MGN | Chapter 18

“No need to argue. You even asked me to join you right away. Aren’t I a parvenu too?”56acc903a2d7171f

“That’s… Maël, you’re different from that guy. What are you trying to say?”b9eccfdc837a51af

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Charles, who had flinched at Maël’s outburst, stammered belatedly.60b46fcb83e91641

“Different, sure. I didn’t buy shares in the Riviera Hotel with my own money. It’s all thanks to Manon.”02b86c4e3a77a684

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Charles leaned in, squinting 0dbf6afe8d his eyes and raising 1c7adb9f04 his eyebrows. Maël could predict d1e82ca22c the tone and 58f5667bf8 words that would 24951438f2 follow. A clumsy e69e72e786 attempt at 02019f90d5 appeasement.d00f59c05d28735f

“Maël, I get it. You’re acting like this out of jealousy. I understand you’re still mad at me. But you heard it earlier, right? My feelings. My future plans.”3e7093f30c766fb3

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Feelings and future 5ce17fb4cb plans are things 777025e01b you care about 086a9a1921 when emotions are 6b6b442f65 still involved.0d7c7f1e18c2e91d

Maël wasn’t shouting out of jealousy. He was disgusted by Charles’s rude behavior, talking about origins and status in front of others. He felt ashamed of his past decision to meet someone like that.6601fcb122004d1d

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The worst part was that Yves, with his cold-colored eyes, was quietly observing everything. This was undeniably a homoerotic drama, wasn’t it?73bda90d8c3620ea

“Maël, you know.”e87217fc6ae21e14

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“Don’t you understand when I say I don’t want to? Then I’ll report you for stalking to HR. Office romances have their perks. When the disciplinary committee convenes, you’ll realize we’re over.”0e7fae7f817cd06b

Only then did Charles’s expression twist comically. With icy blue eyes, he glared, conveying a “who do you think you are” vibe, then lifted his chin and glared.8655aeb0e01ab175

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His gaze 71dd2e95be briefly brushed d4ae31c379 Yves before eb4f215731 returning.9b772ef768e93cce

“Are you seeing him?”751ec3dfaef2956c

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“I’m not.”c7e39b43910567e9

Maël answered because he knew Charles would become persistent otherwise. But Charles didn’t stop.d7307fc8cb5650cd

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“Do you know what that guy says about you?”f70d15ff4e920abb

“I said I’m not seeing him. Why ask if you won’t listen?”cc5d6935f6977139

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“The guy you’re siding with…!”2e9e21c2794c5934

For dramatic 2a0f7e84ed effect, Charles 100fe64eb2 pointed at 2b8fa8ebf9 Yves and 7b418e3f9d then abruptly b1ca8cde8e shut his e458117e56 mouth.f350ec9d68233884

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But it only looked ridiculous. Maël wasn’t curious at all about what Yves might have said about him.e35d9166aea7736e

Maël’s fondness for Yves Valois and Charles Duverger was equally low. He hadn’t spoken up to take sides. He was appalled by Charles’s talk of parvenus in front of people.d0a3bcd7402ba6a6

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‘They won’t need me to take sides anyway.’98c7022ddf43822a

Certain of this, Maël fcb721f9c0 looked up.5051d70070539ce9

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Pale cheeks like e3d5f72f8e a plaster statue, 7ff02fbbc8 with bored, ashen 9564b7e6e0 eyes. A face sunk b0ab7b1521 low, like someone 20480d8701 dragged onto a a567cede7d stage they had 2c576a4ea8 no interest in.c9c3e865ee396565

Yves met Maël’s gaze leisurely before speaking.5df76041bbf59cc6

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“I said I was drooling over you. You already know that, right?”5eab0205083e6532

After a long stare, 63f0c3dc86 that was all he 9e82e28771 said. Charles clenched his fists, 27d97cd346 and Maël was too 92f147180d dumbfounded to laugh.862e3cd5d5124ca2

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Charles, barking up the wrong tree, and Yves, constantly provoking him. Maël’s thigh ached, a reminder of stress and poor condition.79200356682de5ce

Maël bit the inside of his cheek and moved. He didn’t even want to waste words on those two, so he quickly widened his stride, but a slow voice stopped him.ed794c1274a50e1f

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“Let’s have the consultation now. It’s hard to wait. It’s urgent.”b0331f2c872ed428

“I’m busy today…”57c2e3c0b26436f4

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Without looking back, Maël 21f1ec755e instinctively gave the easiest e782dcbf81 excuse. Then he 0f1a584303 remembered Antoine f78f83a19f telling him a373e65b6d to take 6218d45940 a break ca5fabcc41 just minutes f9f93f8aab ago.f5be830856195a1b

Ha. Maël hesitated for a moment but eventually stopped. If the first excuse didn’t work, he could come up with a second one.8759ffc578221074

