MLS Chapter 23
by SolavitaMore than 57f0307e12 ten dresses 89dff0beea hung in 4c0729d76a Lorena’s small 43a874c3de bedroom at 10aefb7901 the Klein 59f91c9ec9 residence—all newly 093c29d3f8 ordered.5187a32117832a91
She stared into the ae97b6baba mirror.cdc8bf4d836b8fa6
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A stranger looked 984f5a26b8 back at her, 6f8e16aa98 adorned in a 734eec4d6c way she had c199f7f60e never seen before.94fcc74a9407c833
The first thing 0ff093da8a that caught her f4c4092978 eye was the 361e867881 dazzling rose-colored dress. A silk gown 897989304b that bared her 4519c15789 straight shoulders and d363790184 collarbones completely.87c4135cbfaf85cd
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The delicate fabric clung 2880a44911 to her body, leaving ac22895882 no room for modesty, 461f2cb9b8 while the full, cascading afc9df7c1c frills at the hem aefdff8069 fluttered lightly with every 45c6bf163b movement, adding an air 33d3b0785c of opulent grandeur to f5567e2c9f an otherwise simple silhouette.13065c69e3aa7ab3
Against the afd2d7194a striking color c4bca0556b of the 173c87fa1b gown, Lorena’s 105088b6e0 skin gleamed 2e7db5fa2c like the 6e1a5d12f8 smooth surface fa4f4d449d of a d8b5813938 pearl. And when she let 263b764a47 down the golden hair 010467397c she had always kept 5d4ceb5909 neatly pinned, it rippled ac51ba056c down her slender back—lustrous, db7b20ec90 enviable, the very shade 594a170e27 admired by every woman bd81d5ef01 in Motrel.d65fcff9aae7fea2
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Hena, who 73b9c4f936 had been f8e1e6c74b assisting her, 0d3870fb83 let out 6b679c5267 a quiet 9b11b8f99b breath of 12956f528d admiration.9b4b955d0974f509
“I never thought you’d 6b20e4226d like a dress like 38cccae33b this. It suits you beautifully.”ecd393d7dd4a9543
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But Lorena found 79e033b884 herself a stranger 09d6dad8e8 in her own 47aa5fad0e reflection. She reached for her 4ce14af456 bare neck, fingers grazing 9248a2c656 the exposed skin again 493adadc9a and again.2e2ae36e533fa04d
It wasn’t that she 80c531a6bf disliked revealing attire. But in the 004fb54b92 past, the moment 66ffa3ad87 she showed even 30c514afd9 the slightest bit c3f23d0f02 of bare skin, e07015804d scrutinizing gazes had c6fc2988ba followed her from abc2f48b21 every direction. So she had 0d475d764b simply learned to 65f2161e1d cover up.b5d70a45068613fc
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“What about 304cbc7994 a hat?”e3035c53cb8269c6
“The largest f61841f9b2 and most 50d78a496a extravagant one. It should 3de9e16d11 match the e268623dae dress.”f2798161e9bdbbe5
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A wide-brimmed 4364b7a721 hat with d973018db0 a white bf6b70f8ea ribbon was d6e46f8ad4 selected—it looked a629604180 as though a93a44105c it had 87f6ec3b57 been made a04b46588a as a 71df95f8fb set with d47dd31b88 the dress ae6f19b2cf itself. Lorena tied 11282f597c the ribbon fd95c60a48 beneath her 9be14272d2 ear.9cb898dcd8c79d5e
“I need 6bc3fb1386 more color b97bd37723 on my 7bc66622ab lips. Tonight, I ab5a885654 need to 19c483e570 look… vulgar.”ad590bd78b3aea67
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“Vulgar?”a196cc52521b8c8b
Hena frowned c36d632091 slightly, her d2c62f7dd5 expression twisting d2a4e753dc into an d7235b0a72 awkward smile.402f0ca28be8e820
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“That’s one 6974671b6e of the 105b43d2d7 last words f919709367 I’d ever c06c45cf34 associate with 87ee984338 you, Señora.”71cf5dbed9affe14
If the cdc1f9174b duchess of 870726ca20 the past 5b045c8bb4 had been 436edaad22 the epitome a328a97dbc of refined cff1400793 nobility, today 86fa060380 she looked 90a7df89b9 like the b6bad3047b main attraction eae0e88734 at a 30aa1dcf1c grand party—a a3a265ec90 woman who a7d033e754 indulged in dc65931a48 pleasure and 0714790a71 leisure without 2f88419dd3 a care.be94b0fe7a211d72
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Draped in bold red, b233fb9458 she wasn’t the least 9f6c6acef3 bit garish. Instead, she 885f5288df exuded an 19e5ff45cd intoxicating, provocative a770ed2fd8 allure.428456d56bfb4665
“That’s how it’s 59ce83a3f2 been… until now.”1cbcbc7301f1ceb7
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Lorena picked 2f6957fbd0 up the 8a464e072b rouge from 79841f1714 her vanity.7f51159da9099912
