Seven Story Publishing

April 2011. 2:23 pm France.

A young couple in their thirties, each in their luxurious Parisian apartment in the living room. The young man was Asian and his name was Antony. As for his wife, she was a Caucasian with long black hair and was named Corinne. As a framed picture on a chest of drawers (just below a sword hanging on the wall) showed, they had officially united before God and men, 5 years ago, for better or for worse. The young man dressed in a suit and tie was about to go out alone. He had just finished drinking the glass of orange juice that his wife had brought him from the kitchen. She was wearing burgundy shorts, under a white shirt with a half-open neckline.

“So, what’s on your agenda for the day, honey?” She asked.

“I’m going to join my buddy, Kevin. We’ll grab a drink. Haven’t seen you in a while. Then I’m going to go to the tattoo shop. Then I’ll go home to my darling who will have prepared a nice little dish for me with love. “

He winked at her.

“Oh, but you know very well that all my dishes are made

with love, darling,” said Corinne as she winked back at him.

“I know. That’s why I always enjoy eating everything you put in front of my mouth. “

“Oh yes, I know that. And you’re always a real gourmand. “

Antony laughed.

“And you darling, what’s your program for the day? Are you planning to go out?”

To that question, the young woman chewed her lips.

“No, I don’t have any plans to go out today. I’ll stay home and do some cleaning and laundry until you get back. “

“I think I can be there around 7:00.”

“And if you don’t, what will you get tattooed, honey?”

“You’ll see tonight it’s a surprise,” he replied with a smile; while putting his glass back on the table.

His wife Corinne looked at him tenderly.

“Never forget that I love you baby,” said the young woman.

“Don’t worry about it,” her husband replied as he walked to the front door. “I love you too, baby.”

“For better or for worse, baby. “

“For better or for worse, darling. “

The handsome young Asian man winked at him and then opened the door.

“See you tonight, baby.”

“See you tonight,” replied his wife with a smile.

“Lock the door behind me. Have a nice day. Bye! “

He closed the door and his wife immediately carried out her husband’s order. She closed the door, turned around and

leaned against it for a few seconds. She smiled and seemed almost relieved.

Two minutes later, Antony was in the parking lot. He entered the interior of his shiny black Ferrari, started the engine and headed for the meeting place where his friend Kevin was waiting: a fancy restaurant in the capital.

****

A few minutes later, Antony was at the table with Kevin. The latter was a black man with a sharp body, short shaved hair, and carrying the goat.

“My father wants me to take over his fashion clothing company, but I’m not too keen on it,” Antony said. I want to create my own thing; not take over what’s already been done. I like challenges and new challenges. “

“Yeah, I understand. Worst case scenario, your dad can offer it to your little sister when she’s older.”

“Yeah, if need be. But as far as I’m concerned, I’m not too interested. And that’s why I wanted to see you today to make you a proposal.”

“Oh, yeah? What’s that? “

“Knowing that you are a seasoned geek with a passion for the internet and computers, I would like to

to know if you would know how to create me a particular paying streaming site. “

“Easy to do that. It’s my specialty. “

“Awesome.”

“And what kind of videos would that be for? Porn movies, like “PORNHUB”?” Joked Kevin.

At these words, Antony widened his eyes, then sneaked his head down, smiling and shaking it.

“I see that Monsieur is a regular,” Antony answered sarcastically.

“You know yourself.”

Kevin winked at him, and Antony laughed.

“Otherwise, to answer you, I don’t know yet. I don’t know what kind of video there will be. But what’s for sure is that it’s going to be a paid streaming site, where people will pay money to see new and original content. “

“Yes, I see. Something original like YouTube, but better! “

“Yes, in a way. And you, your task will obviously be to make a streaming website and maintain it with regular updates. “

“No worries. As long as it’s good money, I’ll do whatever you want, man.”

“And it will be, don’t even worry about it.”

At the same time, a beautiful mixed-race woman walked by. She was a voluptuously shaped customer, a lush, goddess-like plant.

Kevin, viscerally libidinous, began to look at her lustfully.

“Wow, what a beauty! “He exclaimed.

Following his friend’s reaction, Antony sketched a smile as he stealthily lowered his head. “Stop it, Kevin, damn it. Be

more discreet anyway. Honestly, aren’t you tired of getting excited about everything that moves? Be a mature person, man. Grow up. “

Kevin shook his head and smiled.

“Hey man, women are just consumer products to me. I take them and behave with them, only for what they are. “

“Don’t say that, man. You’re crazy. Some products, as you say, can be valuable too. Like my wife. “

“Anyway, not the ones I… hang out with. They are all the same, I assure you. Except that some hide it better than others, making you believe the opposite. “

“All the same except mine then. You know Robert, if you only look for sex, you’ll never find love. “

“But who says I want to find it? “

The young Asian boy shook his head and smiled.

“What proves that your wife really loves you man? It’s true what! You’ve got money, your father is a rich businessman, etc. Honestly, where does sincerity start and where does the interest in all this end? “

The young Asian boy was challenged by these words, and seemed to think for a few seconds.

“Your problem is that you think too much with your dick and not with your heart,” he said. “And that’s what’s going to get you lost someday.”

“Do you really think there are still people on earth who can love each other truly, with pure love, in this hyper-sexual, consumerist society? Do you think that true love still exists,

in this society where it is not even the man who succumbs to temptation anymore, but the temptation itself which has succumbed to the man? “

“Yes, I still think so, Kevin. It is precisely a proof of love to strive to remain honest in this excessively consumerist society. And yes, there are still people on earth who love each other sincerely, Kevin. Like my wife and I.”

“Do you really trust your wife completely?”

Antony frowned slightly.

“Be careful what you say, man.”

Kevin suddenly looked ashamed.

“Okay, excuse me. Anyway, I really wish you all the happiness in the world, if you’ve really found love. That’s all the good I wish you, man.”

“Thanks, bro. Are you ready to build me a paid streaming website, and then be the webmaster? “

“Yes, if I get paid well, buddy, just like I told you,” Kevin winked at him.

“You will be, don’t worry. “

“Now all you have to do is come up with an idea, a concept.

“I’m working on it and I’ll keep you posted.”

“Sir! ” Called Antony. Check, please. “

“Nah, let me pay this time, bro. “

“Nan don’t worry. It’s my pleasure. It’s on me. “

“Thanks man. Next time if you want. “

The young Asian nodded his head, while seeing the waiter

coming to meet him.

“Hold Sir,” he said, handing him the bill. “

“Thank you.”

A few minutes later, the two thirty-somethings left the restaurant.

“Thank you again for the meal, Antony.”

“No worries.”

“I’m going to join my car parked a little further away. What is your program now?”

“I’m going to go get a tattoo in a salon.”

Kevin widened his eyes.

“Really?”

Antony nodded.

“And what are you going to get tattooed, if you don’t mind my asking?”

“My wife’s name on my chest, on my heart. “

“Is this really what you want? “

“Absolutely.”

Kevin shook his head.

“Get your dog’s name tattooed instead, it’s wiser.

Slightly offended by this remark, Antony approached his friend, pretending to want to punch him.

“Okay…Okay…sorry man,” Kevin said, taking a step back; while blocking with his hand for protection. “I take back what I said. Get a tattoo of whatever you want.”

“I hope so. Thank you! “

“Okay, that’s cool,” he says with his thumb up. “See you soon bro, bye.”

“See you later. Get home safely. “

Kevin said goodbye to his friend and rejoined his vehicle. Antony did the same.

****

At the same time, in an apartment in the Paris area, a blonde woman was in the kitchen. Her name was Valerie, she was in her thirties and her belly was bloated from the pregnancy of her unborn baby. She was wearing a white shirt and black jogging bottoms. Her two uncovered arms revealed a myriad of drawings, patterns and tattooed portraits, which evoked and represented respectively periods of her personal life. Obviously, she was very fond of tattoos. As she stood by the sink, peeling a green apple, she felt a slight uneasiness against all odds. It was a slightly painful but bearable contraction. Valerie blew and maintained her belly. By prudence, she resolved to take a plate posed on the drainer, provided with its knife; and to come to sit down at the table which was close.

“It’s better that I sit down, you never know,” she thought.

Once at the table (after having put the remains of her peels in the plate), Valerie started the first bite of her freshly bald apple. No sooner had she bitten into this undefended fruit than a second, much more painful and much longer

contraction appeared. This time Valerie began to twist and groan in pain. She hastened to put the apple and the knife in the plate, as if to better relieve herself of futile things. 30

Seconds later, these contractions started again, to the great displeasure of the beautiful tattooed blonde. In spite of all this original suffering, she found the strength to get up painfully (still holding her stomach) and walk towards the telephone, which was hung on the wall near the kitchen door. There she dialed a number with a grimace of pain. After two rings, someone picked up the phone. It was a man’s voice.

“Hello, Valerie?”

“Yes, it’s… it’s me, darling. You have to come to…hurry…to…home. “

“What’s going on? Has something bad happened to you? “

“No, it’s…it’s not that. I’ve been having…painful…contractions since…just now. I… I think the baby…is coming out. “

“Oh, my goodness! ” Exclaimed her boyfriend.

“Call the ambulance…and meet me…at…the…house right away. “

“Yes, yes…I’ll be right there. It’s going to be okay baby. “

“Hurry up…please. I… I’m…in… Terrible…pain.”

“Take a deep breath and stay calm, dear. I’ll be right there. “

Valerie hung up the phone and made her way as best she could into the living room to lie down on the leather sofa and rest until her boyfriend and the ambulance arrived.

****

A few minutes later, Antony, the wealthy young Asian man in his thirties, arrived at the front door of the tattoo parlor. He was right on time for his appointment. He entered the store and sat in a corner, near the coffee table on which was all sorts of different magazines. He was waiting for someone to come and pick him up. After three minutes, a man came out of one of the tattoo parlors and met him. He was a Caucasian tattooist in his forties, bald, and with a graying beard. He was dressed all in black: sneakers, jeans and a t-shirt. All the length of his arms were covered with tattoos, yakuza style.

“Hello Sir. What can I do for you? “

“I have an appointment with Francky to get a tattoo.”

“Ah sorry, he left 30 minutes ago.”

“But he and I made an appointment for today. I don’t understand. “

“Yes, but he just had an imponderable event: his wife called him urgently and is about to give birth. He has left to join her.

Antony seemed enthusiastic.

“But that’s great. He’s going to be a father.”