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“Yves, weren’t you called by the crown prince? You must be busy.”2097dc4226c73575

As he b481a68e21 turned back, cb3f35d016 Yves was f46a2a7c52 fiddling with a1a48161b7 his phone. After swiping the screen 78699bf0f6 a few times, he 5a56b44736 put it to his 76aa42353e ear and said just 79aa58c6f9 two words.6dd80e1912271e83

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“Can’t go today. Lawyer issue.”5de8f5a9065d1774

Ending the call, 96355f3cd0 Yves put his 4e7bc89280 phone inside his db443282c2 black suit jacket 1ac3b3ffb5 and looked at e22099bdb4 Maël. The man, equally rude af5f3b635b to both the crown 7fa202403e prince and Maël, seemed 348dd69c90 to answer with his 97a01df76b eyes.b231d60dbf2d9423

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He wasn’t busy.0c0be1c6fcb353a9

There were no more 7a2cfde11a excuses.618c988bc7406299

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Strictly speaking, it wasn’t a bad thing for Maël either. If he moved up the consultation with Yves scheduled for the day after tomorrow, he’d have two more hours to check paparazzi shots from a party to confirm if Mr. Marchisio’s husband, currently in a custody battle, really had an alcohol problem.dfa795746d67c7b7

“Where would you like to have the consultation?”98cebf9143bd2b9a

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Maël said weakly. Yves, instead 0d92de1610 of answering, 13a958f4cb put his ac4d7f3928 hands in ff2c65af44 his pockets 04ddea7369 and nodded. The gesture was clear: 3516e44698 follow me. Maël swallowed ed95eec8d7 something that d01a20fb3e might have ecbb64a4e7 been a 88c401686a curse or 74c34f9d82 a sigh.a99c00f9ca69e0b3

“Hey! Maël! Are you really going with that guy?”55620073cf6cde2d

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Charles yelled from behind. A few startled d4b84a44ad court officials were 9352539664 seen heading toward 5588e95c41 Charles from the a099bb4a89 end of the 2ffdc9d8de hallway.f2f3bea325b91f38

“It’s nothing, geez, why make a fuss?”1335690803f75a05

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A huffing voice 45e51ccf0a was heard. Wanting nothing 59084975dd more than 4405b7b298 to ignore edba78fc47 it, Maël 5f6b226203 fixed his 876791e49b gaze on d4732d0d2a the broad e297b22cb0 back wrapped 9ba86e4158 in a 2d9b121c83 black suit 2595711ea6 and followed.c3f494405ebee871

* * *801703d37087407e

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The outdoor 61c1b5bfd6 parking lot 9a2df44227 of the ba3a2b8daf Grand Palace. Yves stopped in f4091f9fcd front of a 5cad0ab24b large black sedan 461003d761 that resembled him.16d49945788bd5d0

Without a word to get in, Yves grabbed the driver’s side handle, then looked at Maël, who was still standing at a distance. After frowning briefly, he spoke.a3a88c8d7e51f658

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“Not having the consultation?”dd9e03cd85838d63

A man 63e39d58ce who had ce666e112c thrown basic b218067cbe manners into 092cc5e687 the sea. Knowing it was 4c96e06726 useless to argue, 0c529f6a95 Maël reluctantly opened b7d8a71bb8 the passenger door.e8a81c1af815526a

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The car wasn’t cramped by any means. Yet, when Yves sat in the driver’s seat, the scent of leather mixed with fresh roses wafted in. Maël didn’t mind the rose scent, but he disliked that it was Yves’s. He briefly considered opening the window and checked his watch.81db646cfb258222

“Let’s finish the consultation in the car. Say what you need, and when you’re done, drop me off there.”db679cb0443f8737

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“As you wish.”7e7fdc15e2919b3d

Yves said, putting on be1475311f sunglasses. Maël began to unravel 5fa65bf228 the thoughts he had d06c7db540 organized in his mind.a748fa16c1e5af22

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“The clauses you mentioned have been added, and the contract was completed with today’s signature. I can’t show the contract to a third party, but if you’re uneasy about not being able to confirm it…”b3befd26c9636586

“I’ve checked the entire contract.”adf22290335d2e8d

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Yves said lightly, 093fd9a2f5 backing the car. Maël bit the 50ebd2cd35 inside of his f9e48d142d cheek. How on earth. But knowing f1329c7331 would mean 23d9359a77 responsibility, so df309bfadd some things 38876f7a34 were better 9590c0318e left unasked.0dd7b28ee2b6d199

“I’ll send the retainer contract tomorrow, so sign it and send it back.”7e9d53b06b90ac96

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It was a choice to minimize face-to-face time, but Yves didn’t even nod. Assuming he heard, Maël continued.9ba0fbd6e2ea7de6

