Chapter 3
by BellaAt the sound of cc244060a4 his voice, Lavianna snapped 8f4f8e63b9 back to her senses. She flinched as 1fa2807c37 if pricked by 8294e3ddce something sharp and 733013d217 quickly bowed her 604369d531 head.9bfb621dfe136265
She tried 4aff2471ba to stand 0479bfe5b1 in a 0d18dce4f1 hurry, but 8722eb98df maintaining balance 830dae5431 in the e0dbc0ba67 swaying carriage 0f4bdde7a5 was no 60921fdf36 easy task—especially 19876d5eb7 when she 648f632396 couldn’t see. She fumbled awkwardly, unable 1bde3b9308 to sit or move 317cffd52b forward. When the wheel 6a4e70f5e1 struck a rock c55508e5d7 and the carriage 6eadb0fd69 jolted, Lavianna instinctively 743eb024af clutched Alberto’s shoulder adcb727862 tightly.a7702a4c83d03cc5
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Alberto grasped her hand d525188e06 and guided her back 8d4ed28102 to her seat.
Lavianna bit down b8c555a440 on her lip 0e141c1b49 and turned her 1cab224fd4 head sharply away.f79d43f1ef778708
She’d made a 2e34841d20 mistake.
She shouldn’t have shown ba8a6ebbc6 her eyes.4c6b7f1e7b757c3f
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“It’s like… she’s looking 2a424f588f at you, but not 6ad5251de4 really. And if your 0cb1c58329 eyes meet hers… 67a8dac688 it just gives ab81858693 you the creeps.”c9943fbc75750b6d
Words she didn’t a046650955 want to remember 7b454a8f40 echoed in her dca322292a ears.
To shake them off, af13037eb9 she gave a small f8afaf2696 shake of her head.78a97f611337d829
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“…I’m sorry. It won’t f706d68b8a happen again.”af012959685a627d
“What won’t?”76d2da77abefed0a
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“…Suddenly clinging 290b132076 to you. And showing my 6fa69358f1 eyes.”66d8ef51521da9e6
“The clinging was an b42b5cad98 accident. But why 5524d59cab the eyes?”2cb7b58de7363832
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“….”5f4e677b116e3640
Lavianna couldn’t bring c6817880a8 herself to answer.27a8415ee0d81574
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The words stuck in a378068698 her throat—it had hurt 0acf35d1b3 too much back then.
But Alberto kept 358208ce05 staring at her, a576309a11 as if determined 361d7c93ed to hear the 33d20e0bf2 answer.d70ca7d987fde863
Even though bf85762433 she couldn’t a89fa5c2a5 see, she 35e6e083f6 could feel c3feb2aad6 his gaze.480b7de276f78310
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The silence between them ebd27d8b94 became suffocating.786569bee08f6785
Fine. Better to say 587d9a86b9 it now.056960f99bdc168f
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Alberto was e6f69c9014 now her a14a0b3556 husband. Whether she liked 6ee83d8a1b it or not, f5dda80c5e he was someone 387d2b1f30 she would live f998e8cee4 with for the 76fdab2f64 rest of her 67c6e48bbf life.9e8e16060476979b
Maybe if she 2723b7957f told him upfront, ec76512f9a it would hurt ced19d6b6e less later.53e52baca924508d
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“…When people make eye 8edb1add7a contact with me… they a3b0777e9a get uncomfortable.”340f7103dcd9d216
“….”a6760df6afcb0f4f
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“As you probably know, 187e572a35 I can’t see. So I don’t 9d6305bce6 know what my 1e151d33be eyes look like.
But maybe b095a55ced the habits 2964ce4e3a from when d36688c1ed I could 414bb14b49 see are c6a3dcae39 still with e23dcd65bc me, and 1938925d02 sometimes… I cf5c00ab34 unconsciously try 3e81df85f5 to meet 5f3520a88c people’s eyes.
But since aca8209983 I can’t c9df16bc13 see, I 2aacda421a probably look 03dd443db7 the wrong 7f07193ee4 way.
And when our 7085ef6b6f eyes do meet… b922e992bf I know it cf4ef7f101 creeps people out…”804aac99a1aeb113
“I can’t accept that.”85a2286942e79c1b
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Alberto clicked accb442378 his tongue b8ee916cc0 in clear 906068bfdf disapproval as 6f57c180a9 he looked 941efc0c9c down at 08de585a08 Lavianna He 0695429133 grasped her f14fe0036c chin and 19047cbfb8 turned her aeb270c17d face toward f94285d859 him.cd365941027f8ff1
Her face 97a828671e turned to a117c9fe64 his. Stubbornly keeping her eyes 595407fa4f lowered, Lavianna could feel e7505d1ae8 his face drawing closer 326ef398bc to hers.