“Yes, he is. “

“Ah, I understand in this case that he was unable to keep the appointment. I would have done the same. It wouldn’t have

been a priority. “

The tattooist nodded his head and smiled. Antony got up quickly.

“Well Ben in that case, I’ll make another appointment with him, for later. “

“No worries. Thank you for your understanding. “

“That’s normal. Wish him all the best from me when you see him,” says Antony as he heads for the exit door to open it.

“I will.”

“See you soon!”

Antony left the store and closed the door behind him.

Due to a change of program, he decided to go home earlier than planned, but he had taken care to make a small detour to a florist beforehand! He didn’t want to go home empty-handed and wanted to surprise his wife.

A few minutes later, Antony was at the wheel of his black Ferrari on his way home. A bouquet of red roses was placed next to him on the passenger seat.

****

Once arrived in front of the front door of his home, the young Asian in his thirties was about to ring the bell, the bouquet of flowers hidden behind his back. Against all odds, he hesitated for two seconds and then changed his mind.

“If I want to surprise her, I might as well do it totally,” he thought with a mischievous smile.

He took the key to his luxurious apartment out of his trouser pocket, inserted it into the lock and opened the door. Once inside, he double-locked the door behind him.

“Darling? It’s me! “He threw his bouquet of flowers in his hand.

No response. He took off his dress shoes and left them by the door where he saw something on the floor that left him intrinsically perplexed: a pair of black Jordan sneakers. Clearly, they did not belong to him; or at least he had no memory of buying them. Antony instinctively frowned as he walked slowly through the room.

“Honey? That’s me. You’re here? “

Still no answer.

As he made his way to the bedroom level, he seemed to hear moans emanating from the room. As he got closer, he recognized his wife’s moans. He had already understood, but he wanted to know for sure.

He walked to the level of the room in hushed footsteps and saw the door ajar. Antony saw just enough to see his own wife with a black man, both in Eve’s outfit, copulating. At the sight of this tragic and humiliating spectacle, he felt his heart break into a thousand pieces. The woman who was constantly showering him with “I love you”, who seemed to be totally devoted to him with a sincere love and who often devoured him with her eyes, with a bewitched look, happily gave herself up to another man. Instinctively, Antony’s jaw tightened immediately, his face became cold and his eyes began to see red. His heart even stopped beating for a moment. Time to blame the blow and come to his senses. Against all odds, a macabre thought crossed his mind. He didn’t intend to stop there, nor could he. He walked towards the living room with a firm step. He placed his bouquet of flowers on the chest of drawers, raised his head slightly and saw the sword hanging on the wall just above. Looking determined, he unhooked it and returned to the bedroom.

When he reached the door, Antony opened it violently, his eyes threatening and his face angry. His wife Corinne and her lover simultaneously jumped up and stopped their frolicking immediately.

“Darling its…it’s you?” she said, looking frightened, like her lover. “I… I thought. You…you’d come home…later…later. “

“As you can see Corinne, I came home early. But I probably shouldn’t have. It would have saved me from doing something stupid. “

Antony slowly approached the illegitimate couple, still with his sword in his hand, then took a slight pause.

“It… it’s not…it’s not…what you think…darling. “

Corinne’s voice was bumpy. As for Antony, his face was increasingly angry and his voice more threatening.

“Don’t ever call me that again, you little whore. I now see the pure naked truth. What I’m going to do to both of you won’t be what you think it is either. “

Six minutes of savagery and extreme barbarism later, Antony came out of the room, stained with blood from head to toe. He held in each of his hands the decapitated head of his wife Corinne as well as that of his lover. Both were still dripping with hemoglobin from their freshly severed blows. Their respective faces were frozen with terror. Obviously, Antony had gone mad during all this carnage. But the only thing that mattered to him was to wash his honor… in a bloodbath! He then went to the kitchen where he put both heads on the table. Then he opened a piece of furniture and took out a large garbage bag. He threw the two cursed lovers in it, before returning to the room to recover the remains of their atrociously mutilated limbs.

****

During the night, a black Land Rover Discovery started to park near an outdoor construction site in Paris that was closed. It was 3:27 a.m. A man wearing a black hat and sunglasses discreetly exited the cabin. It was Antony. He opened the trunk of his vehicle, looked around and took a first closed garbage bag that was well filled. He walked to one of the four-wheeled garbage containers nearby, lifted the lid and threw one of the first bodies into it: his wife Corinne’s body. He swept the place again, looking impassively, to make sure no one was watching him. Then

he went back to get the last garbage bag from the back of his vehicle (that of his wife’s lover) and repeated his gesture.

“This is where people like you belong,” he said solemnly before folding the lid back on the container.

Antony reinvested his Land Rover, started the engine, then gradually faded into the night, like his wife’s face … into oblivion!

****

The next morning, Antony was sitting on the terrace of a Parisian café, enjoying an espresso. He seemed upset. Paradoxically, his ex-wife’s infidelity had given him an idea. With a cold look in his eyes and a closed face, he took his smartphone from the table. He then dialed a number and made the call. After two rings, someone picked up the phone: it was his friend Kevin.

He was in bed, naked under the sheets, with a pretty creature in the simplest device as well.

“Hey Antony, how’s it going buddy?”

“It’s okay. Are you busy right now? “

To this question, Kevin looked furtively at his umpteenth conquest which smiled tenderly at him.

“Uh… let’s say yes. Why are you calling? I feel a little upset in your voice. Nothing serious happened, I hope? “

“No, don’t worry,” he replied, biting his lips. “Tell me, can we meet later at two o’clock, at the same place as last time?”

“Yes, no worries. Why?”

“I finally found… my idea, for my pay streaming website. “

“Ah great! You’ll tell me that when we meet (Kevin looked at the young woman). Okay buddy? “

“Okay. See you later!”

Antony hung up. His face was still as closed as before. He now had only one thing in mind: the realization of his future streaming website.

****

August 2014. 12h37 pm. Paris. France.

The 6^th district’s town hall was witnessing a wedding ceremony, overlooked by the most fit man for the job: the mayor himself. Approaching his fifties, gray haired and cleanly shaved, he was sporting a tricolor scarf that he wore slung over his shoulder, as was the custom. An array of guests carefully dressed in suits for the occasion (parents, cousins and friends) had gathered to come and pay their respects to the young black couple. The young woman, her hair styled with dreadlocks, was from the islands and the young man crowned with a carefully cut afro was from the mother-land. Both in their thirties, one could clearly see and feel the love that their eyes held for each other. The ambiance was solemn, and intense emotion gripped the air.

“Sophie Rivel, do you take Mr. Christian Dieng to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“Yes, I do,” replied the young Martinican bride, her voice quivering with emotion.

“Christian Dieng, do you take Miss Sophie Rivel to be your lawfully wedded wife?” The mayor echoed to the young man.

“Yes, I do,” said the young Senegalese, looking tenderly at his future wife.

“Very well. I hereby declare Sophie Rivel and Christian Dieng united in matrimony. Congratulations! And never forget…Much water may not put out love.”

Now sharing fate, the newlyweds exchanged a glance then a tender kiss, under a burst of enthusiastic applause. In the hall, several witnesses couldn’t hold back their tears, and soon enough their faces were glistening with emotion.

An indescribable feeling of eternity was radiating from the two lovebirds.

An hour and a half later, the Catholic ceremony came to an end. The newly married couple left the Parisian church, (haloed with the priest’s blessing), under a shower of confetti and the fervor of the resounding ‘youyous’ (traditional African screams). They had just united before God and promised each other a life of happiness.

****

“Aaaah!”

Sophie had jolted awake in the middle of the night. Her face glowed with sweat. She had just had a nightmare.

“…What’s…Hon… Honey?” Christian asked, all languished as he came out of his stupor. “Why…why are you…Are you screaming?”

“I… I had…a… bad dream,” replied his wife.

“Oh…you’re okay now, honey. It’s just a dream, don’t worry. Want to go back to sleep?”

“I… I saw you… killing… me!”

Christian turned to her, surprised, and laughed.

“What!? Really? Come on now…I would never hurt you, why would I kill the woman I somehow landed six years ago!”

“It felt so…so real!” said Sophie with a quivering voice, “I’m sorry!”

“It’s okay,” replied Christian, tenderly caressing her face, “it’s just a nightmare, honey. Try to sleep now, I promise I have no reason to kill you,” Christian laughed. “Well…not yet.”

Sophie laughed in turn.

“Let’s go back to sleep now.”

He kissed his wife’s forehead, turned around on the other side of the bed and fell into slumber again. After shaking off her nightmare, Sophie did the same.

****

The next morning the young couple was in the dining room, in their small Parisian apartment.

“This month’s going to be rough again, darling,” sighed Christian as he tallied all their expenses on his laptop.

Sophie was nearby, doing her usual stretches.

“It’s going to be alright, honey. So long as we stick together to overcome this ordeal,” she replied. “As the Bible says, much water may not put out love.”

“I’m sorry I can’t offer you a better life. I don’t even deserve your love.”

Touched, she stopped stretching and hugged her husband from behind.

“You do. I don’t love you for what you have, but for what you are. We will get through this, as we should. We’re in this for the better or worse.”

Christian put his hand on the arm she had slung around his neck.

“You’re always the mature one…you’re right. I’m proud to belong to you honey. I really am…”

“Me too, Christian.”

“I love you.”

With these words Sophie came around and sat on his lap.

“I love you too,” she said with a deeply enamored look in her eyes.

****

The next day, as usual, Christian was busy in a Parisian restaurant as a waiter. As usual, he wore his casual attire for the occasion: canvas pants, a silk shirt, a tie and dress shoes, all dressed in black. A burgundy apron tightened his waist. He went from table to table, from order to order; as bees gather from flowers in bloom, to satiate the hungers and quench the thirsts. Luckily, his tips were rarely out of the box.

A few hours later after the service, Christian found himself in the back yard to rest and take a breather. He was standing against the wall. He lit a cigarette with a lighter, which was placed in the outside pocket of his apron. A host of questions were running through his anxious mind about his financial situation.

A few minutes later, he was joined by one of his co-workers named Jerome. He was a native Frenchman who had been working as a dishwasher for years. When he saw Christian, he knew right away that something was wrong.

“Obviously, you’re in trouble at the moment, “he said.

