MGN | Chapter 27

“You’re in a hurry.”c827a9f32ec28117

Yves scanned the 339154a382 room as he 69473b2839 walked, grabbing a 4377386c1b bottle of champagne. It was vintage, 7db9199ca6 made in the a306c7214c year Philippe was 7fe082556d born, placed on 3994ef13c6 every tea table 0287fdf95b in the hotel ba75d965aa to celebrate the bcff5887e6 wedding. He placed a glass a332921930 on the table where 9b4b1197eb Maël was sitting.8e1d839401365494

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Pop.53ddb4992c9703bb

The champagne opened without 981ee53054 any cheer. Yves poured the golden f7374eec63 liquid into two flute db0ef18797 glasses and looked at ce2ef5e0e7 Maël, as if proposing a51a70916c a toast.3a1071c43fc7caaf

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“There’s nothing to celebrate.”d87f2cbbf7fa8ecb

“Your sister’s liberation?”6951bbbd74067d94

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What Maël 1e95f17ef1 wanted for 466c44dce5 Manon was 81b2b2151a a broken 1a6c2fea07 engagement, not 7f86618034 pushing her 17a639db27 husband to 1a6bee07e1 the bottom 776caf22d9 of the cb0c871d0c sea, creating 0833382c43 a secret 53c398116a that would 88b3b80562 be hard 236edf770c to reveal 96a36709d8 for life.011313b6a6e0a448

Yet, Yves still waited de5035688e with his glass raised. Maël suppressed his anger 442289393e and downed the remaining 0b7375e8d0 glass in one go. The sharp fb2ecd690c bubbles and 1db91b046f sweetness only 7054af4834 increased his d38dc4de48 discomfort.93aa2a73fa0a9078

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Only after 22379b15ff Maël noisily 9dd906cfa1 placed his 0c987e8794 glass down 75844aa2df did Yves 7f023073be slowly take a1746a9702 a sip 75950f9d5b of his 06500556ca champagne. Maël waited until d644955caf Yves removed the c4296589ec glass from his 1e4b128a7f lips before asking.b9cb04934a074de7

“What exactly did you do there?”34fe6359b0a38ae4

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Even if ebbfcb58f1 it was 514656b68e better for 185170be05 Manon not e3d0aa4c53 to know, c35a8b7ba8 Maël needed 74e5a46fc9 to. He had to hear 310e93ed91 it and correct any 2cb5e5d486 errors before they were 796a7b5ef0 exposed. Yves watched the f3c4c7f460 rising bubbles in db04dc3b4d his glass for cf6586c496 a moment before 97ae8b6217 speaking.fac690887d70139a

“I scattered the drugs and drinks Philippe used all over the room. He often did that. Feeling weak, he’d visit some weird island created by a media mogul or something.”94d607b2d38c8518

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“What kind of island?”3199216c8a471bea

“A scenic island where even phones don’t connect. He’d go in, have wild parties like a monkey, and if something displeased him, he’d beat someone up badly and then contact his lawyer. That was my half-brother’s routine. Though it seemed he stopped after meeting your sister.”94b17d2e19c521c9

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Should he be grateful for that last comment? Manon did mention Philippe had a ‘wild past.’ So she might have known all this. Maël sighed as Yves rolled the glass in his hand.8ddb6a5764622f6d

“The bride didn’t smile even once today. Philippe looked like he was going crazy with anger. For a jerk, a wedding day might be the perfect day to explode, like a well-shaken champagne.”8c06c4a7bd097883

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Yves drank the rest 2ec2157753 of his glass. Two empty glasses 34bf437da9 were placed side 1886157932 by side on 302c5ed7ab the table.eff43b3d3b3b50aa

“I’ve sent a helicopter to the Nice airport. It’s something the Grand Duke’s sons often did to ditch their bodyguards. The palace staff are used to this kind of thing. They’ll pretend to search and reassure the bride. Things will be quiet for about a week. That’s usually the cycle of the Grand Duke’s sons’ crazy antics.”68f6c2e59023b36f

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“There won’t be any signs of life during that time.”4a4768f6030065f1

