The luxury of Lyam's penthouse did nothing to quiet the ringing in Yvan's ears.
He stared at his glass of whiskey.
Didn't touch it.
"Slow down on the diamonds, Lyam," Yvan said as he stood up.
"We just got our exam results. If I disappear to Antwerp now, my friends are going to start asking questions."
A pause.
"We're supposed to celebrate this… normally."
Lyam burst out laughing, leaning back in his chair.
"'Normally.' You're adorable, Yvan."
A smirk.
"You want to keep your little group of friends intact?"
A glance.
"Your little Michou?"
"Be careful."
His tone sharpened—just slightly.
"Play both sides long enough… and you'll forget which face you wear when you look in the mirror."
Yvan didn't reply.
He grabbed his polo—clean, flawless, no trace of the night before—
And left.
The Next Day – Banks of the Seine
This wasn't a romantic date.
It was a group outing.
Michou, Jecolia, and Lynn were already there, sitting on the pavement, sharing a bag of pastries.
When Yvan and Mélo arrived, Michou looked up.
Her gaze lingered on him for a second too long.
There was curiosity.
Maybe even the beginning of something more.
But above all—
Confusion.
"Look who survived," she said, handing him a pain au chocolat.
"You look like you spent the whole night studying… even though exams are over."
A small smile.
"Your uncle really works you like a slave."
"It's just the pace," Yvan lied as he sat down, keeping a subtle distance.
"Gotta save up for Greece, right?"
"We could find part-time jobs together,"
Michou suggested.
Her eyes searched his.
"My mom knows a gallery looking for summer interns."
A hopeful tone.
"It'd be nicer than sorting boxes alone, don't you think?"
A sharp flicker of tension crossed Yvan's mind.
Work with her?
In an art gallery?
Around experts who could recognize the very pieces he moved on the black market?
"That's really kind, Michou…"
A pause.
"But I already committed to my uncle. I can't just leave him like that."
Something in her expression dimmed.
She could feel it.
That invisible wall Yvan kept raising every time she got too close.
Nearby, Mélo was trying to make Jecolia laugh with his usual antics.
But it wasn't working.
"Mélo, stop," Jecolia said softly, a faint, sad smile on her lips.
"You're joking… but your eyes are somewhere else."
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"Ever since the results… you've been different."
"It's adulthood, Jeco!" Mélo shot back with a forced grin.
"Turns me philosophical."
A shrug.
"I'm wondering if I'll become a serious guy… or stay a kid."
"I like the kid," Jecolia murmured.
Her hand moved.
Slowly.
Timidly.
Resting close to his on the cold pavement.
Mélo looked at it.
So delicate.
So innocent.
And then—
He remembered the weapon he had held just hours earlier.
He pulled his hand away.
Picked up a stone.
Threw it into the water.
"The kid's tired, Jeco."
A beat.
"That's all."
Silence.
Heavy.
Unspoken.
This was it.
The slow burn.
The desire to get closer—
Held back by the fear of what might be revealed.
The girls could feel something was off.
But they blamed it on stress.
On the future.
On growing up.
They had no idea.
Yvan's phone vibrated.
A message from Lyam.
"Antwerp postponed to Monday."
"Enjoy your weekend with your 'friends.'"
A pause.
"But stay sharp."
"I'm hearing the Old Man is looking for the mole…"
"And he's not convinced Ludo was the only one."
Yvan locked his phone.
His face went pale.
The danger wasn't over.
He looked at Michou—
Laughing at something Lynn had just said.
She was so far from all of this.
And he had to keep it that way.
Even if one day…
She ended up hating him for it.