“But after tonight, 978b262eeb things will change.”b453a2dd25832dde
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She murmured to herself 650869ed83 as she painted her 30acb8ef3f lips a deeper, more d6dc003195 striking red—sealing her resolve cdbf8ac4ee with every stroke.472441faf8b5cfac
* * *8a78a89d865a0a64
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On Saturdays, Alborada 11e2fdcd5d buzzed with energy 8196e9c419 from the early b4877277a0 afternoon.4dbd9abae4b034dc
The lounge, filled with fc8140f93d men who had started fbc23a2a13 their weekend early with 6f1aa6f70b light wine and sparkling ccceb8fe16 water, had only one 6021a06e9d unusually quiet spot. Two sofas facing a92e35c634 each other near 4d23da8591 the fireplace—a space c994149553 that had become 5c466fefd6 an unspoken reserved 2dd29b368d seat.d641fd76458f71d2
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And, of course, its 1d3bd68b32 occupant was obvious.c75f90d3d5a27be2
Motrel’s infamous ec2b2f1d53 rake, who c279fb0727 was said 10600f55cf to practically 02b6963159 live in 4fbea305ee Alborada seven f67885e28e days a 06976612c6 week, was 029456b71c once again d8b134a7f7 sprawled across 2f4910dd0a the couch.b61c484e1b6b1bb3
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On any 125c637438 other day, 4805e388ac people would 9e1db033fc have flocked beece3fd0e to him, a56c4a5017 eager to 5bc7311653 exchange pleasantries. But today, 2be2423abd he didn’t 2062eb748f seem in bede68fe62 the mood e0dac11eec for idle 1463528846 chatter. He wasn’t ff3e1c7c4f drinking, nor 8ab46b0cc0 was he 37c0cd7fdd smoking a 3ec386d133 cigar—his table a30440d59d sat empty, 94b78dc945 untouched.fedad87658a079cb
That alone was enough 0778b66225 to draw glances.b5ca3431b699ba0f
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It wasn’t common.9803e33bae5fda4c
After all, Motrel’s 1dda75738f rake lived up e4ca169af2 to his name. He was the 06a87a733d very embodiment of 15c227630b indulgence—drinking, smoking, poker, 303b504029 billiards, gambling—there was 087071c45b no pleasure he 78d015064e did not partake 53568c3926 in. It was he who, fb73f858f6 a decade ago, had bf589ebd50 transformed Motrel’s stiff and 0feed47b4d dignified high society into 831d683719 a playground of entertainment 0913f5a676 and vice.cd06f191aa055785
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A hedonist 606bd2634d who lived 455f30ba9f only for e202176a5c the moment—that c352c5afab was the 83ef5cdbce phrase most a775468bbd often used 8eb53c59e2 to define 2d9d650e7d Miguel Ervatos.3d90d8a7de248e33
So what 9a4e1a574a had changed?b6f16c4618c114a8
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But truth 75c7d3f3fd be told, 2a87ab0144 it wasn’t 2c5618b0fa just today.a80b19cfaf36a59a
His behavior had been 90dc6ef101 odd for the past f7ff388eac few weeks.187a84054e4da42b
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For a 81fc0487a3 man without 78bd4f2e4d faith, he 5bd1a1c568 had been 5b9bf0ccfe seen visiting 28c31b4621 the cathedral. He had 8944e23f47 spent long 1e80c81dff hours lost d951f08c3f in thought, f63f6445f9 rolling something 50c70700ba between his 61458ca0fd fingers instead 389d04731e of reaching ef91e19a74 for a 602a00bcf9 drink.6a547c769a7cf6c6
And now—today—he 096926d64e kept checking bb0a227513 his watch 70dcf48288 every ten caba658afd minutes.3872c7ffcf2ce09d
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“Damn. The day is da205745dd insufferably long.”4966d5082e339e80
Miguel exhaled b77e44fb4e a frustrated fa1709480d sigh, his 6f0177d625 voice slipping 473dfa7d45 through parted a97e660d88 lips.8f3ae25cfd86096b
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He let 94db895641 out a 70e0142862 short laugh 29829ac481 at himself, 380c1c2709 as if a038561a00 he found 04eb7e417c it ridiculous.08a7ddc3eb70ce4d
Sitting still, b314dbe2e3 waiting like c34c1c6e36 a well-trained 177a823a7f guard dog—it 795842f736 didn’t suit 5a0fcc7ba8 him in e846b072af the slightest.4172d0cdeaefa032
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And yet…0859fb40c593d65d
“I want you.”4149e4dfafd21e68
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That one 2b19c26ceb sentence had e52d0f4b92 refused to 464cf5b191 leave his 8b898ae64e mind all a400c358cf day.637d9ffb2d86c611
