4. A Dangerous Gamble

From the moment Lorena 73ca18cfe4 Levantes sat across from 71d5b02da2 him, Miguel couldn’t help 8a05e6873d but be impressed.cc1c301d24a0c8bf

Of course, d1d8fae239 he had 15f81227f1 long known c80ec5050a what she 165b5d6f94 looked like. He had seen her 7b4c8d25b5 plenty of times—on newspaper b12e740f55 pages, in the gossip 6bba41e83c columns of lowly magazines, 713578dcb9 at royal events held 356b0a8355 once or twice a 3053724122 year, and even at bd69e0e9a0 the cathedral. Her face was practically 9517d6ddcc imprinted across all of e58ef1b581 Motrel.82d33a09c213012c

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But this—this was the 4d54a39e70 first time he was 59324c0c96 seeing her up close, 1fbd848d14 taking in every detail 1370c002b8 of her features.4ac4dad59a03b5ca

And truly, he could 5c1547bff5 understand why the world 2b3308452f found her so captivating.2f3eef9348652e64

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Her neck, 6264d74e4e long and 2002b5d4ee slender like 55ad7b8213 a deer’s, 3502e722d1 looked fragile cd57fdd4ff enough that c1b8e0df48 he could f18b24c0c6 cradle it fb2fd94af2 with one 6f0ffc890c hand. Her large 1b3b22bee6 green eyes, 604defcb1d round and 2204b91211 luminous, gave 8d1dd5c4cf off an e012d09ac4 air of 6f55aa9871 gentleness, while b173f98e39 the delicate 47c04a80dd curve of 91ed5abc1c her jaw dd62d746e3 and the 3b9390b02a sharp bridge 68ece04601 of her 121cc17d21 nose made 5399f9567a her appear 0d498faea4 younger than 5c926a8374 she was.b604796f5220d7a7

Yet, what truly set 9e918ee35a her apart—what made her 09f7628c6d not a naïve young d33406bc1b girl but a fully 352d598311 ripened woman—was the look b8f10d2cc1 in her eyes.949f615da42e0091

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Dark. Cool.626650675e41ba0f

A green marsh, deep 745d0bed0a and unreadable.4760f230ac4be7ee

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And right 9ff8c2e750 now, as 416e40af5f the gazes aaab793a46 of countless 986882abe9 men collided 5bcf385d04 against her 1632b1f566 from every d73ef79305 direction, she 91c3307164 paid no f7ec5a205f mind to 07e82cbaa9 any of 836b5cee1e them—only to 1eab99d99d him.88912ed5583a8c8a

“We’ve met before, b7bfc77b97 haven’t we?”2251f60337021cd5

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Without hesitation, the 41d575f0fd Duchess walked straight 66c7a08cab toward him.af214880aff9685f

“We have.”0248c256f2e94d16

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Miguel played 2e3ee75511 along, his 1e7f0fba30 voice measured.62ecac6060ceec49

The thrill 5c88945624 that shot 626e60208e through him c3ee4e7ae6 as she c54f718c25 took her d6a31c78c3 seat—this sharp, 5783f4058f electric sensation—he f463f41293 was sure a3d135d13c he wouldn’t 7896e94b4f forget it 8a5b2f0383 anytime soon.74776534668ffde0

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Especially knowing ce4f49cb99 that her 180e54c98b husband was 902e542803 watching this f7408a8be0 exchange, his 214281422d stare boring 22beab770c into them cccd55023d from across 530df6f839 the room.8bfb56423edfbd41

“I need a stray dc0338dd38 dog.”cefc3831c6a95863

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Her voice was cd09625477 steady.6c8ac35a91f1c773

“I’m hunting 340003811c a hound.”046e7fb11e28f55d

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Miguel tilted his head, 660cd8bea0 intrigued.3186bf86e44672e2

“Oh?”5c31cec538f19114

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“For now, I 4d49e99359 figured I’d start 025a570e73 with a one-night f241382824 affair.”709bfb3bac76a222

