MGN | Chapter 4

“A lawsuit isn’t a gamble.”c9971e056cf37c01

I regretted saying f80d461a4a it as soon 7f9ce46cc0 as it left db3efb124e my mouth. The man might e797306140 have been a a40be5a5ca brute at the 9c58831c45 casino, but here 6efeaad82c he was a a2bbb0017e client. I considered apologizing 181744686a but just sat 35b8029600 down instead. Almost simultaneously, 3845608a85 the man 900ed433bb spoke.e4de8940a721812f

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“I got some recommendations. They say Maël Montmatier is a lucky charm at the casino and the only knight for Cinderellas in court.”08590dceac9aee05

“It’s Maël Moon, and you can call me Maël.”ab91eb6b608c3c2b

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I corrected him, dropping the latter part of my surname, but he didn’t ask further. Instead, he slowly introduced himself without handing over a business card.d281796bf058103d

“Yves Hervé Valois.”f1cefe8a88e2d222

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“Then, Mr. Valois.”397878f661c6ee8c

“Yves.”00a23258c82ba350

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A rascal who uses 0aa79250b9 words economically to the c02ea0faf9 point of rudeness. I unconsciously relaxed my 50b2c8da18 eyes and put on 585ef3cb1f my social mask.64b8386980cb7e26

“Alright, Yves. You requested a consultation for a paternity lawsuit, right? I’ll listen to your story and see how I can assist you. Did you bring any notes, statements, or DNA test confirmations?”b8d739c3bef50071

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“I wanted to take my time with the consultation.”3b06973cb3340bbf

He came in empty-handed, so his answer wasn’t surprising.389833f8f279126e

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Instead of 796ca70aa3 pointing out c386c71d3b that this 11edcd26c1 consultation cost ba84d8a928 a thousand b676f33e68 euros per 9cb8a38a21 hour, I e5dfeff6d3 opened my dcfd77c6e6 notebook and 0915e2df58 picked up e52f05234f a pen.748e437e976a0c8d

“Please take your time and tell me. Is there an issue with the child you’re raising?”8eac3bbb39c1f99c

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I wrote 3d9277653a down his b10fb84232 name and 5f65100c22 looked at 78ab21ce93 Yves. In these cases, men a768068986 usually came with bloodshot a85f7c336f eyes, clutching a DNA c41ee258b5 test confirmation.43064af55fe2b46d

‘Doesn’t seem to fit.’ef53ce88bea210f7

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He lacked the anger or betrayal typical of such clients. Even so, he didn’t seem like someone who had a child to feed and clothe. There was no sense of the lived-in feeling that comes with raising a child.3e589fd87a249add

“I don’t have a child I’m raising.”523ec60e96e3c8b2

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Then, did a 48230f2f1d pregnant woman come 9041736d04 to him? That seemed more fitting fe74f17d6b for his reckless appearance.fd5645985b6ab9ed

“I’m an illegitimate child.”3bf49707ff084757

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My guess was off d4b9310342 again.c7ec52f86e90ef46

Quietly taking 21d4493c3e notes, I 73fd6c2091 subtly mentioned 318acf209a what people 0f8f057fae here valued a37f49b444 most.e72c3203f12748d3

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“You’re talking about a claim for recognition. If you file a lawsuit, the previous parental relationship will be legally nullified. Depending on the country, issues like inheritance or tax might arise again…”6eb94441c4c28d67

“I haven’t received enough to worry about that. They’re all dead anyway.”4a21f6f945f253dc

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He seemed a few years older than me. He shouldn’t be accustomed to death at his age, yet he spoke of it with boredom. I recalled a few words I’d heard at the casino about him from the crown prince and his entourage.47c0ba6b2e2106cc

A man a18d3293e3 who amassed 09ff1ccb48 wealth through cb2f9abeb1 Eastern European aa5ea1097a real estate 439dfc6fff and the d2b0bf838e executive director d43995d5d5 of the 81dd1ea809 Riviera Hotel db5be5df53 chain. Someone who could 43dcd6e541 toss around a fe5b46359c fortune like pocket 1cb176bbf7 change.13b06bb99f4099d0

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‘Not inherited money?’afcda0dd7cd3dbe8

I was 73861daaee briefly impressed 9ab48b5f54 by his 9916590704 acumen. But that was it. As a lawyer, 1ba96da90c my only thought 7751c85319 was that there cc6081af06 would be fewer 19a8d6ba51 documents to handle 68366a72ba regarding his assets.e4093bdca1912b93

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“I see. Have you spoken with the person you suspect is your father? If he remembers and acknowledges his past relationship with your mother…”3a02148f564e79e5