“Who, me? Why are you telling me that, Jerome? “

“Because you’ve taken up smoking again, man. It’s been almost a year since I’ve seen you smoke. And I know that when you smoke, it’s to forget your worries or when you’re going through a bad patch. “

“Obviously, we can’t hide anything from you. “

“What’s wrong Christian? “

“I’m just surviving. At the end of each month, my wife and I are almost overdrawn. “

“And she works too, so she can help you? “

“Yes. She’s a nurse. She works in a hospital. She’s on paid leave right now. But unfortunately, that’s not enough to be financially secure. “

Jerome felt visceral compassion for his co-worker.

“Don’t worry, Christian, it’ll get better. Don’t despair “, he reassured him by tapping his shoulder. “I’m sure that very soon things will get better. “

“I hope so too. “

Christian lowered his head and sighed.

****

In the evening, Christian was in the living room, sitting in front of his computer. He opened a Google window and typed in the search bar “how to make money” hoping to find a way out.

He found a myriad of more or less reliable opportunities and dissected some of them.

Meanwhile, Sophie came out of the bathroom in a short pink bathrobe, her head turbaned with a towel of the same color. She joined her husband.

“What are you doing, darling? “She asked, standing behind him.

“I’m trying to Google ways to make money. But there are so many things, that I have trouble distinguishing real opportunities from fake ones. “

“Don’t worry. I’ll look for another job next door if I have to. “

“Nah, I’ll do it instead. It’s not up to you to kill yourself to bring back money. That’s the role and responsibility of the man. “

Sophie sighed for a few seconds, and then walked over to the oblong Bluetooth speaker set on a dresser. She turned it on and played a good old Marvin Gaye sound called “Let’s get it on “.

Sophie began to wiggle her hips lasciviously in front of her husband.

“Come dance, “she said mischievously.

“Ah Sophie, can’t you see I’m busy right now? Looking for a way out of precariousness is, I think, much more important than dancing. Even if it is Marvin Gaye. “

“Come on, don’t be shy, “joked Sophie.

“This is not the moment, honey. “

The beautiful young woman made a slight sulky pout, still dancing lasciviously, and then smiled as she walked towards her husband. She took Christian’s hand, forcing him to stand up. He tried to refuse.

“Nan Sophie…Not now! Sorry babe. “

But she insisted from the top of her femininity, playing on her sensuality, which finally prompted her husband to stand

up and respond to the invitation, under the delighted face of his wife.

“Okay…Okay. You win. “

Sophie laughed.

“Let’s dance to life baby; and life will dance with us. “

They both improvised a dance to the tune of the famous Marvin Gaye title.

Christian spun her around for a moment under his hand and then tilted her upside down, supported by his arm, like a tango gesture. Sophie was cheerful and carefree. Playing the game languorously, she began to laugh at this improvised dance and succeeded in making her husband smile. This slice of life was a way for them to escape for a few moments from their daily worries.

****

Two days later, in the morning.

Joggers at “Jardin du Luxembourg”, dressed in tracksuits for some and shorts for others, were tirelessly making their customary strides. Though all of them were chasing a noble goal, some were more motivated than others. Sophie was on her sixth lap, while others had already stopped at their fifth. In addition to the smartphone armband on her arm and the sponge bracelet wrapped around her wrist, Sophie was wearing the perfect outfit for the discerning jogger: T-shirt,

shorts and sneakers, all in black. As her regular strides progressed, she gradually saw the park come alive and fill up sporadically with onlookers and tourists. Some women were sitting on their own, perhaps waiting or hoping for sweet talkers and flower offerings. Others came in families or groups of friends to simply laze around, to oxygenate their minds and free themselves from time until the hours ran out. In the midst of all this, Sophie, still having some fight in her left, continued to do her morning cardio session.

“Come on, a little more and I’ll stop!” She thought, her face glistening with sweat.

After a few minutes (enough time for one last lap around the park) Sophie began her final jog. Then came the painfully necessary stretching session. Once this moment of torture was over, she wiped the sweat from her face with her sponge bracelet, exited the park, and headed straight to the Macdonald’s fast-food restaurant across the street. Her running had obviously made her thirsty too, and Sophie wanted to drink something before she could go home to her apartment, located a few subways and bus stops away from the park. Once inside the fast-food, she immediately went to one of the interactive ordering kiosks displaying all the Macdonald’s products. Be it burgers, drinks or desserts.

“Well, go ahead, but careful. Don’t spoil your work by stuffing yourself now,” she thought as she looked at the various products and menus displayed on the terminal.

After some hesitation, Sophie decided to have a salad and orange juice.

“Now that’s reasonable,” she murmured as she confirmed her order.

She took her credit card from the pocket of her armband and paid for her meal with the “contactless” option. A ticket immediately came out of the terminal, indicating the number of her order, which was 92. A minute later, a member of the team came to the checkout as usual to deliver two different orders. Sophie’s was there.

“Order 92 please!”

“That’s me,” Sophie replied with a smile as she gestured to herself.

She showed her order to the crew member to confirm that she was the right customer. Then she took the tray and went to a corner of the fast-food restaurant. No sooner had she sat down than the smartphone in her armband started ringing. She quickly took it off and took the call. It was her friend Camille, a beautiful brunette with blue eyes, calling from her apartment, lying on a couch.

“Hello Sophie! How’s it going?”

“Fine and you?”

“I hope I’m not disturbing you?”

“I was about to have a snack at Macdonald’s, but don’t worry. I’m all ears. Are you all right?”

“Yes, I’m fine, thanks. By the way, there’s one hell of a party, in a castle in two weeks’ time. There’s going to be funky and old-fashioned music, and a lot of good-looking

boys to go with it. Since we haven’t seen each other for a long time, I thought it would be nice if you and I went there, like in the good old days. What do you think?”

“You do know that I’m married now, Camille?

“So what? You didn’t become a nun! Your boyfriend can…”

“He’s not “my boyfriend” Camille,” Sophie interrupted her. “He’s, my husband.”

“Well… Well… All right, no worries! Your…husband can let you go out from time to time, can’t he? There’s nothing wrong with going out from time-to-time Miss. And don’t forget, we did paint the town red more than once together, you little rascal.”

Camille sketched a mischievous smile.

“Yes, but that was a long time ago. I am married now.”

“Wow, do you love him so much that you’ve been brainwashed?”

Sophie shook her head slightly as she smiled.

“You don’t understand. I’m very happy with my current situation. Don’t want to disappoint you, I now want to aspire to the simple things in life.”

“Uh…Is that you talking to me? Remember when you used to party with me every week…and the guys?”

At these words, Sophie seemed slightly annoyed.

“Yes, that’s me. And we are all entitled to a second chance in life. Can I eat my salad now, Camille?”

“Uh… yes, sorry. Sorry… Well, if you don’t like parties (and “guys”) anymore, I’ll let you go, girl. And if you happen to change your mind, keep me informed.”

“No worries. See you later Camille.”

“You got it. See you later…Mother Teresa!” She added with a sneer as she hung up.

Sophie shook her head and smiled.

“You crazy girl!

After hanging up, she finally resolved to start her “classic Caesar” salad.

Two minutes later, as she took another bite of her meal, a stranger walked up to her. An Asian man in his forties, with black hair cut short and a goatee.

Wearing a black suit and black shoes with a navy-blue silk tie over a white shirt.

“Um…Excuse me!” Said the man.

“Yes?”

“Hello! Forgive me for bothering you but is this seat available?” he asked.

“Yes. Absolutely.”

“Do you mind if I sit here?”

“This cafe is a public place and I don’t own it, sir. You can sit wherever you want!”

“Ah very well, thank you!” Said the man, immediately putting his tray on the other table.

“As long as you’re not here to bother me, it’s cool,” thought the young woman.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to disturb you. That’s not why I’m here,” assured the newcomer, taking off his jacket to put

it on his chair and loosening his tie to finally unbutton the collar of his shirt.

Sophie briefly widened her eyes in astonishment, as if the man had just read her thoughts, but brushed it off as just a coincidence.

“Uh… Thank you for that.”

The individual began to smile at her while starting on his first nuggets, bathed in curry sauce.

“You’re welcome. It’s the least I could do, Miss.”

“It’s Madam. Thank you!”

“Oh sorry…Madam! Please forgive me. You…So you’re married! You’re very lucky.”

“Yes, I think so, yes.”

“Let me tell you that your husband is also very lucky to have you. Because I find you ravishing!”

“I know, my husband often says that,” Sophie retorted defensively.

“Yes, I imagine…I would have said the same thing too,” he said with a mischievous smile. “And how long have you been together, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“It’ll be 6 years in a week.”

“Congratulations!”

“Thank you!”

“And do you love him?”

“What a question! Of course I do. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have lasted so long.”

“Oh, you know, love is fragile sometimes, even an unsuspected sham.”

Sophie seemed perplexed.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Love is not words, but meaningful actions. There is no true love without proof and trials.”

“Oh, when it comes to proof, I gave and received.”

“Oh, that’s a good thing. If you say so…”

“Love is priceless.”

“Allow me to doubt it. I believe that everything has a price.”

“No, I don’t think so. Not love…”

“Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure…Anyway! Having said that, I might be able to solve your financial problems or offer you anything you want.”

Sophie looked perplexed and frowned.

“What do you mean by that? How do you know I have money issues?”

“I don’t know. Just a hunch. Besides, everyone has them, don’t they?”

“That’s true,” Sophie agreed with a sigh.

“I’ll change your life forever.”

“Are you being serious right now? Sound like a scam.”

“Oh no… Believe me! I’m very serious.”

“Assuming it’s true, what would I have to do?”

“Oh, nothing,” he smiled. “Just come over with your husband to a place in Paris, take a simple test, just to gauge your love (real or not) for your husband, and vice versa. If you pass the test, you will get…6 million euros.”

At these words, Sophie almost choked on her drink.

“I beg your pardon,” she said, wiping her mouth with a towel, “How…How much did you say?”

The individual began to smile.

“6 million euros. That’s the amount you’ll get on the same day, if you pass the test.”

“Me and my husband?”

“You or your husband, it doesn’t matter. I will test you, to see if you really love each other. If my theory is correct, you will earn 6 million euros. If it turns out to be false, you won’t get anything.”

“Are you really serious? You’re offering 6 million euros, just to see if my husband and I really love each other?” Sophie asked, astonished.

The individual nodded.

“Then you might as well give us this sum right away, because we really love each other. And we’re already going through difficult times. One more test won’t change much.

“My test will be a little bit… special!”

“Ah, and what test will it be?”

“You will know once you get there. I can’t tell you anything at the moment. I don’t want to spoil the surprise.”