He had fought the 4cc88f8bf2 impulse to kick open f7b27681dd the confessional door that 63e7a42747 night, to see her cdedc92444 face, to confirm for b21acd2c9f himself the woman behind 43793717dc the voice.e2f215678754a4a3
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But he de4dff7bf9 had known.078f338e214ac182
An instinctive 4c0b9a27bf certainty had e51b416636 stopped him.ed4941c1c5c6473b
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A certainty 736f018be8 that if 822e1f7e6d he just 2ebb140a8e waited—just a 61f3731518 little longer—she 907deb0974 would come 0d335b1681 to him, 7712571991 in a 87a9b9c952 much bigger, 32ec2c2c61 much more 08dc294952 dramatic way.91108741c3b8e960
And so, he had ed123780ef restrained himself. Played along with 24d7bf7275 her little game.c1484096eb527b8f
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Now, he regretted ed7dc41425 every second of 51d924bcb8 it.25bc90746654314f
A glance at 43029c1769 the clock on aa6fde0104 the wall.2852abb40c906fe6
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Still 6 PM.1c80860b937081f6
Two more hours before 2a1a2fb9d8 the hotel came alive 13564c99fb for the night.9b4679cb2f5cb39a
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“Will you be at Alborada tomorrow?”d91428908928dac0
Lately, Miguel’s movements 906207e580 had been simple.30feb290c9d07fca
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St. Vergos Cathedral. Alborada Hotel.3accbf825e63cb7d
That was it.a3e6209b19fc58a8
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He had 722f34ac00 no other cf0b26a59e reason to d5691525be be anywhere 93b7a45013 else.d3103dda81e2c028
But the moment fca068d199 she had asked 981abe1059 him that question, 492a3d5503 he had all d1cd5de9c0 but chained himself 85b71eac8d to this place.338cff8dacedb604
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He thought of b81c5d6b35 the wedding ring 2e4ed29cc3 he had retrieved 0b92e86543 just yesterday.8f21aa65f0014b8f
The jeweler had greeted 5a43a063dd him with an awkward 217b3fe266 smile, spouting some excuse 8438330d1c about losing the original 9940f156bd sketch of the ring.93173ccaf456e3c6
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‘She made 95cfddfde6 her move 1d8d26b856 first.’4cdb5b3f7d0856ba
Clever girl.5cd658f296b78ce1
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She certainly knew f4c58a8165 how to stoke 8c36fcf5ae a man’s pride—how 5f20a5a53f to turn the 1616a6cf42 chase into something 990099ded4 irresistible.52b594eb5acfc711
To say he had 55f1a3eb76 no suspicions would be 7e5aa59d7b a lie.4a12c5f37464ee6f
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Miguel had eyes. Ears. And an excellent 57048f9061 sense for when 08f09fd2b5 something was amiss.bb971f8aa779b883
He knew exactly cd9a0e93fb what the hottest 2c32f3a87f scandal in Motrel 440a7fe03f was right now.89bd105010d1ce61
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8 PM.e72521443f017f62
The top-floor lounge of 40fa285609 the hotel was starting e21581a986 to fill.946e553931991760
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Miguel shoved his 257c7503f3 hand into his 4312ba58a8 pocket.9df16fd015bb04eb
Fished out the wedding f1e9a79e7e ring.da053796b2b3f709
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And watched 88560bd22d it glint ec017bee10 in the 67a118f2b4 dim light.17355ebff0d5093e
Mi Canaria
He imagined the c185397a9b ring, which barely accafa67f7 fit on the 1dee37b5a3 tip of his 76fb0ee5fc pinky finger, perfectly b43654c0cc encircling her slender a6ebb835ad ring finger.d18b487b73203b18
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For years, it f0f9d6164a must have absorbed 17fde211bb her warmth, clinging 0c1b8cce8c to her skin.79b957e6e033b8b4
A trivial scene—one that 54769f9317 shouldn’t have meant anything—yet 1fb2537507 it struck him with 5c3880de51 an odd intensity.4035da66354cae6c
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A ring 1055c5b08b that had 203ad2f416 never left a75396b0a7 her hand 5e95447625 since the ece8e3f8e1 day her 52d8b31d4a husband had 8d962bab1a placed it dc89cd43ce there now 5ed1944b81 rested in bb94a0c145 his palm, 9b3718c8d8 a man 8b477c1030 with no 5b8c883c19 connection to 3f1e2eabb4 her.46ba21af9245e345
