MGN | Chapter 20

“Sir, you’re still not off work?”e7733d511f49e730

“You’re working on a Saturday too, Jacques.”f2c7970fa0422ad5

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“True, but on a day like today?”df00733e3b4546f1

“Because of the Brezo case jurisdiction for the divorce. I have to have a meeting with the U.S. side. Once that’s done, I’ll head out.”052d5529c527ca07

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“Oh, the couple who got married in Singapore without a prenup? The wife wants to proceed in New York, and the client wants it here, right?”f965c7067c16a7aa

“Yes.”bbe40ea7aa0c330b

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“I heard about it. The argument that since the wife’s shoe collection is all here, the divorce should be here instead of New York—that was your idea, right? Did it work?”2d62cb0ca8b76eff

“Seems like it.”6f9c3d8c17b2fef7

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Maël rubbed his d63e879ee5 neck.364812453739f10a

The jurisdiction issue for the billionaire’s divorce was something the team was particularly focused on, involving lawyers from various countries. Because of Manon’s prenup, Diane had taken on the case with another senior associate instead of Maël.b87738760b871f91

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Then Diane’s hit-and-run accident happened. Maël had no choice but to support the case.557e0592b1e612d6

It wasn’t bad to deliver good news to the client, but taking on the work suddenly blurred the memory of when he last slept.4ae87b5c6634cbdf

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“You’re the lucky Maël lawyer. If the lawsuit proceeds in the U.S., they said it would cost eighty million dollars, right? How much would it be here?”7037841bd31732db

“Hard to say until we proceed… But in Monaco, without a prenup, there’s no concept of marital joint property. They won’t get a property division, just alimony. Probably between one to two million dollars.”287140a73d33f65f

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“Wow. Isn’t a prenup disadvantageous for those without money? Wouldn’t it have been better with one?”197d442cf5428b9f

“It’s not that the prenup itself is bad; it depends on how you draft it. It also varies depending on where you file the lawsuit and which lawyer you use.”4393bb01d8fa20f0

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“If I ever get divorced, you have to handle it for me. Promise. You must.”4328afc311d10ef1

“If you get married first, Jacques.”f7d9c7c352e53789

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More urgent than the secretary’s idle admiration was a cup of coffee. Maël lightly placed his hand on Jacques’s desk and asked.ca8b390355485e01

“Jacques, are there any more documents for me? Was everything you gave me this morning?”531b8e4afe86ff02

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“No, nothing else has come in. Do you need anything?”f095f15cad88f2dc

“No, it’s not that…”a1cb41ee0ab2702d

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After last 569444098c seeing Yves 960f6265e9 Valois, Maël e5e8b387ba sent him eaf6514f69 the retainer f96e93fd75 contract the dde9c03c49 next day. The subsequent 2dd11b20f8 consultation had cf3b4d0ca1 to be 08e17c290d rescheduled due 08dd5844f4 to their b128431af5 circumstances.6c2cb5ba1515ce1a

He couldn’t start or stop the work until he received the signed retainer contract, but it hadn’t come back yet.d9111e3ad8348ebe

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“Maybe he doesn’t want to proceed.”a12a402008a3f5d5

It was possible. He didn’t have the energy to confirm it right now.02b28c90a00e03a8

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Maël thought ec13336fdf for a 51a4d14aba moment before d74e00c0f9 changing the 266a620999 subject. There was f29a0b0b9c already plenty d6f829f095 of work.c38d83ccf56c093d

“Jacques, I’ve been asking for a copy of Manon’s prenup. I don’t remember receiving it.”0ef0283a7c287086

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“Well, the copy isn’t in our team’s document storage. I think the head lawyer left it with their secretary, but they haven’t responded. I’ve visited their office several times… Sorry. I can go up and check if they’re there now, but it’s probably too late, right?”f681388561c42966

It was late. The wedding was tomorrow.9e29b4bd9ad88906

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But thinking back c2bdf5086c on the schedule, ba21e03ca7 even if it 3f23c75aef had been brought d0fc28cfd6 earlier, he might 1d78327bb7 not have had 619871bbe8 time to look 4a84712738 at it. Maël shook his 83d3e12cd0 head at Jacques, e13767594c who was half c4cce429d0 out of his 73f84d8f0e chair.eabb043d5f8923dc