“Nah, you’ve got to be kidding me, “said Sophie, gesturing with her hand while shaking her head.

At the same time, a homeless man, who had managed to get in and escape the vigilance of the fast-food staff, walked up to them.

His face, his shaggy beard and his clothes were dirty, dilapidated and he had an unpleasant smell. He was wearing old black sneakers with holes at the ends, which showed the tips of his toes.

“Please, you wouldn’t happen to have any change, would you? I’m hungry,” he asked.

His face was a mixture of distress and resignation, offering a glimpse of the misery his daily life was. Sophie was somewhat embarrassed.

“Sorry, I… I have nothing to give you, she said. I just spen…”

“That’s okay,” interrupted the rich Asian man, who rummaged inside his jacket. “Here you go! Take this! I think that should be a few days’ worth of food.”

He had just given him a 200€ bill, under Sophie’s amazed eyes.

The needy man, his eyes wide open in awe, couldn’t believe it.

“Oh, that’s too much, sir,” he gasped. “You…Are you serious? It’s…It’s really for…for me?”

The individual began to smile at him.

“Yes, take it, it’s for you.”

The homeless man shyly obliged, slowly grasping the 200€ bill from the generous donor’s hand.

“Thank you so much sir,” he said, bowing before him before moving away to the interactive ordering kiosks to choose his meal.

“Wow, you’re generous by nature, I see,” enthused Sophie.

“I’ll be much more generous with you, if you plan to come soon to do this love test with your husband,” replied the individual with a wink.

“Um…I… Why not. I’ll have to talk to him first.”

“Yes, I understand. It’s a decision that has to be made by both of you, since it concerns couples.”

“Yes…I… And… Um…What’s your name?”

“Oh, forgive me! I didn’t even introduce myself,” sighed the individual falsely, shaking his head.

He put his hand in his pocket and immediately took out his business card.

“Here, my name is Mr. Zhang. Here is my card. My number as well as my email are on it.”

Sophie took the card and looked at it carefully.

“My name is Sophie. Love tester? How original,” she chuckled.

“That is what I am though. It’s my favorite hobby. Experiencing the sincere love of a couple, with a large amount of money at stake.”

“Seen from this angle it seems interesting, but…I….” she sighed. “I… will see what my husband has to say.”

“Very well, then. I must leave you now, and I hope to see you very soon for this…love test,” Mr. Zhang said as he stood up with his tray in his hand.

“All I can tell you right now is that I’ll be seeing my husband,” assured Sophie, putting the business card in the

inside pocket of her smartphone armband.

“No worries. Maybe I’ll see you soon. Good day to you Sophie.”

“Have a nice day, Mr. Zhang.”

He then went to a nearby trash can to empty his tray, then left the famous fast-food restaurant, under the slightly doubtful gaze of the young wife.

“What the fuck.”

****

A few hours later, in the evening, Sophie was at home in the living room lying on the sofa, her head on Christian’s lap. They were both in front of the TV, watching the hit movie “Black Panther” on DVD.

“Darling?”

“Hmm?”

“Today I met someone at Macdonald’s, after my jogging at the Jardin du Luxembourg. A rather elegant Asian man.”

At these words Christian was instinctively seized by jealousy and frowned down at her.

“What?? And you just blurt it out like that?”

“That’s not what I meant,” replied Sophie, annoyed. “You always jump to the worst conclusion.”

Christian’s expression softened into a sheepish smile.

“Sorry, darling. It’s simply because I care about you, that’s all,” he admitted, caressing her face. “It’s true, I was a bit hasty. Excuse me.”

“No worries. I care about you too,” she replied, smiling.

They kissed each other, brushing off the small quarrel.

“Okay, I’m listening to you, darling. What did you want to tell me?”

“Like I said, I met a rather enigmatic gentleman today, while I was eating at the MacDonald’s after my sport.”

“Okay.”

Christian grabbed the TV remote to turn down the volume, listening carefully to his wife.

“Apparently he’s a very rich man.”

Christian frowned.

“And what did he tell you?”

“He introduced himself as someone who wants to offer me 6 million euros.”

“What? What the hell are you talking about?”

“I assure you, darling. He offered to gift it to me on one condition.”

“Did he? What condition? I would like to know. Are you sure this isn’t a scam?”

“I don’t know, but still, the condition is to test our love. He just wants to see if we really love each other before he gives us the money. Isn’t that crazy?”

Christian started laughing.

“Wait, are you serious, Sophie?” He asked. “You really think there’s a chance this isn’t some kind of joke? Come on now.”

“I know it sounds like a scam, but I saw him give 200€ just like that, no problem, to a homeless man.”

“He did?! He gave 200€ away to a stranger?”

Sophie nodded.

“That’s what made me want to take his business card, I was kind of blown away. And I thought maybe he was telling the truth.”

“Really. Do you have his card?”

“Yes, here it is.”

Sophie put her hand in the pocket of her beige Bermuda shorts, took out the little piece of paper and showed it to Christian. He studied it carefully.

“Mr. Zhang.” Christian’s eyes suddenly widened. “…What? Love Tester? What’s that?”

Sophie grinned.

“Well, I just told you. He wants to test out a couple’s love. That’s something he enjoys.”

“It’s weird for sure,” Christian said, putting his finger to his lips, looking perplexed.

“Can you imagine if we had those 6 million euros? Can you imagine what we could do with it? Pay off all our debts, go on vacation, buy a nice car or a nice house, create a business?”

“Yes, but…I… I don’t know. Doesn’t sound good to me. I feel it’s a bad idea, it seems too easy.”

“I think it’s the opposite. If all we have to do is prove our love, then it’s worth it, honey. It doesn’t get any easier.

Christian looked at Mr. Zhang’s business card again with a skeptical look on his face, twirling it with his fingers. He was immersed in his thoughts, trying to gauge the credibility of this opportunity. After a rather short period of reflection, a decision was made in his mind.

“Come on, Sophie. It’s bullshit,” he said, tearing the little piece of paper apart and discarding it on the dresser.

Feeling an opportunity slip through her fingers because of her husband’s skepticism, Sophie sighed and shook her head.

“Why did you do that? If this is real, it could have definitely gotten us out of this mess. You ruined everything.”

“Sorry, but it didn’t feel right. I got rid of the card to protect us. You clearly don’t know what you were getting into.”

“Really? To protect us from what?”

“Oh, only God knows, Sophie…If we’ll never know what we’re losing, at least we know what we didn’t lose,” Christian replied, his tone indicating his answer was final, taking the TV remote control back to turn the volume up again.

Sophie had scowled and an awkward silence settled between them.

****

Two weeks later. On a Saturday morning.

As per usual, Sophie was jogging at “Jardin du Luxembourg”. Her will still unwavering, as it always had been. After a long walk on her own, she punctuated her sporting activity with some stretching, which made her more flexible and aided her recovery. Once the torture exercises were over, she headed for the exit of the park. Once outside, at the entrance, Sophie felt her phone vibrate on her armband. She took the smartphone out of the case to read the contents. It was a text message from her husband.

“We need to talk…”

Sophie instinctively frowned and sighed. She knew what the message implied. Just as she was about to tap on her cell phone to answer it, a young man in his thirties, wearing a headset, walked by without paying attention, bumped into her and knocked the smartphone out of her hands. Luckily it was protected by a shell.

“Damn it! Can’t young people pay attention! With their music blaring loudly through their shitty headphones, goddamn it!” the young woman grumbled.

With a scowl on her face, Sophie walked to her smartphone, alone on the asphalt, to pick it up. As she was reaching for it, a charitable hand beat her to it. She looked up. It was Mr. Zhang’s.

“Mr. Zhang?” Sophie exclaimed, surprised.

“Yes, that’s me…Um…Your face looks familiar. We met a few weeks ago, I think,” he said, giving her back her smartphone. “Here you go.”

“Thank you. Thank you. Yes, it was at the McDonald’s right

there,” Sophie replied, pointing to the fast-food restaurant.

“Ah yes, I remember it now. Well then, what happened? Did you go missing?” Asked the forty-year-old Asian sarcastically.

Sophie forced out laugh.

“No, sir, not at all. It’s just that my husband and I were….”

“I thought you were no longer interested in my offer,” interrupted Mr. Zhang.

Mr. Zhang smiled mischievously, almost sardonically.

“Of course, I still am, but… we had had some… issues.”

“I see. Money problems, I suppose.”

“Uh…No… well…uh…it’s not just that. It would take too long for me to…explain.”

“No worries. I understand. Do you still have my card?”

At this question, Sophie turned her face away briefly, puckering her lips.

“Well, it’s funny, you asking me that, because the day we met at the MacDonald’s, a month ago, I had done some laundry at home and I put my shorts in the machine. Your card was in one of the pockets and I accidentally forgot to take it out. So…”

“I guessed,” interrupted Mr. Zhang again. “You want me to give you another one, right?”

“If you don’t mind.”

The Asian man put his hand inside his jacket and took out a new business card.

“Here it is! Don’t lose it or forget it in your shorts this time.

Hoping you’ll put it to good use,” Mr. Zhang said with a sardonic smile.

“Don’t worry, we’ll call you very soon,” Sophie replied with a smile, taking the card in her hands.

“I’m counting on it.” He winked. “Have a nice day!”

“Good day to you Mr. Zhang.”

He then took leave of the young woman and called a cab. Hopping in, he was soon speeding away. In turn, Sophie put the card in the pocket of her shorts, got off at the subway station and took her RER train to return to her apartment. Her heart was pumping with adrenaline and anticipation.

****

A few minutes later, Sophie went home. She found herself sitting on the couch, still in sportswear, with her husband Christian. He had wanted to talk to her as soon as she was back. Strangely enough, he looked a little reddened. The atmosphere was heavy.

“Darling, I have…I have some bad news,” he said.

“And I might have some good news.”

“What are you talking about?” Asked her husband, looking intrigued.

“I’ll tell you later, don’t worry. For now, I’m listening to you.”

Perplexed, Christian stared at her for a few seconds, before

shaking his head.

“In short…”

“Go ahead darling, I’m listening.”

“I think we might run very soon into some more trouble, Sophie,” Christian sighed, showing her a letter. “I received it this morning by registered mail, while you were jogging.”

“What is it?” Asked his wife, puzzled, taking the document to read it.

“It’s a letter from the landlord who demands that we pay our due rent within a week, under penalty of eviction. Maybe we should go and live in the suburbs, instead of continuing to live, or rather, survive in Paris, don’t you think? Rents are cheaper there.”

