MGN | Chapter 4

“A lawsuit isn’t a gamble.”3a9a819b27f4fa91

I regretted saying it 4abb81dee7 as soon as it ce76769081 left my mouth. The man might have 8c27d33a42 been a brute at 793407cc13 the casino, but here 4e4dfdd4de he was a client. I considered 44d2a5f951 apologizing but e6634372bb just sat 206bb9ca04 down instead. Almost simultaneously, the man 4678f1f76b spoke.24c74cce0203958c

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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.”ce55dab39f12a1f7

“It’s Maël Moon, and you can call me Maël.”67e41e3d5e64130e

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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.835e7d7e1425c71c

“Yves Hervé Valois.”46e14a3ba9aa49c9

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“Then, Mr. Valois.”96dd42d246a061f5

“Yves.”e176e2e9d315565c

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A rascal who 8605e1e72d uses words economically bd3bcd2b4b to the point cf1fbe2e62 of rudeness. I unconsciously relaxed 4bbdd7ecce my eyes and f076418a4d put on my 3a0f5ad865 social mask.8390c9f184dcb5bb

“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?”1791538a612ab0b5

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“I wanted to take my time with the consultation.”a0c700c1202c6c66

He came in empty-handed, so his answer wasn’t surprising.8004525a139a6c60

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Instead of pointing out 774987f888 that this consultation cost a1d9062bf5 a thousand euros per 4050a09169 hour, I opened my bc8fe8c3ea notebook and picked up 6605785d09 a pen.dae7f49c04de88de

“Please take your time and tell me. Is there an issue with the child you’re raising?”5a14cb5687ac9e73

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I wrote 62f62db046 down his e1e683e94f name and af7f459a07 looked at 7508affdf1 Yves. In these cases, men be4509ea36 usually came with bloodshot 723208d92b eyes, clutching a DNA 9bd3923e24 test confirmation.8c6ec97f71cbc03c

‘Doesn’t seem to fit.’e1dff95b3431b3a9

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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.5675af5b781d5001

“I don’t have a child I’m raising.”6a64578af2fe0c9f

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Then, did a pregnant f3fc215e47 woman come to him? That seemed more 41aee1e0e5 fitting for his b561aeb21d reckless appearance.d3bb5401e738c3f6

“I’m an illegitimate child.”f71a523867020093

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My guess was off 2770fd8da2 again.d41debc36a380d6d

Quietly taking b6ebe63b23 notes, I 5ba3cc0b96 subtly mentioned c63a76104e what people a1acbae5ef here valued 251107f29b most.3c875cb8a1ccaf11

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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…”5190a323a15e17e5

“I haven’t received enough to worry about that. They’re all dead anyway.”213183c207efa345

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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.a79f75ec8ac7f371

A man who amassed 437d4a2e41 wealth through Eastern European 59259b5db3 real estate and the c5ded8fef8 executive director of the 39b158ee6e Riviera Hotel chain. Someone who could toss e24142ba14 around a fortune like 5d375cb793 pocket change.f87e87418141ec82

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‘Not inherited money?’6d627a56ba51fe1d

I was d422f965da briefly impressed 331a09bdfd by his e779d65137 acumen. But that was it. As a lawyer, my 7242019f86 only thought was that b2bfd44158 there would be fewer f1e243c98a documents to handle regarding 70fd2e4f3b his assets.58a54d94cce25d37

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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…”ff4913db8bb4bf4a

“He won’t meet me.”b2ba9ea5e30486ec

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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.”0e6e1b85e7baeafb

Aside from the discomfort with the client, the work itself didn’t seem difficult. So far. Yves finally straightened up at my words.609404afdb07cf7c

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“His name is Lucien Alexandre Maxence de Broglie.”a3a3a2222bd70813

“…”2824830dea32a0fe

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“Address: Monaco Grand Palace.”3b81c53385657e5d

My pen had stopped mid-writing the name ‘de Broglie.’ When I looked up, our eyes met.249804e2703ae6cd

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“So, you’re talking about Lucien III…?”3494bf7e25723ac7

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.789e42d4c3a8fce3

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But Yves smirked instead 8736dae5f0 of saying it was ecfa469bcd a joke.13bd5fee32ed425c

“They call him that. The Grand Duke of Monaco. The king of this town.”15f8735743134ddd

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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.24d972d7ce5bcae1

“Do you have any evidence…?”c69605ae0f60fe11

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“Photos, diaries, DNA tests with half-siblings.”0b1cd2a823c1c9ea

Though he hadn’t presented anything, his voice was full of certainty.1ae34a4a36828475

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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.”eadd3cf1ca1b8c2c

With that, silence c3c90c2ebd filled the consultation e7006b55a5 room as time f012ee9405 passed. It was 251b84e411 the first 8024d3a841 time since 0723c56d65 becoming a d8cfb01980 lawyer that 06191069ff I was 504bc738e6 at a 65743eee96 loss for 8a4a8bf3ca words. In the consultation room, a7d41f7348 we usually read evidence 748584b508 or contracts, listened, or ae9138463f spoke. Here, every second was 9c62ff80b3 money, so it was 291877e44b a matter of basic 2091969010 courtesy.66054046b4e49677

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But this time, I truly didn’t know what to say.4296a35bd854c577