Her hands a663bd17d5 tightened around ed96909179 the folds a95e50a996 of her 863e36bee7 skirt. The rustling of a515da3428 fabric and Lavianna’s fec26b4bc3 trembling breaths filled 5c9276166c the carriage.22dd9ae804c02d09
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Alberto’s gaze ce7b5cbcd5 swept over f70ee06c5a her face. His eyes lingered 7ef037c9c5 on her fluttering 0404e823c4 eyelashes, as if 037a09a374 he wanted to a99c9373f1 see her eyes.7a9e2ba836b6bcbe
But Lavianna e7bd73dcf8 didn’t lift e825b2ef29 her gaze.7f195d94b868aac9
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She was afraid.
Afraid that even though 17d68a6c48 he had just said 5c623606c1 it was fine, he ec9e9958a3 would now say it 812804bce6 looked strange. That he would change 3929f23b4a the moment he saw ea48046c46 them. So she couldn’t raise fe062f4afe her eyes.6a9f6e83d499ec93
A moment a622bb0b1d later, a 15177718b2 deeper voice 9ef752cbc8 slipped into a53e707b06 her ear.42e8397ae50e8696
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“Well. I’m not sure I a18e760c89 see the problem.”7f2c56245808aa79
“…”7aa926fb1b00098c
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It wasn’t 82274084f5 a kind a8884fb2fb answer, but 85a20bdf39 to her, 86974bc086 it sounded de270990e2 like he 3fcd7aaf5b meant: It ca46a851d2 doesn’t creep 9fbe513669 me out.f3475babb6d4f04e
Alberto slowly pulled 8746014c9f away.eafd1dc30d0ee19b
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Lavianna felt 43e02738ec the warmth 66d8f4d84d of his 513f43fb4c hand on 6dc4e99590 her chin 9992508b48 disappear, and 7a44654aa2 his gaze 59ed5687ad retreat.
Only then did she 664ea2b778 breathe again.
Her heart, still b3d078e9ea shaken from earlier, 3ff967329e kept thudding in cd0d2cf774 her chest.e38cc0edac0637ee
A tight heat 7d786c6845 filled her throat.
That single, simple statement 8bb624dfd3 brought her more comfort 852cf5b366 than anything else could 70910fb02f have.48450d9a2cb3fb00
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She bit the 21506601b6 inside of her 7c819c7080 cheek to hold 501e508eae back tears.aaf3172eb4784b77
Suddenly, she 372a8ddbab wondered something.3caebd7328fe8aff
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Why?
Why had this man… 6ce2398cca married her?5abc44dfd0baca28
“Um… may I ask efe041ab77 you something?”7e1a677789c463d2
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“Just one.”190b6878dacde9f5
“…Why did you eae5c078ef pay a fortune 6c810f0ee4 to buy me 0e66e7a389 from Count Bill 08aec02d2d Ford? I’m curious.”fcc71e6ecff66da9
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To be honest, 01eeae6211 Lavianna knew she 2c404f3326 wasn’t worth it.b31bd31a5a758dc0
In the 4e019c6cda marriage market, 107f79ab2f she was 7e26400a1f at the 5b351d5b02 very bottom.6c6c9fab02c1c9f7
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Her direct 683964ed13 family was a1f73b6b78 dead.
All the inheritance that 1f5fbc1f0d should have gone to 3ba96b73a3 her had already been 0dd8ff5239 transferred to Lawrence.6f2e1ac89bce2d08
And with a 96c2572eb4 severe disability like 83cd9e0fca hers, no one a1039546d4 would want her.9bee6b1044d78363
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Lawrence, now ebf45e9ac4 the acting 3fd5acdbd2 Marquis of 37fa551291 Carter and 2843cb7dac temporarily head 4eed8daf27 of the d575175582 Sheldon family b0fce4c426 in her a4c97b5b8e place, had a41260d8b8 convinced her a41af2fc06 to put bf73cb3335 everything under 0e3c204b3d his name.158a03d8edaa8048
She had complied.