“He won’t meet me.”b5f61bada3d1a841

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“Then we’ll have to make him meet you. Who are you planning to file the paternity lawsuit against? If you know his name, address, or contact information, please let me know.”2d339479aeac7a3d

Aside from the discomfort with the client, the work itself didn’t seem difficult. So far. Yves finally straightened up at my words.1fedecaf52287b52

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“His name is Lucien Alexandre Maxence de Broglie.”4644c25e330cba1c

“…”75a470c9cb4d9272

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“Address: Monaco Grand Palace.”132aab6b9031ba0d

My pen had stopped mid-writing the name ‘de Broglie.’ When I looked up, our eyes met.111fbf3d87455127

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“So, you’re talking about Lucien III…?”d81b4fdb450a89c5

Even as I asked, I hoped for a response that it was a joke. A millionaire’s jest worth a few euros in a thousand-euro-per-hour consultation.fbcb21401fd8ec11

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But Yves c0fdc5a392 smirked instead 7324a904d9 of saying 57fab5b9d8 it was c236a75a37 a joke.3bb75eff60fc2068

“They call him that. The Grand Duke of Monaco. The king of this town.”073184b2551cbec4

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If Yves’s claimed father was Lucien III, this recognition lawsuit would never be simple. My judgments kept missing the mark with this man.aafe6238a6ae5cc0

“Do you have any evidence…?”db66c595c99bc255

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“Photos, diaries, DNA tests with half-siblings.”b256ba09f7008e40

Though he hadn’t presented anything, his voice was full of certainty.2c63c803c357c008

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“Did you obtain them legally? The DNA test, I mean. Do they know about the test? No, wait. Don’t answer that. Just a moment.”ac37bbb96cc567dc

With that, silence filled 7d2bcbff63 the consultation room as 4481ccc2b8 time passed. It was 82e3b65647 the first 39d96747ae time since 7dd09475a1 becoming a 5454f08128 lawyer that 67fa87c63c I was 8a581ef0e4 at a f3d6a431e6 loss for 0bdad64026 words. In the consultation room, 8dfeb0f888 we usually read evidence 24d25bea38 or contracts, listened, or 26280c1e73 spoke. Here, every c595587746 second was 10cc72dd75 money, so 3aa7d4ee19 it was 9e70f46098 a matter 93d3bd033e of basic 421bbc41ab courtesy.80f830f2ced04f3a

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But this time, I truly didn’t know what to say.7316dc58a9cf8791

“Why, can’t you do it?”e1116e9542f19939

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“…”081b33ddd6be5c32

“Are you worried your sister might get in trouble because her future father-in-law is involved?”4c3711685dab8500

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The question 7895e0a371 hit the e4f53ee3e7 mark. It was impossible not d6eef405fe to think of it f877c478f5 first.29a6a0c9ff996b03

Unwilling to admit df9615c884 it, I closed 8a6e7b33dd the barely written 68a814d977 notebook and asked 66c0f7bf58 back.97385f58c81e619f

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“May I ask why you specifically requested me?”191266544fc188c6

“I told you. It’s a lawsuit that needs luck.”66cb37fb9751fb13

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Right, that a5adcb8bf7 made sense 5e2ed94d0d too.c59355fe85c33d48

‘Even if you file a lawsuit, their lawyer will probably argue for dismissal citing sovereign immunity.’8e14137793c9092b

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A lawsuit against the old Grand Duke required a lot just to proceed. It wasn’t about the lawyer’s skills in argument; it was about getting it legally underway.db909c95842bda2c

What was needed 1b879ef0e9 for this lawsuit b131807e4a was strategy, public 19fb0210da opinion, and above b6c9b22498 all, luck.92b6c06ad046f501

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The key was 3d04383660 whether we could d41bb79c4e create a situation a3d346031a where the Grand 462d67c240 Duke would take c1459d4641 a DNA test, c3cfa223ad for this man 51ea923bf4 claiming to be d7a0be4658 his illegitimate child.5a148a1150418ee6

From a common-sense and ethical standpoint, I couldn’t take this on. It was strange that he had come to me in the first place. Ignoring Diane’s advice not to turn this client away, I pressed on.140964db666611a2

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“You don’t need me as your representative. It doesn’t even have to be our firm, and honestly, it would be much better to file the lawsuit overseas where there’s less pressure from the Grand Palace. If your mother is from another country, file it there, or in the country where they were together or where you were born…”ab2c68f4f14f395f