Sophie gave a smile, much to her companion’s surprise.

“Or maybe we should stay in Paris,” she said as she took out of her pocket the new business card from Mr. Zhang.

Christian took the card, studied it and sighed audibly.

“What’s this? Are you making fun of me?”

“Why?”

“Did you meet him again?”

“Yes, right at the entrance to the park.”

“Did he offer you his card again or did you ask him for it?”

Looking ashamed, Sophie didn’t answer.

“Maybe it’s a trap, honey!”

“Or a real opportunity. You don’t know,” the young woman said.

“Do you really think he’s going to give us 6 million, just to

see if we really love each other? There must be something behind this whole thing. Think about it!”

“I did, Christian. We’re going to have a baby,” revealed Sophie, sobbing. “It’s…Maybe it’s a… maybe it’s a… a chance for our baby…to have a bright future!”

Christian’s eyes widened.

“Are…are you sure?” He asked, almost whispered.

Without answering him, Sophie got up and walked to a dresser in the living room. She opened the first top drawer, put her hand under a pile of clothes and took out an envelope. She then returned to sit on the couch next to her husband.

“Look! Said the young woman, showing him the envelope.

Christian, looking surprised, grabbed it and opened it slowly. It contained a pregnancy test… a positive pregnancy test.

“I bought it two days ago.”

“But for… why didn’t you… why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I wanted to surprise you with it.”

“Well, you did, all right. I’m surprised.”

Sophie out choked a laugh.

“And is it a boy, a girl?” Christian asked.

“I don’t know yet. Still, our baby has a chance to be born under better circumstances. And as a future mother, I really don’t want to miss that opportunity. If you don’t want to do it for me, honey, at least do it for him.”

“No, it’s not that… It’s just…”

“It’s just what?” Sophie interrupted him. “I agree to do this test, neither for me nor for you.” Christian looked up at the last comment. “It’s for the baby. Sometimes you need to seize opportunities when they arise. Especially if they manifest themselves twice, like a… second chance!”

Christian was silent. He was pondering. In the meantime, Sophie turned away, her arms folded, as if to sulk. This prompted her husband to react.

“All right, okay honey, we’ll do it. If it can provide our child with a better life…we need to try.”

“But you weren’t so sure a few seconds ago.”

He forced himself to laugh.

“Yes, it’s, that’s true, honey. And I’m sorry!” He said, putting his arm over her shoulder.

“Let’s give ourselves a few more days to think about it and I promise we’ll call him afterwards. Okay?”

Sophie nodded, giving him a smile.

****

Later on, at around 11 pm, the young black couple was in bed. They were both reading.

Christian, who had his glasses on, paused to break the silence when an intrusive thought crossed his mind.

“I really this so-called opportunity doesn’t turn out to be a scam,” he said.

His wife marked her page, and put her book down to answer.

“Stop being paranoid, darling. You keep saying that. It’s okay, I get it. I mean, it’s not like he’s going to kill us or something,” she laughed. “I’ve seen him twice: today and a month ago. He’s a very elegant and courteous person. And above all very generous, despite his mysterious side.”

Christian seemed to jump at the last remark.

“Mysterious?”

Sophie began to laugh.

“Oh, come on,” she replied, looking amused. “When I say “mysterious” I mean that’s the feeling he gave off at first, that’s all.”

“And what feeling does he give off now?” Sneered her husband.

Amused by this remark, Sophie silently smiled at him.

“If I wasn’t your wife, you never would have had the opportunity to earn all that money,” she thought.

“By the way, what name will we choose for our child?” She asked proudly, deliberately changing the subject.

Christian understood his wife’s tactics and laughed, as if to signal he understood, before answering as if nothing had happened.

“There’s a wide choice, I think… If it’s a boy, for example, we could name him Thomas after Sankara. Or we could call him Patrice like Lumumba. Or Laurent like Gbagbo. Or we could call him Jean-Jacques as Dessalines or Toussaint as Louverture.”

“Only black stars! There are a lot of pan-African activists names to choose from. On the other hand, if it’s a girl we could call her Harriet like Tubman. Or we could call her Rokhaya like Diallo. Or Rosa after Parks. Or we could call her Angela like Davis. Or Anne as Zhingha. Or else Aïssa as Maïga.

“Or if it’s a boy, call him Kemi after the one who fights. Or Marcus as Garvey.”

“Or call him Eric after…Zemmour! (a famous French racist politician)”

“What…What?!!You crossed the line, I’m asking for a divorce,” Christian joked, shaking his head.

Sophie couldn’t help but laugh.

****

After granting themselves two more days of reflection as agreed, the young couple resolved to call the enigmatic Asian man. They found themselves sitting at a table in their living room in the afternoon, holding hands with each other, as if to signify their solidarity and their desire to remain united in spite of everything. Sophie started dialing the number which was on the business card on the table, on her smartphone.

“Are you ready?” She asked to her husband by putting her cell phone on speaker mode.

Christian nodded and sighed slightly. His wife started the

call. After two rings, the mysterious man picked up the phone. He was in a sumptuous apartment near the Champs-Elysées, reading his newspaper, lying on a sofa.

“Hello, Mr. Zhang?”

“Yes, that is me, who’s speaking?”

“This is Sophie. We met a few days ago, at the entrance of “Jardin du Luxembourg”. You gave me your business card. Do you remember?”

“Ah yes, I remember you very well. You are the woman I had already met a month before at the Luxembourg’s MacDonald, right?”

“Yes, I am. After careful consideration, my husband and I decided to accept your uh…”

“…proposal!” The rich Asian interrupted her. “And you did well, Sophie, believe me. This is the kind of opportunity that comes along once in a lifetime. It would have been a real shame not to take advantage of it. 6 million euros is quite the amount of money.

“Yes, that’s what my husband and I figured. And what will this test consist of, Mr. Zhang?”

He sketched a slight smile.

“You will know the day you pass it, but not before. I can’t tell you everything now. You won’t know what it’s all about, know all the ins and outs, until you are there with your husband.”

“Ah okay very well. It sounds strange, but it’s worth it, I think.”

“Precisely, Sophie.”

“I suppose you have conducted this kind of test to other couples before.”

“Yes, I have, Sophie.”

“And how did it go Mr. Zhang? Were they able to win the huge amount of money you offered me?”

“Most of them did.”

“So, you saw that true love exists between two people.”

“Well, it’s…um…more complicated than it seems.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ll explain it to you when I see you.

“All right…very good. And what happened to the couples who couldn’t win that money Mr. Zhang?”

“Well, they could only cry. It was over for them.”

“I guess so. Seeing so much money go right under their noses, it must have been frustrating.”

“Too bad for them. I hope it doesn’t happen to you too, Sophie.”

“Oh I don’t think so. And where will it take place? Maybe that too has to be kept secret,” Sophie said.

“Yes, absolutely,” the Asian man laughed back. “All I can tell you is that it will happen on a weekend. A Saturday to be precise. But I will text you within 30 minutes, all the indications and instructions to come to the scene.”

“Okay, got it. So, I’m waiting for your text message.”

“No worries. It will be sent to you.”

“Good day to you Mr. Zhang. See you soon.”

“Good day to you Sophie. See you soon. Bye!”

As soon as he hung up, the expression on his face changed drastically, as if his mask had just fallen off. He had suddenly become cold and threatening. He consulted his smartphone’s address book and selected a contact. After two rings, someone picked up the phone without talking. It was a massive and intimidating dark skinned man.

“We have new play partners, a couple. Get the place ready for this weekend.”

“Got it, boss!” The man with the deep voice replied laconically.

Mr. Zhang hung up without saying anything more. For her part, Sophie seemed excited to finally have the opportunity to take part in this mysterious event, which might eventually change her life forever. She was looking forward to this text message. Christian, on the other hand, was reeling in any form of optimism or excitement. Although a large sum of money was involved, he still preferred to be cautious, to be hesitant, and to see how things would settle down.

Thirty-five minutes later, the notification of a text message resounded on Sophie’s smartphone, which was lying on the living room table. She was sitting on the sofa with Christian, watching a TV program, and immediately got up to check the message.

“It’s Mr. Zhang!” She joined back her husband on the sofa.

“Go ahead, darling, please read it to me.”

She opened the message and read it out loud.

“Dear Christian and Sophie,

This is Mr. Zhang. First of all, thank you again for accepting my proposal and resolving to participate in this special event that I told you about earlier. If you manage to pass it, six million euros in cash will be given to you, deposited in a briefcase that will be given to you the same day. I say “you” of course, because I am writing to both of you at the moment (Sophie seemed perplexed at these words, but she didn’t attach too much importance to them). I understand that legitimate questions will most certainly have crossed your minds as to the seriousness of my offer, as to whether it is a scam or not, but know that I am a man of my word. I am a very well-known and respected person in the business community; and I am not in the habit of cheating people. Money only rots rotten people. With that said, once I am on site, I will inform you of the ins and outs of the test in question. Please be aware, however, that there will be no retraction option once the test has begun. If you have decided to accept this test, in your soul and conscience; you will have to accept the rules and go through with it. So, I will meet you this Saturday at 6pm in front of the outside entrance of the Gare du Nord, the one in front of the Burger King.

One of my guys will come to pick you up on the spot. If, as soon as you read this message, you are still interested in participating in this event worth 6 million euros, then just

confirm it to me with an OK.”.

Confident, Sophie answered without hesitation.

Okay…

****

Saturday, 5:10 pm.

Christian and Sophie were still in their living room. They were standing, ready for something that might change their lives.

“Ready for the big jump, darling?” Sophie asked slightly enthusiastic. “Today is going to be a big day.”

“…Or not! We still don’t really know what we are getting into,” sighed Christian as he walked towards the living room dresser.

“Don’t be so pessimistic darling. Just think about our future baby…What are you taking from the dresser?” The young woman wondered, looking perplexed.

“Something that could come in handy,” replied the young man, taking out of the top drawer, a taser that he stuck in his jeans behind his back, under his black T-shirt.

Sophie sighed and shook her head.

“You are unbelievable, honey. A real paranoid…”

“Yeah…Maybe you’ll thank me later,” he said as he walked past his wife to open the front door.

“…Or not!” She retorted, walking back in front of her husband to get out of the apartment.

He shook his head, then followed her and locked the door with a double turn.

“I hope I’m wrong. Now let’s go,” he ordered his wife as he took the stairs.