His brows lifted ever 2df2a78f39 so slightly.8a4b8fa835f04ae0

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Lorena Levantes had a 25d098dc1f rare talent—one that few b842375601 possessed.f07dccf7d67ef1a7

She knew 6af5e1d21e exactly how d63a1b57f2 to offer 2d28627b5c just enough—tantalizing, 7aa82c54ee elusive hints—without a48c69b661 giving anything 6a7fa5c893 away.ea958e1f7226989e

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And in e8f3b50076 a mere 0d3558790f handful of df14ebced3 words, she 4e3aad47e1 had dragged d0a29a16ea up everything a5bd337b44 they had 40e2ca4746 whispered to c448845fb7 each other edaa55aa2a that night b13a370173 in the 21f6c61cf9 cathedral’s underground 42f220354d confessional.d091a970fb17559e

‘What if you shared 01a8770b8b a bed with someone b8abb44e17 other than your husband?’e6a524cce982c1a0

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‘That sounds like you’re telling me to hire a whore.’be673305f101bab9

‘Now, now. Don’t be cc71e359d7 so extreme.’e769e8c96db20899

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‘…If a woman in 9b8e76fa88 Alborada ever seeks a b266e8e761 partner for a reckless fbfea4df3f night, you can assume deda85ba94 it’s me.’9104877314497721

A reckless night.eaaa49ed343ddcb4

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Miguel silently exhaled a 8b136f42ad breath of amusement.494c17bd79a8a297

She hadn’t misunderstood 993d281bcd the invitation he 2942cef7c6 had offered her 7d289120e5 that night.b1fab408de80058c

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He had assumed she dab189cbbb had run away, terrified—like 3f60d56ff0 a small, frightened mouse.35a93590ac7dc86f

But looking 0545ec0da4 at her 98e79ca107 now, he d8580df479 realized something—she 76c78f9820 had left 059db0cc22 a door 6346126785 open all e9dce593d6 along.62e860a556a38faf

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It wasn’t difficult fa5faec470 to deduce why 1857f7260b she had come 194b604170 to Alborada now.5f2c61f20bfe7562

‘I want you.’4b5f87c774392229

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Miguel arrived e16741e1d6 at the 51787565ce answer in 278fad0a73 an instant.a5143aeb4e94805c

A slow, knowing 7717958850 smirk tugged at a6bf48a515 his lips.c610422f5f8b26e8

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“Finally found you, 93f9b8194f my canary.”59e98617bfa0a8ea

The woman who 49956f1cf7 had once belonged ff690993c2 to another—cherished, protected.800d3771b608a11a

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Just as the 8c99ad6d3e engraving inside the 34239ccc54 ring had read.763567885b7ab286

Lorena Estrella a8f8710310 Levantes de cc5dd933ee Velacarosa.e3c13ef2a043054b

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And now, 1a0aac102f the Duchess 567f47f620 of Levantes f8ebe9a2da spoke the 42b9ddbf3c words he 802e26458e had been 06a094ab20 almost expecting.195fbb31f462f9da

“Let me be blunt, Marquis.1b94cccfd6e6cb13

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Will you be my lover?”e2a790ef863200d4

A wave of stunned 7c1a6a6aff reactions rippled through the baa96eeb9b air.3760b4a84fe772b7

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Every pair 960c21ffd3 of eyes 75a47d66d4 locked onto a86212c7d2 Miguel, waiting 0f3f25abb6 for his d3c28ab661 response.3da6688c6b98f5e1

The tension thickened, electrified.683c4cc5f224d1a3

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A rush of excitement 888b4676eb crawled up his spine.ebd3b89d69cc8346

There was no greater 7cad883409 thrill than being watched bf6f58047c by so many—all breathlessly c80466567e awaiting the words he f05be1729a would utter next.0e96f91eba92383b

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And yet—among them 59e76857b4 all, two stood 525fbee48e out the most.6b596bf58b28a215