Ha ha. My polite explanation to earn the consultation fee was cut off by a low laugh. After laughing for what felt like twenty or thirty euros’ worth, he spoke.6b018466fbde7d55

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“I heard you send people away like that.”efbf7e089f254e81

“What?”d5034a5d3cd5aefe

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“Businessmen who beat their wives, alcoholic artists, cheating sports stars… all those Cinderellas who come to you wanting a divorce.”b4b5d387f2a80452

“…”11f96f2ff4ff23c0

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“You advise them that it’s better to file for divorce outside of Monaco, in their own country if possible.”0d328cf121ef949d

A paradise fd3ef48ff0 for millionaires.475f075beaef31a6

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There’s a reason the wealthy flock to Monaco seeking residency. This country shamelessly sides with the rich, even in its laws.31187c0b0a230f7d

Banks require prenuptial agreements from those planning to marry, not wanting to expose their clients’ valuable assets in potential divorce trials.00a3ece2f024e7fe

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And prenuptial agreements protect the wealth of the rich in ways unimaginable to those who’ve never heard of such terms.d7e7f85e7f1b8042

Even if someone got lucky and married without a prenuptial agreement, the local rulings always favored the wealthy. There was no concept of property division, and alimony was absurdly low. The most recent alimony ruling was just five years’ worth of living expenses. Compared to other European countries where one could claim up to half the assets in a divorce, it was pitiful.7f286e278d4a363b

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‘If you divorce here in Monaco, you’ll definitely be at a disadvantage.’0730a74b5cf4a657

I sent the so-called ‘Cinderellas’ away, informing them of this. The worse their situation, the quicker and shorter the consultation.91d8233e4ebed6f8

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“Your great chivalry seems to be causing some trouble with the blond.”fcccd945d9050345

Yves had adeb539829 seen through 6cc03f5b86 me. My cheeks 7ca53c5256 flushed with 8b5e711b89 embarrassment. Before I could f0cdd2b1aa respond, he continued.0d69725588e59602

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“Don’t you need at least one sucker who drags out a lawsuit when they come for a consultation?”7b52caab4795fae6

“It’s fine. It’s not a lawsuit that takes long anyway.”ec97578fb12d2558

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“If you’re my lawyer, it’s okay to file it a year later.”1cb3dbae1a545bbd

“You’re going to delay such an important lawsuit just because of my luck?”e2d2bb4529594263

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It was nonsense. I was f33d88b916 paid by 2ec68e442f the hour. No matter how e9b958e60e long the preliminary 191291f046 work took, why f254e3add9 file a lawsuit 51f9bfd567 a year later 55b4e1d9bc now?1b662085d8e8ca18

The man smiled slowly. That meaningful smile set 687f9262c4 off warning bells.95ce717a2495df7c

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I had a gut feeling that this man wasn’t sitting in this meeting room with me just because of my absurd gambling luck. With that, I spoke again.ec797be5d43d1c61

“There’s no need for that. No matter when you file, you won’t be able to trust me completely because of the conflict of interest. My sister will become part of that family in a few weeks, so I might…”9938279436cd25b2

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“You and your sister both seem sane.”845b8fb4546e9063

It wasn’t a compliment or a criticism. Before I could say anything, he continued.f2feaf5c76fc49c6

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“You might want to see the Grand Duke’s family fall apart within a year. Once the child is born and they start coming to their senses. Then it won’t matter much, right?”598f7c390c28e672

“Right now…”cfb2fcd5fb7338c8

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I was startled by 33365cc853 my own words and 06e1119bf2 closed my mouth.a61bf4d96bc50d9f

Manon’s pregnancy.a463a48293f1cdc3

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Only immediate 0f4313fb66 family, Charles, acfab00a03 and a 0f8ee70657 few at 4201eaa3ce the Grand c409b1127c Palace knew d22fc961e6 about it. The Grand Palace ecf8e0b34c had suggested not 903aa8ebf8 to add fuel ab626b5d8f to the already 16973d8342 gossip-filled marriage.f0d0ec6d940c55ef

But how did 590f142532 this unwelcome guest 357904d5a4 know?e93953756705637a

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And what did he mean by ‘fall apart’?0445436aa19db73b

“I don’t understand what you mean by what you just said.”2e4197e3f1952ff7

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“It’s simple. I know more about the people who will become my family than you do.”0a24901027c33da5

He said, standing up. That was all the 71158dafd0 answer he gave.092788a152b4fc30

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“It seems you need time to think, so we should schedule another consultation.”efaa56042f0f2b81

All I acd5940b18 could do c33f1ecbf5 was nod.989498b3e2829cef

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