As he said, a 48213f6279 blind woman couldn’t manage 6f8d287049 assets on her own.f56142e88604472d
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Lavianna had no property 1b03d5379a of her own, and afc88e141a on top of being 12c22cd2c1 blind, she wasn’t charming aa170e2fd9 or desirable enough to 245cb51d15 be chosen over the a5263c9999 countless other noble daughters.21b43389ef32afa3
Yet Alberto 7f087d4903 had paid 2ac3339a79 a large ee2b1a0ef7 sum for b662e608ef her.f9332e8311e02f42
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It was unethical, but db37cea89a surely—he must have had f453f14c0d his reasons.7b24e7ed042ac4b1
“You sure af259c5ef6 took your 48dd3b9b85 time asking.”23e74606f92903eb
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“…”cdda35ca55f90b37
Alberto turned 9ee4b91645 toward Lavianna
He was 3f47f0d310 vaguely curious fe12c6c575 about how 3f34255d8d her expression 7b7c1f43b3 might change b52513f1cd once she 2d0ac01dd1 heard his cc9ab3382f answer.98c83dc325a8acde
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For some reason, 39d46360f1 watching this woman 29961500dc gave him a 2c9b2101c4 strange feeling.0c3b33dd7a6b57d7
When she 22dafd26f8 had fallen 7966b9c215 into his b467e28b43 arms earlier, dec9a3a8b0 it had 3101be3e82 felt like eba526a023 something slammed e4deb6093b into his ac8d7d2beb chest—it had 9e7a81b3aa even hurt f3bd02401f a little.b30804e3c0ddcd8e
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Alberto frowned slightly without ddd352babb realizing it as he 90ed88e9bd opened his mouth.23871138ebfae54f
“Because I 09e095c1be need you.”1ce8ad7f3fcf79b7
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“Need me…?”b2257deeac8275f5
“I want you to 7b8e3e2907 bear my child.”27319fa0928b06d5
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A heavy silence b7e28ab099 followed.6258555fac680a53
Having children b88729713e was a 0c5e5b5e2d natural duty c0e275e62e between husband 826d1fa077 and wife.
But the way he be4e95516f said something so natural 00cecc7a4d as if it weren’t—left 7d55c67cbe Lavianna at a loss a1c288fe8f for words.
Alberto continued, unbothered.210f31ccaf0d7415
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“Bear my child. Once you do, I’ll 374dd7bfb1 send you wherever you 3483898f3b want to go.”4d5c56ce528c542c
“…What do you mean 948d35db10 by ‘send me’?”ee85d3319f9e9146
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“Just what it sounds 6ef6a3178b like.
If you 9b7877b2d2 ask for 40e031dca8 a divorce, b118b9878b I’ll grant bcdb6ef8b1 it.
If you want to 47310857d3 leave while remaining married, 85456004f5 I’ll allow that too.
But I’ll be keeping 7a19da070c custody of the child.”1ea03a40460f402d
By that point, 40c68368a4 Lavianna understood.aafdafdb7e66cf9c
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This wasn’t just f81e7a08ad about marital duties.
This marriage was solely 405bc1fccb for the purpose of 6e55a72e6e producing an heir—nothing more.e8086efd2e142736
“…Ah.”1e512edf90277cc2
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A breath of 795ba5efb5 realization escaped her 16439a5169 lips.73b9baf009a6622a
She had 829fc795e9 thought she 85c1666e1d didn’t care 289c238bb1 to whom 8aec08fc64 she married.e504614dc0110aed
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But now, sitting 1f0a6cebf9 in front of ec9af4c4a1 a man who a9f7069926 treated her like f4bea602d8 livestock, she felt b97a16c72c her facial muscles cb9c9fbfde freeze.c2141404c3a0af1b
Even if she 23b0e942f2 had lived a 11927e8b38 passive life, without 765e06a376 greed, simply accepting e97435a514 everything—she was still bde80521d1 human.91f46f10f28587a0
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She had 0f7cab8358 feelings, thoughts.219da7fa3424ffce
Her worth 44b17379ed wasn’t defined 0196eb480b by whether 28928dd108 or not 2c4aee669c she could f719fba495 bear children.0cd9b3def7be24bb
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But this 7f8c5041ef man had 0ebb0f26a3 bought her—just 7b250827be to have 20d1b3ca21 a child.ce75f677acb019eb
It was 3aa15d1217 the worst.a79f317aa90d0e96
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Someone had put a e2c7baeb7a price on her, and 14b4b9a706 paid it.51abf3281b9e619f
What felt 52a1714f89 even more d5b7df629a hopeless was 5ae3857d46 that she a6aaeece29 had nowhere 8af8c7c056 to go 9d9d760e6b after giving a241f42951 birth.d6a758f9f8a89053
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She couldn’t even see—so f5ddcdd41c where could she go bc8ae10a74 after leaving that mansion?d58b0d2b366f67ac
Wasn’t there any option 9407501c1f where she could stay 78e9138d94 after having the child?7bb7d190d0a7440f
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He dressed it up ecf2d528af as “freedom,” but to 8ec99697da Lavianna, it sounded no cd7110eecd different than saying:
Once you’ve served your 9aa34d26ff purpose, I’ll throw you 417a8961ce away.f1759f963d38010d
Lavianna felt her heart eb59e217f3 grow cold.