****

As agreed, the young couple arrived a few minutes later, at the appointed time, on the square in front of the “Gare du Nord” train station, very close to the monumental artwork signed by Richard Texier: The Angel Bear. A giant winged bear strewn with holes lacquered in vermilion red. Sophie and Christian had arrived 10 minutes early. Suddenly a shiny black 4×4 pulled up in front of them. Instinctively, Christian swallowed and Sophie, paradoxically, smiled.

“I think it’s them,” she whispered to her husband.

“I think so too. At least they’re punctual people,” he said, making his wife smile.

No sooner had Christian finished his sentence than the window on the driver’s side of the vehicle automatically rolled down, revealing the imposing silhouette of a man.

He was a Serbian colossus, Schwarzenegger style with a thick accent, dressed in a black suit and tie combo. His face was completely impassive.

“Mr. and Mrs. Christian and Sophie Dieng?” He asked the black couple.

“Yes, that would be us,” answered Sophie. “Did Mr. Zhang send you?”

The man nodded.

“Get in, I’ll take you there. He is waiting for you.”

The young couple in their thirties took the back seat of the vehicle.

“Where are we going, sir?” Asked Christian after letting his wife get in and then closing the door behind her.

He did not get an answer from the Serbian driver. This had the immediate effect of exacerbating the young man’s paranoia, who began to show a slight scowl.

“It’s all right, darling,” Sophie whispered to him, putting her hand on his thigh. “He’s not a chatterbox like Mr. Zhang, that’s all.”

“In any case, I don’t think it’s worth it.”

Sophie shrugged her shoulders and shook her head.

****

A few minutes later, they arrived in the district of La Villette, in the 19th arrondissement. The place was a 500 square meter abandoned shed that was one of the former train garages of the inner ring of Paris. It was made of red bricks, giving it an industrial or even underground style.

The Serbian driver parked in an outdoor parking lot by the warehouse.

“Ah, here we are finally,” Sophie smiled to her husband.

“It’s about time,” he replied.

At the same time, two men dressed in the same way as the taciturn Serbian colossus came out of the warehouse. It was a black man and a Russian, both similarly built to the driver. They approached the couple.

“Get out of the vehicle and follow these two gentlemen.”

Christian frowned and gave a slight scowl.

“Do the words “please…thank you…” ring a bell?” Grumbled the young man as he got out of the vehicle first.

The Serbian colossus barely turned his impassive face towards Christian, once again not answering him.

“It’s okay, darling. Forget it,” Sophie said as it was her turn to get out of the vehicle.

Christian resolved to calm down by taking one last look at the driver, who remained in the vehicle.

“Why doesn’t he get out too?” He asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Mr. and Mrs. Dieng?” One of two men standing in front of them had interrupted him.

“Yes, that’s us. Good evening gentlemen!”

“Good evening to you! Please come with us! Mr. Zhang is waiting for you inside,” the individual ordered, pointing to the shed.

The young couple obliged and followed them.

“Well at least they are polite,” Christian whispered to his wife on the way, causing her to discreetly chuckle.

****

As soon as they were inside, Sophie and Christian could see, about forty meters away, Mr. Zhang sitting near a table reading a newspaper. If he had noticed the presence of the young couple, he didn’t show it. There were two more chairs placed to face each other. A woman came up to them and introduced herself. She was a beautiful Indian woman with shoulder length curly hair. She was wearing heels and a white shirt over a long black skirt.

“Good evening, my name is Olivia. For security reasons, we need to check you. Given what is at stake tonight, I hope you understand.”

Sophie looked at Christian with an embarrassed look on her face. She immediately thought of the taser her husband was hiding. He seemed to understand, as he nervously nibbled his lips.

“Yes, yes, of course,” Sophie replied. “We understand, given the large amount of money involved, that this is perfectly legitimate.”

“Fine.”

One of the two men, the Russian giant, closed the front door of the hangar. The beautiful Indian woman on her side began to check Sophie. The other man did the same on Christian. After a few seconds, he seemed to feel an object on Christian’s lower back. The black colossus sighed as he showed the taser to his colleagues, before putting it in his pocket. The Russian, seeming to contain his anger, gave Christian a significant look. Sophie, on the other hand, was embarrassed.

“I can understand your anxiety Mr. Dieng, but you won’t need it here. We didn’t force you to come, either. You came of your own free will, so there’s no need for…incivility…if I may say,” said Olivia, who had just finished checking Sophie without finding anything wrong with her.

“Yes…forgive me…I…”

“That’s all right,” Olivia interrupted him. “Let’s go now, Mr. Zhang is waiting for you.”

The beautiful Indian girl and her two male colleagues escorted the young couple to the rich Asian billionaire. Finally acknowledging their presence, he closed at once his newspaper in order to welcome them. He got up from his chair and gave them a very broad smile.

“Mr. and Mrs. Dieng, delighted to finally meet you both.” He shook their hands.

“Good evening Mr. Zhang!”

“Go ahead and sit down please. The test will soon begin, don’t worry.”

“No worries,” Sophie answered, sitting down at the same time as her husband.

Mr. Zhang took his turn to sit in his chair. As for his two guards and Olivia, they positioned themselves just behind him, standing.

“First of all, I would like to say that I am happy to meet you

Mr. Dieng. I have had the opportunity to meet Sophie twice without ever seeing you. I am honored to meet her soul mate.”

Sophie couldn’t help but cast a simmering look to her husband. His face was closed.

“I am also honored to meet you, Mr. Zhang,” replied Christian, impassive.

“Thank you very much Mr. Dieng.”

The rich Asian pretended to think for two seconds, putting his finger in front of his mouth.

“Well…You already know that I’ve brought you together to simply test out your love, with the sum of 6 million euros at the end…but do you really know what love is?”

“Yes, it’s when two people have feelings for each other,” said Sophie.

“Not quite, but almost.”

“What do you mean almost?” Christian asked, looking perplexed.

“Yes, because the mutual feelings have to be in tune, on the same level. Otherwise, it’s shaky and it’s not love. And it’s very rare to find it nowadays, in this hyper-sexual, consumerist society. Everything is interest and selfishness in this world.”

“Do you really think that so few couples on earth can really love each other, Mr. Zhang?” Sophie asked.

“Absolutely. And I am here to prove it.”

“In that case I think we would be the exception to the rule,”

Christian said.

Mr. Zhang smiled slightly.

“If you say so…If you say so…” Christian and Sophie exchanged a furtive look. “You know, true Love is not calculating, it is divine. That of men will always be interested, partial, relative or for convenience. To love someone just for what he is and not for what he has or represents, unconditionally and selflessly, is for me God’s own…and even that of some animals! Yes…because sometimes, very often, there is no more human than animals. So, will people always love each other in the face of poverty, or even in the face of wealth? This is what I want to try and demonstrate today! For I am convinced that not only does money not guarantee love, but in many ways, it can also put it into perspective.”

“But…With all due respect Mr. Zhang, you seem to have had bad experiences in love, to be able to talk and reason like that. Am I wrong?”

“Yes, you are wrong,” the Asian businessman replied dryly, as if he had suddenly been stung to the core.

In the face of this sharp, ambiguous reaction, Christian and Sophie looked at each other again, much more strongly than before.

“Um…No disrespect, Mr. Zhang, but let’s get to the point if you don’t mind,” Christian said. We came to prove to you that we really love each other. Put us to the test and you’ll see.”

“Oh, you will, don’t worry, you will. And that’s why you’re here, isn’t it?”

Sophie nodded.

“All right. As you know, these days, many people would pay (and even do pay) to find love on Meetic and other popular dating apps. Like I said, I pay to be able to experience it! I like to gauge the love of couples and prove to them that they are mostly together only for convenience, selfishness or self-interest, and not for pure and true love.”

“And how do you intend to feel our sincere love Mr. Zhang?” Sophie asked.

“It’s quite simple,” replied the wealthy Asian, furtively raising both hands in the air and sketching a smile.

Strangely, Sophie gradually lost her initial enthusiasm, giving way to a more perplexed face. She sensed that something was wrong.

“And these six million euros, where are they Mr. Zhang?” She asked. “I haven’t seen them yet…”

As if on cue, the Asian businessman took a black briefcase from the floor to his right and put it on the table (Christian frowned slightly and Sophie smiled again). He opened it and revealed to the young couple a whole wad of banknotes that counted for 6 million euros.

“People are defined by their actions, Mr. and Mrs. Dieng, and a promise is a debt,” Mr. Zhang assured.

“Excellent. Now that Sophie and I have seen that you are a man of your word, what do we have to do to be able to earn all this money?”

“Good question. Now we’re going to know the focal point of our evening,” replied the rich Asian man, taking another briefcase, placed on the floor to his left. He put it on the table, opened it and revealed, much to the couple’s surprise, two pistols carefully embedded in a pre-cut black foam interior.

At the sight of these weapons, Sophie and Christian widened their eyes.

“What…What is this…Mister…Zhang?” Sophie asked feverishly.

“These are…Weapons…As you can see. Beretta 85 9-millimeter-caliber pistols, to be exact.”

Christian audibly swallowed.

“But why are you showing us these, Mr. Zhang? What does this have to do with the test?”

“It has to do with the fact that this 6 million Euros will only be for one of you.”

“What do you mean for one of us?” Sophie asked, looking puzzled. “These 6 million euros are for me and my husband, if we pass the test, right? I thought you only had one word Mr. Zhang.”

“I do, Mrs. Dieng, I do. But I didn’t tell you everything. So, here’s the test. The one of you two who pockets the money and walks away with it, will be the one… who kills the other. One of you will have to die by the hand of your

spouse to pocket these 6 million euros. It’s either love or death. Which comes down to the same thing, in a way,” the billionaire said with a slight sardonic smile.

To say that the couple was shocked would be an understatement.

“See, Sophie? What did I tell you? You so confident, so excited. Now here’s what we’ve fallen into: A trap!” Grumbled Christian. “That’s its Sophie, let’s go now!”

No sooner had the couple got up that Mr. Zhang’s henchmen (and the beautiful Indian woman) who were standing behind him, drew weapons of their own.

The Asian businessman smiled sardonically again.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. I think it would be a shame if none of you could take advantage of all this money. Sit down,” he ordered suddenly in a firm tone.

Sophie and Christian at once obliged.

“And, honestly, how ungrateful on your part, for someone who is ready to offer you 6 million euros. I must admit I feel hurt,” the Asian billionaire said in a sarcastic tone.

