Bel Ami | Mating Season Exclusive

By this point in the novel, Duroy is no longer the hungry wolf; he is the apex predator. His seduction of Virginie Walter is his masterpiece. He seduces her not just for pleasure, but to humiliate her husband and secure his own position. He engages in a high-stakes game of blackmail and manipulation, ultimately forcing the Walters to allow him to marry their daughter, Suzanne.

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There was also Étienne Cormier, a foreman at the mill, who favored blunt remarks and a laugh that shook his shoulders. He mended what was broken with large hands and small tenderness, bringing flour to elderly neighbors and fixing shutters regardless of payment. His life was mapped by the clocking-in and the pull of his son’s small ambitions. By this point in the novel, Duroy is