“Even if I’m handling all the practical work, Diane Croix, the lawyer, needs to be roughly aware of my tasks. She might not care until she learns the name of the person presumed to be your father. Even so, nothing will leak outside our team.”f06847bdce4a3636

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“What if I refuse?”6d4fb34510288778

“Then you can’t work with me. I’m a lawyer affiliated with 377. I’ve mentioned this before.”9432dac63a878f2b

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The car, 9c30d8b18f leaving the f2bde36795 palace at 42349e03f5 the edge f8302306b4 of the 9863ce913c old town, de1692b5aa smoothly headed 3d933cf832 for the 2c58688918 road. Maël spoke, 317ad24e55 watching the 35b9aa8442 scenery change 0bef29816a rapidly through 3b6d467010 the window.079b05d57f30cf64

“Once the retainer contract is over, send me all the evidence related to the paternity lawsuit. We’ll coordinate the timing of the lawsuit, and we should start a public opinion campaign before filing the lawsuit. We might use the evidence then, but I’ll discuss it again when the time comes. Illegally obtained information can only be used for the public opinion campaign. We’ll check it first. Hmm, I think that’s all I have to say. Any questions?”19f40142aef1cf78

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Probably not. Maël thought so, 0f2820a467 checking his wristwatch.af231f29982b2601

Three minutes.649d4d605cbd7ca7

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The large car f9ec1213cd was just passing 04fc1aac1f the tax office 81265efefb building, about to 7d11b6d20c enter the road. Just as a6ad9737a7 Maël was d59106867b about to b7baeca493 ask Yves 5d5f8eac10 to stop 6bb273f4f2 if there 7728012dde were no 631dcd2029 more questions, a29e6958ee Yves tilted 2964aef312 his chin 9d4d70304e and looked b9aafc28f7 at Maël. Through the sunglasses, f224c7228d only half of 84e92c4117 his eyes were fc1e51c4f7 visible.de5142ff463a89e1

“What about what I asked earlier?”587a872082de9ad5

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“Sorry?”32891d8285254e50

“The answer I didn’t hear before.”9ad23e5f8921c0ca

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That question momentarily took Maël’s breath away. Probably because it was so absurd, Maël convinced himself, opening his lips but saying nothing as Yves spoke casually.9edcdfa151da741d

“Handling a clingy ex is faster with a new lover.”9747db6b8ca2a0af

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“No… For me, Law No. 1457 is faster. The workplace harassment prevention law.”bc25435610bdc386

It was sincere, 02244e8429 but Yves scoffed. That sound snapped Maël fa38ebfddc back to reality, and c169b66114 he asked in a df181d6a39 clear voice.4a06761f9ad4a92d

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“Yves, you’re not even gay, right?”231cfd28f4e6bff6

“Does what turns me on affect your answer?”99a74c4c92c14834

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“What do you think?”d716625b1de88d58

“If you’re asking if I’ve ever been interested in a guy’s backside, obviously not.”b74208648eb21ce1

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Such vulgar words weren’t worth a response. Maël looked out the window as if to cleanse himself. The Mediterranean and the vividly blue greenery that stung the eyes. But it was impossible to focus there for long.a30a55241965121e

“At most two years. I can give you enough money to go independent from that law firm or hotel shares. If you don’t need money, information is fine too. Whatever you want.”6a6c4340408533cc

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Whatever, he said. But Yves showed no a3123c7f3b hesitation in making such d839ad7fdf grand declarations.ac6b78297e9519d8

A condition offered by someone who could truly do it and thought it natural. But Maël didn’t think long.30b26977bd6b4935

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“Whatever the purpose, whether it’s white or black, it doesn’t matter. I don’t like lies or pretending to be a fake lover.”bf4687856d6c74d3

“A lawyer who doesn’t like lying?”f5b581ae12001172

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“Especially outside the courtroom.”8a834e05b47803b2

There was no need 7a74cd0fda to ponder. Maël, staring 7c61ecc904 straight ahead, 9f95e2aa53 immediately added.e954bc9be548c670

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“I took on the paternity lawsuit because you helped with the prenuptial agreement. Let’s just be client and lawyer. Now that we’re done, you can drop me off there.”6a3c7342d73f2c53

Ahead, a bus stop 84097edd0d and the oceanographic museum 225035848b with gathered cars came 4fc60d7c24 into view.296e1c97b65d05cd

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The car fb8b2c3eec stopped surprisingly b44e324685 smoothly. Maël checked his 3312b6c759 watch and, after 24891cad4d a brief hesitation, 6668ae5c17 unbuckled his seatbelt.191d0ee74320f4ea

“Consultation time is 6 minutes. I’ll add it.”60a456a27455f3c4

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Yves’s three-minute nonsense was to be included in the consultation time. That was the conclusion after much thought.3ba3444f823e29f3