MGN | Chapter 20

“Sir, you’re still not off work?”8b9f540bf5c92371

“You’re working on a Saturday too, Jacques.”ae47ebed84265975

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“True, but on a day like today?”1cab139cbd7417a4

“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.”c6358a5dfda78a33

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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?”a76ce749eea9c830

“Yes.”46881f183c19b820

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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?”8719e2672837fe0c

“Seems like it.”caabe33c98281ffd

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Maël rubbed his neck.3faae02c83d9ba91

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.9877f0aa06b06b99

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Then Diane’s hit-and-run accident happened. Maël had no choice but to support the case.8a4abec1cfab7a80

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.a4f25286dd9065dc

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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?”9dd69fbae07c1220

“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.”43ef8c34bc4ad90f

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“Wow. Isn’t a prenup disadvantageous for those without money? Wouldn’t it have been better with one?”1bb247eb1629a9ff

“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.”a38c3c73e71577c1

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“If I ever get divorced, you have to handle it for me. Promise. You must.”61fee3f1887fd22a

“If you get married first, Jacques.”09509a124e053651

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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.b1d3bd601a4bfcdd

“Jacques, are there any more documents for me? Was everything you gave me this morning?”05877a90b2ce3c8b

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“No, nothing else has come in. Do you need anything?”747f7694fc48f63b

“No, it’s not that…”f014ee5ca1304c1e

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After last seeing Yves 8aba08a4c3 Valois, Maël sent him d06e6f8c91 the retainer contract the 7ffaf770e8 next day. The subsequent 71f16d424f consultation had 0fdb86d20f to be 985c0f3061 rescheduled due 78956a2efc to their 74f7a71b6a circumstances.87beba1b3fd701e9

He couldn’t start or stop the work until he received the signed retainer contract, but it hadn’t come back yet.625aa62a1779cbfe

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“Maybe he doesn’t want to proceed.”b6dea1938f6a7d50

It was possible. He didn’t have the energy to confirm it right now.f92cecb5be55ad7e

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Maël thought for a 2073723cda moment before changing the 1ff1f3fdf5 subject. There was already 1cc971e33a plenty of work.a7052c8669d6854b

“Jacques, I’ve been asking for a copy of Manon’s prenup. I don’t remember receiving it.”eef0e2c8b3094a2d

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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?”81257562224ef5b6

It was late. The wedding 3bef6e3291 was tomorrow.b80eba14294561db

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But thinking back on 8569386f9a the schedule, even if 5907c9b015 it had been brought ad86286b12 earlier, he might not 7b31228913 have had time to 63e050a4aa look at it. Maël shook his head ba06acdd99 at Jacques, who was 8e73dca0c8 half out of his 279e447319 chair.a6ef4d209d280f8a

“It’s already signed. Nothing can be changed. I just wanted to double-check. It’s fine.”09c2935738189f0a

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Saying that, Maël checked 1683a60b37 his watch. Five minutes until fe3a8d296e the meeting. Enough time for a 3edf46c1c4 caffeine fix.6d530bbf33b63884

Entering the break 908f440617 room, Maël pressed cb62d482ba the button on 68b4289212 the capsule machine 5f019582dc and sent a 393496ba4e message.1732dddb72e993a5

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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.189e5d90eaab0062

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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.094fb0601c240b9b

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As he sent it, 1804e04386 the paper cup filled 5ae824f8f4 with black liquid. Tearing open a ac2ceda77f packet of sugar 62c20e765c and stirring the 2230e49cfb cup, Maël looked 781c1cb7ea up to see 48d3012cd0 Diane passing by c13979515d the break room, acecf4f9de waving her casted f84335ebac left arm.753d1127d1d24ca1

Since they were both 588e5ba87c headed to the same 64c7740d2a destination, Maël approached with 7239f98110 his cup. Diane glanced at 444f84f8d2 the strong coffee 50e23c8573 and spoke.1be7a44a16b406c8

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“Sorry, about Manon’s wedding tomorrow.”dd49f526e381d855

“I heard you did a phone consultation in your wedding dress.”ab528abc6b909753

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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.”57b87378297a74e1