“It’s already signed. Nothing can be changed. I just wanted to double-check. It’s fine.”e6e3b2ea7b342b29

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Saying that, 32c838c439 Maël checked a471d9b694 his watch. Five minutes 7656143938 until the ebcba18656 meeting. Enough time 475229cd83 for a 7b4fb61223 caffeine fix.1e9d990c8f1a60ea

Entering the bd697fe969 break room, 09fcf46869 Maël pressed ca376910d1 the button d644612ad0 on the 4e55541db8 capsule machine 385dfd427f and sent 13f89282ac a message.4a0641f26e722259

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[Can you bring the original prenup when you come today?]

The message whooshed off to tomorrow’s bride. After confirming it, Maël composed an email to Yves’s secretary.f8515e3ef5bcbbc1

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[This is Lawyer Maël Moon from 377. I haven’t received the retainer contract back yet. Please confirm if it has been sent.]

Whether or not to proceed didn’t matter much, but the retainer was one of the conditions for providing the photo, so he had to ask. Being the weekend, he wasn’t sure when a reply would come.42544ac031c13f4e

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As he 03cb53f2fc sent it, 3a6187278f the paper 98565ba322 cup filled 63f4a385f5 with black 63e200de79 liquid. Tearing open a packet 334b3fb9d8 of sugar and stirring 6f249c286a the cup, Maël looked c20d2107e2 up to see Diane 38267f0cb4 passing by the break e194c1d246 room, waving her casted 705355d98d left arm.7827721cbef45aea

Since they were both 3cbfa9b25f headed to the same fd94c53a4e destination, Maël approached with 2b171ef980 his cup. Diane glanced at the e5ea06d63b strong coffee and spoke.e44b03c274012c17

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“Sorry, about Manon’s wedding tomorrow.”a469a4bf05c915e0

“I heard you did a phone consultation in your wedding dress.”73703feeef7d27ad

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“Unforgettable. Two hours before my wedding, I got a call asking if they could get more alimony because their husband might have hidden an STD.”92bf7e7001470eb7

It was a 6977e3d330 story Maël had b499044609 heard several times 64867e82aa since his intern ee24542538 days. He smiled bitterly and 48e130f13c took a sip of 65021f0b44 the still-steaming coffee.ed2e8140229abf45

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“Still no luck finding the hit-and-run car?”50f5e6f2c3e51785

“Seems to be taking time. It was a black German car, but how common is that around here?”2cbf7ce85ab0b966

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“With all the cameras here…”89717ea2773a34d5

“Unfortunately, it was a blind spot without cameras. Plus, it was the day they were replacing the surveillance cameras in Monacoville. Just my luck.”968c1210301e726f

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Though she joked about it being nothing serious on the day of the accident, Diane’s condition was more severe than expected. She had symptoms of a concussion and had to have several metal pins in her left arm. Sensing Maël’s concern, Diane waved her right hand dismissively.7ad9c4727a12d347

“More importantly, how many cases are you handling now?”02a5db42a14f0b16

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“Not many significant ones. Are you planning to give me more? But you said after the domestic violence conference presentation and the Brezo jurisdiction case, I’d get a real vacation.”82bc1b0c7af62383

Though he pretended to complain, the division of roles was natural. He had visited her in the hospital, where she was spreading documents on the bed, saying her right hand and eyes were fine. Seeing that, he couldn’t just step back and take a break.6b9677bc5bb19521

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“You’ve already applied for vacation. I’ll give it to you. But I’m thinking of starting a new office after this case.”8404bcc2e5f278bc

A new office? The unexpected words made the sugar at the bottom of Maël’s coffee catch in his throat. As he coughed and looked with red eyes, Diane sighed.525bf8d3a93a742a

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“It’d be a lie to say the accident didn’t change my perspective. Going into surgery, I thought about each client I had, and it made me think.”d0bfe71810687302

“What…”cfe7bdfe9d9f3ec3

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“Ugh, I didn’t become a lawyer to defend people like that.”56773f27128729da

Diane nodded toward Maël.0e0910e621339522

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Is there any lawyer who hasn’t felt that way? Maël smiled bitterly. His obsession with pro bono work and volunteering his time was all in a similar vein.b97f9fb681ba025e