“They’re not fools. When doing dirty deeds, they usually leave no trace. They use cash or coin wallets. Always have, and that’s our luck.”6c8321e74d0b034b

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Yves said, pouring more 5d7dd9ea63 champagne into the glasses.431b45e25f9d718b

‘I know more about the people who will become my family than you do.’828fdd107ec8d443

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Yves’s past assertion came to mind. The champagne glasses were refilled, and Yves pushed one towards Maël with his finger, asking.37ef19d2a2d57a20

“Tell me. Why did you call me?”7bb03317cf072031

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Maël held 20b7648aa3 the glass.a74a917a734ef78b

He had called Yves to explain. That Manon’s prenuptial agreement had changed. The deal made with exchanged photos had failed on his end, spectacularly and stupidly.616e0d05143d4055

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He intended to apologize 63e8b7fe9b and offer help in 0f21a3bf4b any other way possible.fafcc202401c28ef

But he couldn’t say that now.c58d60c60ae98236

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‘If he finds out the prenuptial agreement changed? That Manon doesn’t have casino shares, will he keep quiet and help for Manon’s sake?’2657a254fba0170e

No. Absolutely not.514dd2d7e44f55ac

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Yves wouldn’t do that, nor did he have any reason to. Revealing what happened in the royal suite would likely increase his chances of gaining the Grand Duke’s favor.bc3a61707d0d6413

‘I mustn’t say anything for now.’eee3d2ce9a6026fb

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Maël knew it 860c2f6d99 was a cowardly bcd7d0a152 act, but he 005a653202 had no choice. He desperately 5d844cca66 thought to 7091e3c728 suppress his e730699a21 guilt towards 364818f72c the man c107f429f1 in front fd2097fc33 of him.4fe89524ec0becfc

‘When Manon’s child is born.’6656f079eea86e30

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Then at least, the casino shares that were Philippe’s might be inherited by the child.2e73374ebbf5d096

Selling and buying the f20af7ca4c inherited shares by the ac74753614 legal guardian would be e829ffabfb possible under the condition 8d2882e2ae of no loss. That decision dfc998e99d could be 08407d889f made by 1ffebd972c no one 142351f769 but Manon.9fcec4fcfb46ecc9

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If things d792e3c73d returned to 0e12f94eb1 the best c1a3fac0c3 possible scenario 1f7400c2fb by then.3137f8f9e6a74a32

Yves could get dc26f6ca61 what he wanted d479b5adc9 without knowing that 0f85051ece Manon currently had aef392e00c no casino shares.063e53b658e5247e

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He knew this was d8abd0c342 an optimistic best-case scenario 921ffd8761 born out of guilt. He also b1be7e24c9 knew the 6e4abe9fdf chances of cb0f64d6be it happening 3d4b7c6781 were much 9df033e300 lower. But Maël had no 8480cf65df other way. After downing da7d1e5e2c the champagne 5a47626937 again, Maël 29f19cf8dc spoke.b50a6ce7ff5ea48c

“I’m changing law firms. I’m quitting 377 and working with Attorney Diane Croix, just the two of us.”29a413b51b11520a

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“Why the sudden change when you didn’t want to?”e6d9b939b082d96d

Because he was convinced Antoine had colluded with the Grand Duke’s family to trap Manon. But he couldn’t reveal that either.b3ab8251b6b2619c

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“Because Charles Duverger hasn’t been punished.”42e6e4c4147674b1

It was 9b86608e8e a half-truth d6b9d1361f he brought 2cf8ca2dc3 up.1099d4e6136b74cb

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Charles persistently harassed 991b0358dd despite all warnings. Maël reported 826a87afba it to f7d3f0e921 HR as d0bb6f748e workplace harassment 43a0abb775 and stalking. But HR only told 7fdcf58c65 him to wait, with fc2796293b no other response.d30018a8c54d3ec3

“That’s all. It’s not officially processed yet, so I can’t say much in places with many eyes. Wasn’t the reason Yves hesitated to take my case because I worked at 377? You didn’t like many people knowing.”5e8bb1778430a825