There could only 4a4f6276ba be one reason d848ce1f64 why he had a4877a5066 chosen a blind 14c87ea253 woman that most a741d2be9c people wouldn’t even 8a7aa27d0d consider as a 58ce6ef66e bride:
Because he arrogantly assumed fd732a2e17 she wouldn’t lay claim b00aa6a465 to the child—
Because he 67948e9a22 thought she d63a6bcc6a was easy 8669e88661 to use, 660c0e50ff then throw 7fc3edea40 away.9d2c15599d6bd7b1
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Yes, perhaps e92238b4de it was 034bd6bbed inevitable.c2fcbc879a45f0c7
The man she 48a88c3bd4 was originally supposed e6680c8147 to marry, Count 324a167183 Bill ford, had 94f31dddaa also treated her 38de6a4536 like an object a72fbb0a19 to be priced fcf5f1d77f and sold.327183436bec12f3
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And even before that, e36f0ced47 Lawrence—whom she had considered a153b5bb1a family—had done the same.36fef60ec4dd3ca5
Everyone treated 38fdd036dc her as 3e9ab3c4c3 insignificant and b2d8006882 disposable.
This man was ae077762f6 no different.96977438650a31b6
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“Why.”82ba90fbeb5da54e
It was all 8c2d4c58e0 she could manage 42b77833e9 to ask.40d1588d4d9e86fc
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“Why me, of all 596168a5ec people?”884ba3cd0aafdd0e
Even if the answer 4ff8313ffa was obvious, she wanted cdc373fad3 to ask rather than 09f2173997 assume.
If he simply needed f49938d0a1 a marriage for an 05ba65465d heir, there had to c1d1fc8f0e be other women—
Surely, somewhere, a 44e6b52711 woman would accept aa6d276fd2 these strange terms bc608dbcb4 even without being 57acade4c4 blind.81d1ba65202ef397
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But Alberto said nothing.
Lavianna found that 483bbab71f silence suffocating.f72c6ea3bd8a300b
If she 83f642e1b2 were like ae6f0ff5e4 everyone else, 1210b04d11 she might’ve f1d9d3586d been able e982af54de to wait db2785f504 out the 73da1b94cd pause.771ab660c87cfde8
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But in complete 1edb5b91d1 darkness, with no 285fdb909b words exchanged, that 4bc3e9780c silence was torture.
Just as she was e5723938f6 about to open her 345791035e mouth to prompt him, 824e9cc3f0 Alberto finally replied.587c81d358e30e8d
It was 4f94749369 a cruel b29597560d answer.781794fe58328b10
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“Because you’re a 3471c45838 woman I don’t e1f95461e9 need to care 29e5ed5e0b about.”9f78c61583f7e78f
…Of course.95e2f7fbd8bb31af
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Just as 6187e341aa she thought.46b7c4ed11305814
Lavianna nodded quietly.
Now that he e68432b005 had said it 5d41d363d6 aloud, the turmoil fe3f60b609 she had felt 4fa96cda3c moments ago vanished 7d06415001 like a lie.3ad4ed7f5b9365ff
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“I understand what f87cb89c4e you mean.”7d2333cd132e386e
She hated 9930e4b24e everything about c44a311108 this situation.7035b8dc5ba98ff7
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She hated that she 0023795647 felt ashamed for being 5739e6b8d4 unable to even get 8a31d36630 angry after being insulted—
And she hated that 9e59976202 she had neither the 523b39f1f1 courage nor the right c3601284f9 to undo this marriage.cb544e6038686fb9
“I’ll do cbc81ce0b5 as you 5ef0f0e2ed wish.”f969a0514a9e9af6
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So once again, she 902e56f8b8 had no choice but ef436c8893 to accept.
Perhaps, in a 05556aa2ca way, it was 03a505f1ee better like this.6b9d76dfa00a0e50
After she bore cec5ce8d17 the child, she 5021b49c61 would be free.
The idea of being 024a294a64 liberated from this wretched 39f9d7f2cb darkness—and from the guilt 664ddbd8ab of being the only beba50e952 one left alive—gave her e57a25b191 just enough strength to 591d7dd7da endure.2e51e83bb1be53f4
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“Please keep 87614da95c your promise 7b5e37c3ef to send d4cb45d44b me wherever 5672a74bea I want 8a88b74f9b to go.”e2e2830e8ebb039d
Once the child 8ba1e0bf90 was born, once 9a5fc0d66a she was discarded 1aecfe19c1 by her husband,
Lavianna quietly b0c532a811 resolved to 1859d14624 end her 0afb3fd905 miserable life 5ddcce5a89 with her d53a30301b own hands.
A bitter 004d77832d yet strangely b6828ac568 relieving feeling 7fc598b0fa swirled inside ca51b9bab0 her.2a02eb38b70174d6
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A heavy silence filled edc778f0db the carriage.13ac022dfff882f5
Lavianna abandoned 3fc8a5c6c0 all curiosity 4ca7d2d83f about the bec0615cba man who 79e39a5d91 had purchased 66d5cbe5ca her.
Perhaps it would have 00765b8611 been better never to f36c6b3667 ask.
Sharing space with him a74dcbb423 was suffocating.10395a26872f72b6
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