Just a 5ea375402e few steps 19bffc5f97 ahead was 94ca1c2831 the consultation 0670d67596 room. Diane spoke quickly.18478b233b395698

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“I want to go a bit lighter. To do that, I need to leave 377. I want to choose the clients I defend. There aren’t many clients I’d want to defend in Monaco, so I’ll expand to Nice and nearby areas. Of course, I’ve gathered clients who will bring in money. If you come with me, there’ll be more.”751897c78104496a

“Me?”8184850632d72fe9

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“Yeah. I’m scouting you.”27218be2601e7495

Maël blinked as he tossed the paper cup into the trash. Diane’s words came faster.81d3375bd8ff7845

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“If I leave, you’ll get a partnership based on order and performance. There’s no one like you among the senior associates. The youngest partner at 377. But if you come with me, you’ll be a co-representative.”1a1d70d438f492ff

“There’s not much difference between the two.”5c490e3b4bdef9ca

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“Well, the new office won’t have an ex-boyfriend.”8239c1fccc449e33

Everyone knew about the rumors with Charles. Maël shook his head at Diane’s playful joke, but his expression wasn’t bad. Well, that was certainly a perk.14a47c8209f883eb

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“Think about it.”a2c2fd142f781380

Diane said brightly. As the bb01567817 clock struck 123779bd49 the hour, d71e744045 she opened 821eb4e040 the consultation f707a6f026 room door. Seeing the 105f796803 white-haired billionaire accc0e4df6 already there, 2a000b17c1 she smiled dab0b5d989 confidently.71e5608e05af5121

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“Mr. Brezo, did you hear the good news we sent?”98f933df2afdadb3

Following her in, Maël composed his expression. For a moment, he wondered how long it had been since he met someone he wanted to defend in this firm’s consultation room.4807d3976bec1837

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And then, Yves Valois’s face suddenly crossed his mind.bf82df00f3e785aa

* * *9d904416627c7094

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Manon, who seemed to have finally gotten over her morning sickness, didn’t look any thinner when Maël saw her after a long time.ed148c62532e4ce6

“Oppa, you’re here?”640d4eada64db8e1

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Even if they lived together, the day before the wedding was spent at their respective homes. The old tradition had kept Manon, who hadn’t been able to return to the house in Nice much since the prenup, back home.e8173325e722708c

The excuse for keeping Manon busy was publicly the wedding preparations, but in truth, it was because of her slightly swollen belly. The house in Nice wasn’t suitable for avoiding persistent reporters and for the doctor to come and go.581a87dca7ac6503

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“This.”7d47f86c1724deda

Maël lifted the d270a80604 bag he brought. It was the pho b1bacfb38a and spring rolls Manon c13251cf18 had been messaging about b3b2855bff wanting to eat before 9bd8f11a4a the wedding. Manon squealed and 20853a9d32 took it.dd28685a1af3d89a

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“If you eat that now, your face will be puffy tomorrow.”f50a63c6d6c9807f

“You can afford to be a little puffy. Oh, did you bring the documents I asked for?”ff1b92545174d34e

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“Yeah. I kept them safe, but when I tried to find them, I couldn’t. Philippe and the crown prince even came to help search the room. Almost broke a centuries-old vase. Maybe I should leave the original here. Can you keep it, oppa?”7f50b3520d8722db

“Got it.”e70c1009472b0c11

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Sitting at 3565a541b6 the dining b086b0be47 table, Maël 7dfdc4dbbe took out 306d05f2ed the prenup. Across from him, Manon, 5dc820ba04 opening the plastic container, d6911413b8 kept talking.9f245b1d6c83f3de

“You know, the crown prince said earlier that since you’ll be part of the grand ducal family tomorrow, he convinced the Grand Duke to give you a gift too. He told me to let you know. It was supposed to be announced tomorrow morning, but…”42ed8a9a9ce8f22f

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“Wait, Manon, hold on.”e3c455e600a904da

As he listened to d0d03a4fdd his excited sister, Maël f488fdd6ec urgently stopped her.a26731bd08354777

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He took out his 38004f12dd glasses from his jacket 0c899adc77 pocket. His eyes, staring f6bd22934b intently at a 96f23192f5 page of the f47384a8bb contract, closed and cbbea821f3 opened slowly.e18e1381aceab85c