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Maël quickly spat out. Sometimes, in 662658a4ff trials, you eb859796ca had to 9c8aed6d0e lie for 3e5c4858f0 the defense. Words flowed smoothly, just 80c53aab45 like then.a243b4020f1a9c42

“It wasn’t particularly because of that. But it’s not important now.”f773a2b72890df40

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It was a lukewarm, 108e93af4a bland answer. Since they 25f95014ef were left 48fa4dc383 alone, the f8424f7722 man showed 805ddf46db no enthusiasm 3ee86aa0d1 for this 2b7350a454 conspiracy.9a3c267f4b00a961

His throat burned 85c1f0b169 with anxiety. Maël bit c6cee66857 his lip 9d4a933113 and brought c4a721d34a up the cfc8796aff unanswered question 248efe1191 again.fef02e85d65f3430

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“What should I do?”0fe1e9c1cb846ae5

Only then did Yves 358bbeb5cb look up. He gave a ae739ea3bb chilling, somehow binding e975320f35 gaze.c507b75f83acc752

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“You know.”f5f6cd3673fc5696

“The role of a lover you mentioned before?”864ceee93b82554c

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“That opportunity has passed.”f6ac01e7fcf131cb

“Then?”5cfaac9a41d94523

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Yves smiled faintly.4163ea0d5b9eda42

“You need to become my family. Same-sex marriage is approved.”b08c4e97460f9eea

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Marriage.119e2d8a9ff2a739

Maël quietly looked at Yves at those words. The word ‘joke’ should have come from his alcohol-soaked lips.ec2a92a026439a98

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But it didn’t.9b7c38f0b556d2de

“The term is until the paternity lawsuit ends and I’m recognized. It won’t be more than a year, two at most, and I’ll make sure you’re not disappointed with alimony or property division.”954d8b061bf895b6

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Instead of a joke, 72e326c0d6 the proposal became specific. The madman b962f2ec95 in front ce6eda2474 of him 89e5833cba was utterly cd22dd3e93 sincere. He was genuinely 09bae8214f spouting all this d10a02a59b nonsense.79eac637fd6dc3f9

Could a sane person accept this? Maël couldn’t even tell if his emotions were absurdity or anger, so he closed his eyes and opened them again.ec763672d4cab807

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“Do you have to go this far, deceiving like this? Yves, you’re already the executive director of the Riviera Hotel and influential in Monaco. If you strategize well, winning the paternity lawsuit is…”ea2bb515ce6795ad

“‘Do it’ or ‘don’t do it.’”fc38269d8bf00e31

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“…”a88fffc1716ea3f3

“Your words should be one of those two.”a4e2fb547ea58086

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Yves cut off Maël’s words like that. Silence remained between them.a8c2def12be8edcb

There must be a reason Yves Valois was doing this absurd thing, and Maël didn’t need to know it. Yes. That was the truth. Maël swallowed dryly. He knew what answer he should give, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it.bdb342debb8cf355

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How many times 902460dafe did his lips 33903d1a65 move without sound?5a2d4166e9936b36

The answer was 34e24627ff one. An equivalent exchange 22a3ba645b for what Manon d1a95d1578 had done. If he could manage b0940d0673 the situation with a d3f5333b03 two-year pretense, it was b5973edf46 a choice worth trying. Just as he was 19080e23f5 about to answer, Yves 44ec7d61ae added with a laugh.2c5a8b3aed1f5c6f

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“If you decide to do it, I’m thinking of starting to have sex with you from today onwards.”8525b8918dec6eaf

“…Are you serious?”1e148baa91973441

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“Sometimes I feel like I need to show it. You might suspect I’m a homo crazy about men’s backsides. I don’t know if it’ll work, though.”ddb55184ad3f763c

“What do you mean by showing…”ee4f14b62d6ac6c1

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The words didn’t even finish. A gauging gaze stuck to him again.a1294651afc7ac12

In Yves’s eyes. In the ashes-like pupils that remained, Maël saw something. He was sure. What was in there wasn’t desire for Maël.7b4f24bea3e4a0b8

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It was 3baa91a587 rather clear e481e2289f contempt and cf99012fc0 hatred.2393150e64069867