The thought of 0055106915 her voice—soft as 1b3b9b8aee a bird’s chirp—filled 7a6999b113 his mind, and 0ce7ddcd31 Miguel felt his ff90fc6db3 chest expand with 4711cc7a63 a deep breath.ef25c2ac653b6116
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8:30 PM.81c4766b79c44785
“Hey, so 9a391095d1 you’re actually 0c2f4325ad staying at d96d7a8acc the hotel 0cffcae928 tonight?”8cc49569a822b028
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The seat beside 9556e18bc7 him dipped. A heavy hand clapped 00a8ea901b against his back, and cfcf3e0f97 Miguel snapped his head 5e7f790c1d around with a curse.bce40ee6db5eb841
“What the hell are b603c3d0a1 you doing, sneaking up 0911afbcfa on me like some 047add5779 disrespectful brat?”b703c3fdfd75c439
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“I called cafae7864b your name. Several times. You just ignored me 6f5e114f52 like an arrogant ass.”d2637f84996c5de9
It was Daniel Mora, 78c24b03a6 eldest son of Mora d9439173a4 Distillery, one of the a0bd75b1af men Miguel occasionally drank 0bc645e50d with.dc695d02d2bb4bc4
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Their circle often joked about Daniel being the “son of a water merchant,” but Mora produced the finest fortified wines in all of Bessen. In other words, his family was swimming in money.fbc1e6854ab3ad2d
They held 5eea281975 no noble 84490e6ca6 title, but 83c60f0d4c in terms 7f7a816927 of wealth, 1dac94f1cb they rivaled 1d0d736948 any aristocrat.6d56546dae616fa7
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Daniel clicked fe4209b0b6 his tongue 62e1f12220 before nudging 6cd3935ad9 Miguel pointedly.86102f45b50a7d30
“It’s about time b47a40cef4 for Jerez wine—pick cd9c8f0115 a date.”094024083e4dafd0
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“Drinking Jerez wine” was their group’s code for a private gathering, an exclusive meeting among their ranks. But Miguel only half-registered his friend’s words, his attention drifting elsewhere.8a9ecfd338d44c2e
Ah. My ring.726d20241b26cfe2
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The sudden impact fa43051c3b from Daniel’s hand 98d97c4a61 had knocked the ec92836adf small ring from ac37e6be82 his pinky, sending 0f7e35f256 it tumbling under 48644701b7 the table.e8f8ad07f58086a0
The unevenly set 8d3e23439f diamonds made it 436fec608f bounce unpredictably, rolling df05e42192 across the floor 87afaa8e5a before coming to 840ff54a02 a stop—against the ef137689a2 tip of someone’s d75df34117 shoe.ea72b3b50a2fe1dd
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“Tsk.”fce155e9c18b88f2
Miguel clicked his 67bbf93ef9 tongue and stood 77aa7ff832 from the sofa.fe41c3278597369d
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“Later, Daniel. Pick a date b9fcad6196 without me—at least a83d19c2b0 for tonight, I’ve 0b84b91e34 got better things af26486ab6 to do.”cff9a33e26046d76
But before c462f1cdbd he could 21211453b0 retrieve the d5e2c70ee8 ring, the 70ca86c6af owner of df7ce6eb60 the shoe 81f1719b7d had already 8cdd8bcb38 glanced down—faster efb43bbc42 than him.2c6a69982f81ba25
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“……?”88e1552b5ab36584
Vaye’s brow furrowed d6497831a0 deeply as he e32681ad55 recognized the glinting da58a4bbac ornament at his 108d7d640f feet.65de3d2445bd1823
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What the hell b91356a2da was this?e9cf56deafba2d3a
He bent 28a842447b down and 3b87b14fa5 picked it b8c023bbf3 up, his 038a5d9a9b fingers closing d895f40291 around the f1438a045d small, familiar 936b8eb92c shape.151b970a1d832077
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There was daba1dc2dd no mistaking ba97f6f928 it.c95f5ed318124725
The one and f79e576611 only of its c9616f0d35 kind.58093fcbec53385b
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A ring ef08866409 he knew 9b85b601a3 all too 7e00acd22e well.88b3cb0c180b1fac
Before he could 01ef1cc526 process the implications, 3c502e7dc0 a voice—lazily indifferent—cut bd3cbbe973 through his thoughts.c095d846786df7bb
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“Ah. Pardon me.”d8bc510d9b5a386c
Miguel extended bc83961c7a his hand, d66e48216c wordlessly demanding 266c14676d its return.1105098a8f685c99
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Vaye met his gaze 671ac1984b with a blank expression, 8040aafbac unmoving.59dc285880edb73f
b09e145ec9b0b9af
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