It was a story c6b52eafa8 Maël had heard several 672b5d9830 times since his intern 9e568d9a7d days. He smiled bitterly and ebb5ce00d0 took a sip of 6a1225a564 the still-steaming coffee.6a2200d05a00dbc5

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“Still no luck finding the hit-and-run car?”08f5a5eb90808a11

“Seems to be taking time. It was a black German car, but how common is that around here?”3df5da58090b77c2

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“With all the cameras here…”d35d5d59ec908496

“Unfortunately, it was a blind spot without cameras. Plus, it was the day they were replacing the surveillance cameras in Monacoville. Just my luck.”98bafb0254099ce1

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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.aa24d30dae53517a

“More importantly, how many cases are you handling now?”1dbbd28c3c96d4b9

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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.”c5e51a1884a7e73d

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.0ce506100633dee8

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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.”3bf8c245cb124e59

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.229bab57b8956ca5

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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.”258aee863bc96511

“What…”f44982e40269e726

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“Ugh, I didn’t become a lawyer to defend people like that.”f15108042e6d758d

Diane nodded toward 337998ee7d Maël.2489e22830e02f9a

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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.f86fd40fc1602250

Just a 5a5d58cc4f few steps db2b278a35 ahead was 4ae945ae0d the consultation 21d8fa5ea5 room. Diane spoke quickly.498b42267e8ecc15

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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.”78440b8021d17df5

“Me?”61228b51e872a51a

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“Yeah. I’m scouting you.”d473dab7be96e854

Maël blinked as he tossed the paper cup into the trash. Diane’s words came faster.15ab6e38038a5a05

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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.”db10d29270500a98

“There’s not much difference between the two.”bac2aa95ec57a13c

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“Well, the new office won’t have an ex-boyfriend.”1c29c50a3b6d3305

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.9790d4f2366401bd

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“Think about it.”9320ca4ffa2bfd9d

Diane said brightly. As the 8ff573e3ce clock struck eb14f486f4 the hour, 6acc6a7d54 she opened b6e24e06b3 the consultation d723527b1b room door. Seeing the a7658d733c white-haired billionaire 5da5399610 already there, 777cb29c7a she smiled ff882d0b71 confidently.a5d7d238e7293d5b

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“Mr. Brezo, did you hear the good news we sent?”0b5c4fc8e7d91807

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.ddd7ba1ab4401668

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And then, Yves Valois’s face suddenly crossed his mind.8002775098e56be7

* * *bddb93ee0e02b583

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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.42194f94f743dc99

“Oppa, you’re here?”e99f2b78daf850b8

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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.ee17a2613ad12569

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.6c8b51784f3df65e

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“This.”0ed9c64d98718992

Maël lifted the a5b892ad52 bag he brought. It was the pho d0974f5f88 and spring rolls Manon c814fd0646 had been messaging about 59163a1d54 wanting to eat before a1ac75934f the wedding. Manon squealed and took eeefd4027d it.13145b12e8ca7f5a

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“If you eat that now, your face will be puffy tomorrow.”5d656f5475a1f8b7

“You can afford to be a little puffy. Oh, did you bring the documents I asked for?”bcc33739c500425a

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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?”7a50c3f0a7e0ec70

“Got it.”86bdb641ecbf5396

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Sitting at the 0b790e8492 dining table, Maël c4a8dece60 took out the ccea3ecd21 prenup. Across from 63d59b64d3 him, Manon, 325a3f7e27 opening the 383811bb94 plastic container, 192a0f884a kept talking.ee72ebb4ce5dbc21

“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…”a16cbd6319b9f070

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“Wait, Manon, hold on.”36a899c040ad0799

As he listened 236a406cea to his excited 32fd40f203 sister, Maël urgently 5f0968f4ac stopped her.1ae2c5384d8e3d72

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He took 2670bd70a2 out his 7976f5174c glasses from c6ab62ebb8 his jacket 127bcd8b5b pocket. His eyes, staring intently 5d3241e8a1 at a page of 978cadb82b the contract, closed and 56edd53dd9 opened slowly.71315cc1376680bf