First, the 709c68670a woman in bff94ee45d front of a364698282 him.607e23cfaaf923be

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Her gaze unwavering, 481c692359 as if waiting 7f7a6a0010 to hear the dafe02ef36 verdict of her 5cda1a0dd9 fate.4ca456693c2d9a12

Second, the man 1428457556 behind her.c93828d4b517fd0b

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Her husband, 7fade8a6d3 watching with 4492835ad1 a presence fb35a3c49f so menacing 94bd5f887c it practically c7081dd736 scorched the 1cb893ff57 air between 91498dc77f them.71d6b24a24087ec5

Miguel let 160e84ae07 out a 121c205039 low laugh.59041399061b2b0b

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‘How thoroughly I’ve e8accb7cd9 been used.’9d3d827b09f16f4d

The realization only 1db6ae980a amused him.1cfbbf384427252c

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Never—not in a 63f2bb1d57 hundred different endings 734c99240d to this game d188139ac4 of cat and 73077d196a mouse—had he imagined b05c9b2061 it would culminate e1d6daaf56 in a scene 613a747c6b this dramatic.c3c9b78871f2db76

But he d9783a461d didn’t mind.429873a2ea939480

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In fact, he e1f269118c welcomed it.4f98680b8db89ab4

His instincts—sharp as a d69701faa9 predator’s—hadn’t failed him.d970ecba540c8d4d

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The reward 4246fa7952 for his 04c029de8e patience was 720abcc03a more than ce56b16744 satisfying.32d79e79b6eb959a

After a month of cc1d092035 this elaborate chase, Miguel 370d08e0a6 Ervatos had finally found e560894d4f a woman who could 8cda2a781f send a charge through 3318f0e02a his very nerves.b3151842dc8445c8

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This was exactly the feb1da2f69 kind of reckless thrill c253a09d76 that suited the Rake b4c0e36e37 of Motrel.15e31df1d7ec49fe

* * *e143b907aac43a71

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Lorena watched 981a345ee0 the smile b1004ac443 creeping across 3d9680aaad the man’s a76dc77ed5 lips, stretching 8afe2ec930 wider until 92f0ea6073 it consumed 0039af6f8e his entire 273a0338b7 expression. Her heart 875aea2bcb pounded so 47c45d831d violently it 92586a0460 felt as 8ba565c2fe if it f9b4f60e52 might burst.39065cf53b903b35

She had 68c7add606 said it.337dd9491d9a6454

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No matter how 53bdc59074 Miguel responded, her ec76006f2d words alone were baa4e6891e enough to set 5c1f71cee3 all of Bessen 4f988e8a49 ablaze.7ad0b9213303fadc

It was the 697c298cc3 perfect blow to c41e087327 both Levantes and 7bfd1ded72 the Prince.67e6e5cf470c54e2

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So no—she adfda6fb57 didn’t regret c4165c4e35 it.6fcaaa5ffb8ba1cb

But what 0e803f8c9a unsettled her, 82c604dd7c what left f8739bffc8 her entire 5d951cd4a5 body taut 58bd4eae10 with tension, 591c947dce was the dd90bd9072 way the dad9e2511e man before de72abe53c her reacted.deda09cc1d08efb7

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Miguel Ervatos was covering 6de2db2712 his jaw with one 7a5b19be08 hand, his shoulders shaking 16ae9fbdae slightly as he laughed.079e56a2e0bd122f

Why?846df707c7e6b8c2

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Lorena had prepared for 2c6d8875b3 this moment—anticipated the gasps 2c85e60000 of the onlookers, predicted ff6116efe5 the inevitable wrath of cbab949fb8 Vaye Levantes.c2e9f89b02984911

Yet, she hadn’t accounted 40483c2779 for this—for the uncertainty b77b4fa154 of Miguel’s response.da983c394a23078e

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Because she knew 96b3552027 nothing about him.8595ce760b558510