The two giants furtively exchanged a glance and both chuckled.

The atmosphere was impossibly heavy. Sophie and Christian exchanged anguished looks.

“I’m going to have a baby Mr. Zhang,” Sophie said in a quivering voice. “You’re a monster.”

The businessman seemed to think for a few seconds before shrugging his shoulders.

“After all, I have nothing to do with you having a baby. All you had to do was to refuse my proposal, that’s all. So much for the baby. Besides, he’s not even born yet, and as far as I know, and I doubt he will.”

In the face of the stone-cold answer, Sophie burst into tears.

“You motherfucker!” Shouted Christian, seething with fury.

“Who? Me? Oh no… I’ve never Freudian thoughts,” Mr. Zhang replied sarcastically, prompting a laugh from his henchmen.

“Well, well, well… Enough with the jokes. These 6 million euros that I am offering are akin to the forbidden fruit in Genesis. Will you be tempted? Or will your supposed love be stronger than the opportunity to change the other’s life? What will you choose, Sophie and Christian, the good of your conscience or the evil of your ego?”

Feeling cornered, they looked at each other, looking desperate. The Asian wealthy man finally took the two Berettas out of the briefcase and placed them at either end of the table, within reach of the two lovers. He then took an hourglass out of his pocket and placed it between the two pistols.

Thanks to mini-cameras meticulously scattered and installed throughout the hangar, this terrible ordeal was broadcast live on the darkweb, without either Christian or Sophie being aware of it. Mentally disturbed Internet users, thirsty for blood, darkness and the crackling of flames, had previously paid to be able to watch this “snuff film”, this live conjugal suicide, from their homes.

“You got 30 seconds to make up your mind, and change your lives,” Mr. Zhang warned in a peremptory tone. “Beyond that, you will lose all this money…and your life too!”

Christian looked at his wife stealthily, unknowingly, with a strangely impassive look on his face.

“Either one of you dies, you both do,” threatened the Asian billionaire. “And whether it’s one or the other, believe me, I’m a man of my word. As you already know…So it’s better if one of you survives, unless you decide to die together in the name of love. Which would undermine my theory.”

Mr. Zhang put his finger in front of his mouth, as if he was thinking.

“But then again, I know that there can sometimes be exceptions, although they are very rare,” he said with a sardonic smile.

The businessman synchronized the time of the hourglass with the countdown of his watch.

“So, you have 30 seconds. It’s on!” he said, turning the hourglass over, while activating the countdown on his watch.

The tension was at its peak. Christian swallowed and Sophie’s eyes were wet.

“You know that I love you Christian and that I won’t do anything to hurt you. We…we have a… baby!” Cried Sophie, despair tearing her features.

She suddenly burst into tears.

“I know Sophie, I know. I love you too. We got married for better…and for worse! Do you remember?”

Their captor frowned slightly.

“Only twenty seconds left,” sighed the rich man, looking at his watch and the hourglass, impatience evident in his body language.

Christian swallowed again and seemed overwhelmed by events. He no longer knew what to think.

“Fifteen seconds…”

Thoughts were now racing through the young husband’s mind and beginning to torment him. He began to look furtively at the briefcase full of euro bills. As for Sophie, she was desperate. She was drowning in her tears.

“Ten seconds…”

Something unusual began to torment the thirty-year-old groom. A shadow began to emerge from the depths of his eyes.

“Six seconds…”

His two pupils gradually filled with darkness and, against all odds, caused a drop of sweat to be shed along his cheek. He had given up.

“Three seconds…”

A second drop of sweat came to pearl on Christian’s other cheek, betraying his state of mind for good. It was that of betrayal.

“Two seconds…”

Seeing him, Sophie instinctively opened her wet eyes… She had understood.

“Oh God,” she thought, now scared of the one she used to call her soul mate.

“One second…”

His face cold, almost eaten away with hatred, Christian hastened to take the weapon that was on his side, and pointed it at his wife.

“Sorry darling,” he said laconically, pulling the trigger without hesitation.

But the shot never came. Christian opened his eyes in turn.

Click…Click…Click…Click, click, Click…

No shot was fired, despite several successive attempts. This made Mr. Zhang smile, knowing that no bullet had been loaded into the barrel of the gun intended for the young man.

The intense expression on Christian’s face disappeared, replaced with perplexion.

At the same time, an immeasurable rage seized Sophie, who got up and took the Beretta from her side, pointing it at her husband. Both the billionaire and the darkweb surfers were reveling in the dramatic turn of events.

“You…You bastard! You wanted to…kill…me…me and our…BABY?!” Screamed the young woman, her face a mask of hatred.

Christian was panting and dripping with sweat.

“No! Honey…I’m begging you, don’t do that. I… I’ll ex…

Explain!” He replied, his voice quavering.

“You son of a bitch! There’s nothing more to explain,” cried Sophie before shooting him in the head.

The bullet shattered her ex-husband’s skull, and he dropped the unloaded gun he was holding in his hand. As a result of her legitimate maternal instinct, brain and flesh residue now lay on the freshly blood-soaked ground.

Mr. Zhang turned briefly to his agents and gestured to them to lower and put away their weapons.

“That’s it…”

The two giants as well as the beautiful Indian woman carried Christian out themselves. The businessman turned again to the beautiful black woman in her thirties, still in shock.

“Yes, dear Sophie, I know it’s hard to be faced with a “fait accompli” like that. When reality hits you hard, you always fall off the wagon. You can see that supposed love is only hanging by a thread sometimes. And you have to admit that your husband’s, or rather I should say now “ex-husband”, was in reality only illusory or for convenience or interest. But in no case was it a real, pure, selfless love, as is the case for most couples on earth. Even a mother’s love for her child can deteriorate over time. And I don’t even dare to talk about those who throw their babies into dumpsters. Blood ties are not always those of the spirit.”

The young woman lowered her head, gnawed by sadness and bitterness. Her hands still trembling with adrenaline, she was still processing what had just happened.

She flashed back in her mind all the moments she had shared with the man she had just killed. All those moments that now seemed fake and calculated to her. Like a love story that had never been real, or illusory. Nothing mattered now, except her future baby, her 6 million euros, and a question that was on her mind.

Sophie lifted her head and moved slightly closer to the table, where Mr. Zhang was standing with the briefcase full of bundles of euro bills, still open.

“Why was his gun unloaded?” She asked the billionaire.

“Why, would you have liked there to be one?” he replied.

Sophie thought for a few seconds while biting her lips.

“I’d probably have lost my baby,” she admitted.

“And I would have lost you too…” said the Asian man with an almost touching smile.

Sophie looked perplexed.

“What do you mean by that?” She asked.

“Let’s just say that I didn’t want to lose a beautiful woman like you. Did you really think I was such a monster that I would kill a mother and her unborn baby? I’m not like that (He was lying to her…except about her case). To avoid such a dramatic outcome, both for you… and for me (Mr. Zhang smiled tenderly at her again), I decided not to put any bullets in the barrel of the gun, which was intended for your husband.”

Sophie, confused, held her head.

“I… sorry but I… I don’t know what to think, I… don’t know what to say!”

“Yes, I understand. Your reaction is normal. You see! Love is relative. Your husband was ready to kill you and your unborn baby for 6 million euros, whereas I saved your life, let’s say…as an act of kindness!” Replied the businessman, somewhat embarrassed.

“After indirectly forcing me to kill my husband, now you’re sweet talking me?”

The Asian billionaire nibbled his lips.

“No… Let’s just say…”

“You’re a bastard,” interrupted the young woman still scalded by the drama that had just unfolded. “How dare you?!”

Mr. Zhang remained silent and sighed slightly. He got up from his chair, closed the briefcase filled with a wad of bills and handed it to Sophie.

“Have your money. It’s yours, as promised. You’ll be able to protect your child from misery now.”

The young woman, scowling, put the gun she was holding in her hands on the table and took the six-million-euros briefcase from the businessman’s hands without even thanking him.

The latter lowered his head in front of her for a few seconds, then turned to his henchmen.

“Escort her back to the vehicle, take her home.”

His agents nodded their heads. The Asian billionaire turned

to Sophie again.

“You can go. My agents will escort you to the vehicle outside. Then the driver will drop you off at your home….”

Sophie cut short Mr. Zhang’s words by leaving his company prematurely. She began to walk towards the exit of the shed by herself.

“Please accompany her and be courteous to her,” the extremely rich Asian ordered the three agents. “She’s a future mother…”

They nodded again, before joining the new millionaire.

As soon as Mr. Zhang found himself alone in the shed, he went to one of the mini-cameras that was discreetly installed near the table. It was equipped with a microphone. The billionaire got as close as possible to the camera.

“Dear Internet friends, lords of the darkweb, although this evening was a little bit special for me, I hope nevertheless that this entertainment will have pleased you like all the previous ones. So I’ll see you very soon…for new live shows. Take care of yourselves. Bye!”

At the same time, all the screens of the darkweb surfers simultaneously displayed a black screen, to signal the end of the live show.

****

A few months had just passed. As usual, Sophie went for her morning jog… in her luxurious apartment in Paris. It was

close to “the Tuileries” and “Place Vendôme” district, and had a surface area of 178 m2, 7 rooms and 4 bedrooms.

The young woman hadn’t been for some time at “Jardins du Luxembourg”, but at home, in the living room of her new home, on a state-of-the-art treadmill. She was dressed for the occasion in a black T-shirt and shorts and had been running barefoot, her face shining with sweat, for 38 minutes already. Although the setting had changed, the physical effort had remained the same. Sophie was well aware of this. She knew full well that sport was like spirituality: a surpassing of oneself.

“Two more minutes and it’s over,” she thought to herself as she breathed.

One hundred and twenty seconds later, the machine emitted a slight sound, which marked the end of the session by slowing down the mat until it stopped. The beautiful black woman stepped down from her instrument of torture and ended her workout with a few intrinsic stretches.

Without Sophie noticing her, a young Indian woman in her twenties entered the living room.

“Sophie, you’re going to be late for your appointment,” she said.

The young black woman temporarily stopped exercising, turned around and saw her nanny. She had hired her for her son born 3 weeks ago.

“Yes, I know, Amélie. I’ll hurry. I’ll finish my stretching and then I’ll get ready to leave.”

“You know very well that my brother Anthony doesn’t like to be kept waiting too long.”

“You’re right. Otherwise, how is Thomas?”

“Oh, he is sleeping in his room. He’s too cute to look at,” Amelie replied with a tender smile.