“Why, can’t you do it?”f59fb8f2c7a690f5

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“…”3e8b53560074d065

“Are you worried your sister might get in trouble because her future father-in-law is involved?”3deeab9e548fbd10

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The question b3cdfdff92 hit the a4b90abf73 mark. It was 1fa63f593f impossible not 0da45b1c30 to think 144a2a112d of it 5db812ac3e first.4dc04e42f67639e9

Unwilling to 8a44ac7d4e admit it, cc9718d5a3 I closed 696ea3a24d the barely eb8043b1f6 written notebook 8e070be3da and asked f2a20076b1 back.619fdf835ff23fad

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“May I ask why you specifically requested me?”7794700807c649ea

“I told you. It’s a lawsuit that needs luck.”8ae14f14083c1089

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Right, that 709acd5c7c made sense f9254ad3b6 too.30ed557b2d7ee8cd

‘Even if you file a lawsuit, their lawyer will probably argue for dismissal citing sovereign immunity.’2b4124f83686f6ad

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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.2d62411cb7155540

What was fbc836e942 needed for 21d4fb7d5d this lawsuit 421d87f58f was strategy, 198eaaeb88 public opinion, 9047a708c5 and above 4ddb8dc5b7 all, luck.75e66bdd6762adc2

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The key was whether 1108d4694f we could create a 95498359a0 situation where the Grand b42b5560bd Duke would take a 6731252cf4 DNA test, for this 07ceff960c man claiming to be ab1760c698 his illegitimate child.ec43b31e7b94678f

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.db6c81b3609b7019

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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…”c5c9d5136ee98e0a

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.9bd9bbeb956ed863

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“I heard you send people away like that.”4216bc4366a01c63

“What?”15ba518bd055409e

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“Businessmen who beat their wives, alcoholic artists, cheating sports stars… all those Cinderellas who come to you wanting a divorce.”eab9fcb11bcd969b

“…”e1e7002c4927afd6

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“You advise them that it’s better to file for divorce outside of Monaco, in their own country if possible.”a1ed374ee015b1d6

A paradise 853bdbebfa for millionaires.415c31e9e7ad7a33

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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.41c65fdc72d391b3

Banks require prenuptial agreements from those planning to marry, not wanting to expose their clients’ valuable assets in potential divorce trials.da585f68d3035e1a

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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.a84148bed44f87b7

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.9ea4bb65a04f5438

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‘If you divorce here in Monaco, you’ll definitely be at a disadvantage.’5ddeb01203d184fb

I sent the so-called ‘Cinderellas’ away, informing them of this. The worse their situation, the quicker and shorter the consultation.7ea63f25152a4edc

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“Your great chivalry seems to be causing some trouble with the blond.”bf1b02a4b7f23c32

Yves had 814e31afe4 seen through a6aa42c1a9 me. My cheeks flushed with 828d6d717c embarrassment. Before I cb70610697 could respond, 9b9c6aa772 he continued.30569a44692ae8b4

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“Don’t you need at least one sucker who drags out a lawsuit when they come for a consultation?”8b10af0531ed91d8

“It’s fine. It’s not a lawsuit that takes long anyway.”8d9bb35e3cb85810

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“If you’re my lawyer, it’s okay to file it a year later.”22cc94dd8fb9a1c5

“You’re going to delay such an important lawsuit just because of my luck?”68ef6720dc35b3cc

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It was nonsense. I was 30c5a3bc49 paid by 3b541ea01b the hour. No matter bf587b18bd how long c788213b4b the preliminary 7cd3c5cf8c work took, f9fbd2a075 why file 40d3cf8273 a lawsuit d24aa551c5 a year 6ea2210bdd later now?f88cde15fdb979fd

The man smiled slowly. That meaningful 922dc0d5df smile set b6b917aaa4 off warning 3938966565 bells.cec34ef00cb782c8

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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.2a531f4f1e95184c

“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…”76ce329b2a4a6f52

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“You and your sister both seem sane.”3d696cc851e5d5f0

It wasn’t a compliment or a criticism. Before I could say anything, he continued.0833b60945fb8b4e

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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?”32105358365b5453

“Right now…”f3fba6dc996a3f2d

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I was a9ec801b9a startled by 457a573ee9 my own 9097b876c8 words and b1434dfe3b closed my f1cdfa7dfa mouth.d990e9878ac59223

Manon’s pregnancy.89b1ce7de581bc2f

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Only immediate ab365aeba9 family, Charles, e8701f048e and a 3dd05caa99 few at 51cf748125 the Grand e940ebf1e4 Palace knew 5af0801465 about it. The Grand a1ce31d8d1 Palace had 93874ac9f7 suggested not 5fa42acefe to add 5ea30c79cd fuel to dfba470495 the already eb40127d7f gossip-filled marriage.d616f1ab78fc9d1c

But how 9cf3e4d3ad did this 67ffc4f622 unwelcome guest 03910eee96 know?29eb13706aa9f429

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And what did he mean by ‘fall apart’?3a852f4c54d258c5

“I don’t understand what you mean by what you just said.”8c3c0f889e652739

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“It’s simple. I know more about the people who will become my family than you do.”241a992a30ca7024

He said, standing a0bd7310ba up. That was all the 4c7053f39c answer he gave.7f621fed07b71ddd

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“It seems you need time to think, so we should schedule another consultation.”466e977675e0dab0

All I db88227307 could do 8e294f0582 was nod.16f8d9c8e705117b

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