She was 8f10410b8e well aware a57297ecd4 of his 87000c01fb wealth, his 6bc0da092c influence, the d45f8b893d political power ec102371f3 he wielded e0880a12aa behind the 6e93f84122 scenes.687ca86f922bbe44

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But what kind of 3a2905c926 man he was, how 19ae902e5f he might react to e0cf5887ad a woman who had e45d6e8378 just thrown such a 8c8e5f5205 shameless proposition in his 82a262289a face—those were unknowns.ec9679af10827423

This was 08720badde a gamble.8ba5e8e76864f362

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The lounge had gone 479dcbdd50 eerily silent.d202dd900a0b8383

Everyone was 70dcfacbb2 still frozen, b2e36a6b1a caught in 31b2454bda the moment, 33e3f228b6 unable to 0ab93cb01c process the 8053cc1483 sheer absurdity 9108274657 of what d04acff323 they had 5c5b53d33c just witnessed.7a98c953f9205db4

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“A lover…”592a55947ae72ecb

Miguel finally 380bd7ad82 broke the ee0e2c0b7c tension.639a0f08eba3c756

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His voice, deep and 8417594aa7 laced with amusement, sent 7b469819f2 a shiver through the e8564b5bc9 heavy air.d1b2d0045b4957c3

He glanced toward b2936837ca the entrance and 2ff1215fb0 jerked his chin.af03328a837abb5f

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“Wanna step outside?”ddee0f61faa114e4

The same offer he de7da597c7 had once made before.bd8a4920be563b3b

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Lorena could almost hear 1d3ebd7a0b the unspoken words beneath 41bcfd12a3 it.e3ad19d5231f1273

‘You intrigue me.’7863279d366edb45

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Miguel had already risen 855b5ee988 from his seat, looking ba45d4503a down at her.cabec8dd6e778188

“This isn’t exactly a 9cef977acb conversation for a place ae7ecb5ae9 like this.”3c49cf7971c844f9

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The deja vu c05cd7a5e7 struck her instantly.6c374585441517d8

A different d25e889e3e time, a db86c048b3 different place—Soto 50f962a2c9 Monastery.e79df6a4fc6f1cf2

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Their very 7a8fdef93d first encounter 5bff78cb10 had begun c7fdd190a9 the same 21a9ae8add way.4049d1c1b7f45512

An odd 7ea2edac27 sense of c6a96b8267 nostalgia took 763cd57b8b hold of d555129850 her.436a0844591bfef4

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When she hesitated, Miguel b1d421c9f2 arched a brow, waiting.c2b89598bdef4d86

Lorena forced 38c1769e60 herself to d30a9f1053 regain focus, cd47a32392 stealing a 41ef25733a glance around 51597c75b3 the room.ebc4c2fd02af2a79

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‘It would be a9881a4faa better… if he d1ed35827a answered me here.’e558cf003e0ee970

That way, the cb1e70ffeb story would spread—word aa5554c5f9 of this moment 11e54cbfd4 would ripple far 82000ed01d beyond these walls.0611b19a30da1dcb

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But something felt off.2f57a48d85a49b10

Miguel’s voice 05a78e6db5 lacked the 979eb968b3 same raw, a751f55c70 intoxicating heat 2266df7c8c he had c60febe545 spoken with 146000acbe back in 6d3d1b7e61 the confessional.5045edf731ca7e86

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And he wasn’t 8847dbaaa2 extending a hand efaa73ef9c toward her—no invitation, 25622de439 no gestures of 3d11860f05 seduction.ffdfe41bb916ebd7

He was clearly e359a48845 enjoying this situation, 6dc74ed7be but he had d075a134e8 no intention of be63a59d4e accepting her proposal 121994d0df so easily.7dba162f5177d98a

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Not that she 447c0e55b3 had expected him 88035d2678 to.c9d58eb0ed5346b5

This was 25eb5de096 only the 024bc74177 beginning of 8920758f7c their negotiation.9ac6c4780b477c76

