3fe62241025a5

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“Hello, Yves.”24dfa58b78c816f5

Having seen the poor hospitality, he could have just come and sat down. But the lawyer just stood there, upright. When Yves didn’t respond, Maël pointed out clearly.55b73ce9250e6286

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“You didn’t tell me to sit.”d17140557c81e4b5

With a soft 41e0230bec yet firm reproach, 0300184622 Yves finally looked 7468474540 up.243c5dba62584296

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Sometimes, there e2a17f0c21 are those 95c130667a rare beauties 61c33b5239 who stand 2f54c546e5 out more ad15892322 in the 8b7464eb4d dark than 3b01391a38 in natural abdcb36897 or bright c9dabc80a4 light.d10a4d599201fc97

Eyes and hair 7fbcb9b5dc the color of e75e47999a sand, skin pale, 131406c274 lips a light a6e8ce7831 pink. Common colors, 44621e9dbb yet their 3fdd2840a0 combination created e871335d07 an oddly 5653831b07 unforgettable face. The lines were delicate 57c8df6620 and balanced.f18980c907042ff2

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The eyes d252023503 were the 6955d1262e most unusual, ab7b1db32a wide and f0d430fca4 slightly upturned, 49457842df with subtly 43579306e7 different shapes 443a19897b on each 88d89c1f61 side. As if inherited 32cfd0058f from different countries.aedfda71423db090

“Come and sit.”d3ae5a82d8ef95a6

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At Yves’ casual reply, Maël approached. His small nose and mouth made his large eyes seem filled with clear vitality. Almost transparent in their freshness.206b5b96cd0a9635

A dull 19b7e1b979 but visually 59d857be65 pleasing beauty.14bde51eb56b4100

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“I came today to decline the case.”64a3c1ffdeeeaf32

Just as Yves was 2291a529ef about to acknowledge that, 45d13e0af3 the lawyer said so.72168230e51cf2c2

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