“Take good care of him when I’m gone, Amelie.”

“That’s why you hired me, right?”

“Yes, that’s right,” Sophie agreed with a strange smile. “Excuse me.”

“I know he is your firstborn and that you tend to worry for him, but rest assured Madam, I’ll take good care of him, as I always have. As if he were my own.”

“Yes, I know that, Amélie. You have already proven your competence. And I am very satisfied with it. You’re doing a good job.”

“Thank you, Ma’am,” replied the nanny before leaving to the kitchen to prepare a dish.

As for Sophie, still determined, she continued stretching for a few more minutes.

****

A short while later, she took a shower to get ready to meet Anthony.

“Boy, does it feel good,” she thought as she felt the jet of water glide along her ebony skin.

Once out of the bathroom and ready to go, Sophie decided to check on her son Thomas one last time to make sure everything was okay before she left, as maternal instinct compel.

She entered the little boy’s room and saw him asleep in his crib, lying on his stomach, head to the side.

“My baby…” she thought as she looked at him tenderly.

After having affectionately caressed him with her gaze for a few seconds, Sophie left the room as discreetly as possible, while closing the door. Then she walked towards the front door of her apartment.

“Amélie, I’m leaving. Close the door behind me, please.”

“Very well ma’am,” she replied, hurrying out of the kitchen. “See you later.”

“See you later. Bye!”

Sophie closed the door on her and hurried out of the building. She then entered the interior of her shiny black 4×4 which was parked in front of her house and headed towards the Champs-Elysées.

Once there, she parked her car in a paying parking lot before going to the prestigious restaurant “Maxim’s”. A few minutes later, she crossed the door of the luxurious Parisian restaurant, from where a forty-year-old businessman who was familiar to her was waiting for her, sitting at a table. Mr. Zhang. Antony was nothing more than his first name. A lot of things have changed, since that famous dramatic night when Sophie’s ex-husband revealed his true nature, which cost him his death. Against all odds, the two had made up to the point of getting together.

The beautiful black woman kissed him as she sat down in front of him.

“Hello beauty!” Anthony Zhang greeted her, smiling.

“So how is my boy, Thomas?”

“He is doing well. He was sleeping in his room when I left.”

“And how is Amelie, my beloved foster sister?”

“Just your sister, you mean!”

“Yes, that’s right… It’s just that sometimes I feel obliged to acknowledge it, with my… (He gestured to his face),” Anthony smiled mischievously.

Sophie laughed.

“You’re silly,” she replied, looking amused. “You know, Anthony, I remember you once told me, blood ties are not always those of the spirit. Real family is not flesh and blood, but spirit.”

“That’s right. Much like true love,” the billionaire replied allusively.

Sophie understood that he was talking about her late husband Christian, whom she killed in cold blood. She lowered her head stealthily, looking sheepish.

“My father, who was and still is a humanist and philanthropist, was right to adopt her as a child,” Anthony continued. “She’s a charming girl who loves people, especially babies,” the Asian billionaire winked at her.

“Thankfully for Thomas.”

“See, I was right to suggest her for the job. I knew she would take good care of your baby, as she should. I know my…sister!”

“I do. And I thank you for that.”

40 minutes later, Anthony called out to a waiter who walked by his table.

“Waiter please! The bill. Thank you.”

“Right away, sir.”

****

After having eaten copiously, the two unlikely lovers left the prestigious, century old restaurant.

“Let’s stretch our legs a little, Sophie,” Anthony suggested. “It’s good for digestion.”

“Yeah, let’s,” approved Sophie with a smile.

As they walked up the avenue towards the “Arc de Triomphe”, a young couple came towards them, without Sophie and Anthony noticing. Both around 19, they didn’t pay attention to their surroundings as they kissed – the impact was now inevitable, and they bumped into Anthony’s shoulder.

“Pay attention, will you?” He said, annoyed.

“Excuse us for being in love, sir,” replied the young man sarcastically.

“Really? You think you really are?” Anthony mock-wondered.

“Can’t you tell, sir? Don’t we seem to love each other?”

“No, you don’t. That’s not true love.”

The young couple seemed perplexed, prompting Anthony to laugh.

“That’s right, lovebirds. Sorry to bring you back to reality. Kissing and slobbering and having sex is not love. Real love goes beyond the slag of reason, logic and ego.”

Sophie nodded her agreement.

“Sex may be one of the prerogatives of love, but it is certainly not love as such,” she added. “Love is more spiritual than carnal. And when the two are in tune, then the term making love takes on its full meaning.”

Anthony nodded his head in turn.

“Indeed, making love is quite different from kissing. We make love when hearts burn more than bodies, and we only fuck when bodies burn more than hearts.”

Sophie nodded again.

“And where are you getting at with this, mister?” Asked the now slightly annoyed young man.

“My point, young man, is that if you allow me, I can easily prove to you that your supposed love is not a real one. It’s only make-believe, convenience or interest.”

“Is it? And how do you intend to prove, sir, that our love is false, as you say?” Asked the girl, frowning slightly.

“By means of a simple test.”

“Pff…Come on Franck!” Said the young lady, pulling her

boyfriend by the arm. “This guy is a psychopath! Better let it go.”

Anthony began to smile. The young man, sighing, listened to his girlfriend and followed her, to get away from the billionaire and Sophie, while shaking his head.

As soon as the young couple was about a meter away from them, Anthony called out to them again.

“And there will be 6 million euros at the end.”

At these words, the young man and his companion stopped immediately, looked at each other briefly, and finally retraced their steps.

“…What? What did you… What did you say there, sir?”

“I said that there will be 6 million at the end, if you succeed in passing this test, which will consist in proving that you really love each other.”

“6 million euros?” The young teenager wondered as she furtively looked at her boyfriend.

“Exactly,” Anthony replied.

“That’s bullshit, isn’t it?” Said the young man, trying to temper his excitement.

“No, it’s the truth,” Sophie replied, slightly blasé.

“And what will be the nature of this ordeal, sir?” Asked the girl, curious.

“You’ll find that out on the day itself, not before,” answered Sophie, putting her hand in her bag. “Here, take my card! As soon as you’re ready, call us and we’ll set up an appointment for this test.”

“You’ll learn more on the same day. There’s really no need for you to know now,” Anthony smiled.

The teenager took the business card from her hands and examined it carefully from both sides. The piece of paper revealed her email, cell phone number and her maiden name: Sophie Rivel. She had legitimately recovered her birth name following the recent tragic events with her late ex-husband.

“Okay. Promise we’ll call you,” the young man said, putting the card in his pocket. “If you’ll really give us 6millions euros just to prove our love, why miss out on it.”

“And you’re absolutely right,” said Anthony. “Especially since it will change your life. Or not!”

“Okay then. See you soon then, mister…?”

“Mr. Zhang!”

“And Miss Rivel.”

“Fine. I’m Franck and she is Isabelle.”

“Nice to meet you. Nice to have met you, hoping to see you again very soon… For your 6 million euros!” Added Anthony with a wink.

“It’s practically done,” replied the enthusiastic young man. “See you soon Mr… And Mrs.!”

“See you very soon,” they answered simultaneously.

The young couple finally took their leave, gradually moving away from Anthony and Sophie.

“I believe that there will still be beautiful evenings to come on the darkweb,” Mr. Zhang said to his beautiful black companion.

“Yes, there will. I believe so too.”

“We haven’t offered anything for at least 3 weeks…”

They exchanged a knowing look and a smile that could only be described…as sardonic!

****

A week later at nightfall, in another disused place in the Paris area, sporadically stained with graffiti of all kinds, the young teenage couple Franck and Isabelle were sitting opposite each other. As the seconds were spattered like a knife, the young couple was inexorably cornered, at the foot of the wall. Each of them was looking into the mirror of his conscience, under the mischievous gaze of Antony and Sophie who were sitting close to the table. As usual, three of their armed agents were standing behind them, also watching the tragic, adrenaline-filled spectacle unfolding before their eyes. The tension was palpable and the atmosphere heavy for the teenagers until one of them unexpectedly gave in to the temptations of forfeiture. Looking determined, Isabelle got up quickly and quickly grabbed the weapon placed next to her on the table, to point it at Franck.

The latter, still seated, could not believe his eyes.

9 seconds…

“I… Isabelle! Are you…Are you serious right now?? “Asked the young man, his voice suddenly quivering, looking furtively from the corner of his eye at the other weapon placed on the table.

6 seconds…

“As I’ve always been with you babe,” replied the young woman sarcastically.

At these words, Antony Zhang shook his head slightly and smiled slightly.

3 seconds…

Franck looked again furtively from the corner of his eye, the weapon placed on the table.

“Baby, please put the gun down,” he said. “You…you know I will love you…always…to death…!! “

No sooner had he made the slightest movement, in an attempt to grab his gun, than a bullet exploded in his skull. The betrayal revealed itself, like the brain residue on the ground. Isabelle had just killed her boyfriend.

“Me too…Babe…I love you! “

THE END

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About

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved writing. It’s always been visceral for me; and it began in the early days, initially, by writing poems and then song lyrics. I agree that the two are closely linked, through versification, syllabic structure and the technicality of rhyme. So the transition was natural and intrinsic. Then, from poem to poem, from alexandrines to octosyllables, my narrative sense gradually sharpened, enabling me to propose more consistent stories. The muses began to be more generous towards me. Having been frustrated by the endogamous music industry (I was a songwriter/composer: https://tinyurl.com/35xscj6r) , I gradually moved towards fiction, essays, analyses, reflections; even a little philosophy and a few aphorisms. I’ve always had a lot to say and curse. I think I’ve met writing, as much as it’s met me; for it’s not the book that makes the intelligent, but the intelligent that makes the book. One thing led to another, and I swapped music and words for the musicality of words. I changed my literary perspective, moving from prosody to audible prose. In short, I stroked my pen in the wrong direction.

I’ve gone from being a frustrated musician to a fully-fledged writer, without ever being able to say that I’m a child of the ball. Since then, I like to let my mind wander to unexplored narrative lands, in search of originality. There are always great stories to be discovered in the territory of a blank sheet of paper. Writing has given me what music never could: an unwavering passion. I’ve inherently been able to read between the lines of my destiny. In the age of 2.0 and social networks, my visibility on social networks was a natural choice, so that I could better increase my visibility, so that the planets could finally align. September 2023, a new page is written: I finally sell my first screenplay, a feature-length thriller, to a major American producer.

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