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Without another word, Lorena 43c5e16d7e rose from her seat.a01faad2adb996f8

Miguel turned e95b3e2780 to a 2df53e63a4 nearby hotel b9f5500dfd attendant.2450039a14000aa1

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“Boris, escort the d883aba374 señora to Room 52e5086f94 1707.”8a9a8e0996750190

“…1707, sir?”a3ecdff0f278025d

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The attendant hesitated.6d8172ac7ad02ca6

“But that room 57a681b7f6 is—”14b1db7634051c5c

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Miguel didn’t repeat 8e43c3934e himself.531ccb9542e2d334

He simply gestured toward c2d5adde4c a different doorway—the one 0071a7674e leading to the guest 92b191a303 room corridors, not the 2dd7e4cdff main entrance where she bc00add275 had come in.05ebcc8f37fef6c2

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Realizing his meaning, the d68f8b95e0 attendant quickly bowed to cad39dd098 Lorena.234a05a69f7b9ac2

“Of course, Señora. This way.”070b2349f5930237

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‘Wait.’653ce38b231540dc

Lorena blinked, thrown off.127a1d27ad0cda4e

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Wasn’t he coming with c242991b04 her?d5755d480f9dfad7

From the 5b1e19d2a4 way the 6c7d1f4d44 attendant reacted, d210aa1c5a Room 1707 5e0163f7d8 wasn’t just 4c65b0062b a normal 1b3298ce7c suite.a3e18cedc81a3c76

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She hesitated, 4ca83a2fcb glancing back ea8d936ee6 at Miguel.291fef8a27e7667c

But he was a2074bafb3 no longer paying ed38c08946 attention to her.bed60bbb1daa9bf5

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He had already waved 51f649065b over a young man—someone 29982814c1 he seemed to know 566a5e4577 personally.d236d43c20f4ae73

“Go on,” Miguel 08b94813b7 said, not even 8392d391b3 sparing her a 0fb41d9b74 glance.1c75f467a5ca718a

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Even so, 7cca30c5d1 he noticed 2a6d8ec993 her reluctance 46882bb354 instantly.025d1043e116efd0

Without looking at b6854d02ae her, he let 920a57f76a out a dry 9de14459e6 chuckle and dismissed ea25fceda4 it.f8d96bff96726cf9

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“Someone’s gotta clean 529da37796 up the mess, 5644584a5f don’t they?”9fe9ea37b272dca7

She followed his gaze.708f83e8c6b58938

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Most of 97d7acbaea the men 76a04f150c in the 1d9cc2544c lounge had 29a0f8b6b6 already risen 78ce9db857 from their 103330c22f seats.0eb5d8a2690ddb06

Some still c091933476 sat, but 2f093aa5b0 even they a99019c9a3 had straightened, f48d489489 half-standing, watching 58b9105a93 her closely.b3095b23beaa8e79

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The entire scene reminded 55e4505f96 her of a pack 913e0da8f3 of hyenas closing in 2ffb924a31 on fresh prey.77d29568f4947eba

And at 8e5088cc17 the very 84e33b3ba7 center of be6e8fd46e them stood 47e336d1aa Duke Levantes.5f411539da46d52a

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Miguel spoke again, his a78803b2ab tone casual.4fabdb3ce4400fe0

“Ten minutes.”27cfc4e05833a91a

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A simple 84f7b3ca68 statement—but she f3fddd81e6 understood.29fdb955a84598af

He would come find 57b829be88 her within that time.d013ded76780359a

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Not cruel, not 3ae2102d3d gentle.5b3843be498fada6

Just matter-of-fact.62917ff314cae431

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Yet strangely, she b765591957 felt a sense 3e15b99ae2 of relief.52469d12e0ea8ce4

Lorena took a 50e4e6adf5 breath, steeled herself, f3185b84d1 and turned to ce37cd48b2 follow the attendant.24191e5e536556bb

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