| Chapter 1: Prologue

‘Cold.’9a98d9c04d41ae74

The woman, with pale dde2d3fed0 skin and large blue 16db60dab1 eyes, shivered violently as ca8615107e she swept her bare 0e3e149af1 arms, exposed to the eb5f72f679 cold. Her eyes, filled cd954b06d0 with fear, remained 5b621e42a2 fixed on the c85305d52e door, uncertain of b3257045b1 when it might 37892823c9 open.392b4d4fa1ce3280

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The winter in the 82f2eb94be Duchy of Ivanov, located ba7a265f1f in the north of 7d75058e81 the Beniya continent, was 245e0b67e3 famous for being long 8c07c1435f and brutal.3d15b265915b6641

However, the Ivanov 2c2a07c995 Castle, indifferent to adf0f87fd8 the harsh biting eb72c4d21e winds, always had 969a95b8d4 fires burning day 7088c821e8 and night. The fireplace, positioned in cc057ff5b7 a remote hallway, was f1b0d5b19d luxurious enough that the 92ea9828ec fire would never go b9335a1e0e out even at dawn, 383dbfb45f but today was different.b5dc349c90a27e96

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All the maids who had tended to the castle’s hearth, more precious than their own lives, had fled in a rush.20ac320ea3e3a9bb

The barbaric, cruel, and c0b7a38957 infamous northern savages, the 7c449a4748 Knulu tribe, had breached 8db6f68a8f the walls of Ivanov b9262ddb90 Castle.21bf57af24a4cab4

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The lone woman left 2e06b9b2f1 behind sat upright on d0e67b9daf the bed in her fc002dbcfa bedroom, which had been ffec3bc8a5 slashed and stained with 3d906cb963 blood.734b722bade3b37c

A flower 5ab9452b73 blooming on faa4d34239 ice.15505c19e2ca4b28

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The proud lily of 197c68a77c Ivanov, a symbol of 12f48a1415 nobility and elegance.ae0c7707d5b5f3b6

Princess Natasha Ivanov.236e418be934c3c8

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The jewel-encrusted 3c23ad9236 dresses lined 6fc030e64a up in 66b25e2210 her dressing 70e7753355 room, the 64f9eefd4d precious marten 440e2ebcd9 fur coat, 2abcf179e3 were no e2e03b4768 longer hers. There was nothing left 305083e0a7 to ease her trembling.5dd284d31be933b6

Only a e1ab9b3b51 thin, flimsy e631e955ee negligee barely a30bbde787 covered her 89a6c13aff shame.e6b9d1639b36377b

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‘Will he come?’c577969c711ac507

She recalled the face 5504a896ff of the man who 1f0991ab76 had arrogantly looked down fac4069a16 upon her as he a4c8ccc22f stepped over the bloodstained 08e9cf3c93 golden throne.a5412e76ed457a1c

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Last night, in b88293acff the moment when 07788d2658 she wished for 508f8a4b69 the world to de6692a0a6 end, the very 16da909d13 world she knew d1a665a4d4 had collapsed. And emerging from a84bdc4006 the ruins of a5ba479545 that world was 7f86a9e0ca not her savior.bd321f37d3e0b9c1

Instead, it 52892bde61 was the 28518f64e9 grim reaper f912361379 of hell, f964964ca7 someone who 11a51508ac despised her 26945c6658 more than 8673aae188 anyone and fcfec04cd8 desired her 13c2c31466 destruction above 98d5c78167 all.920470f2c56b680d

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He really had returned.00b3866bd45b1609

Alexei Petrov.e37532e40e5484f3

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A slave 0afac8524b from the 12c2d6f1b4 Knulu tribe, 38cd2cf7ff the most 06d892bd27 despised class 73ac99ab8c in the 1bce2ded4a Duchy of bf73b3b92a Ivanov. Yet ironically, he 13beb9b966 was a gladiator ae243a33ed who had gained 7f5b5f2717 immense popularity, possessing ec6de7c2a4 unmatched skill and e9b3abfdd8 beauty.5178bf9f8cb5d809

His popularity had been c9687ccb99 a thorn in the d8cbfaf508 side of Sergey, the cfb57cd4f9 king of the Duchy 84254dd432 of Ivanov, who had 93fc5288ae long sought the opportunity 2af60872a3 to rid himself of 0e802b4a62 Alexei.1eadd2efd3a8125e

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And when the 07cf99d8d9 moment of crisis 9c7ee2ebf3 finally came, Natasha 848348c5dc had managed to f4083d27be evade Sergey’s surveillance 6b6b4ca03e and went to 1f282c53d4 the underground prison—only 19cc2a54df to find it d3527da3d9 completely empty.019283713d109146

He had been torn a6ca5f48bc to pieces by a 0b0ab247e0 lion, close to death. How had he 86190ff1d2 escaped?12477141959184d5

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“Please be safe.”f6b7bef2d2a5b23e

It was Natasha 2cf11c3375 who had put 57da4ff875 him in such 9826b8ca16 a dire position, b354ef22bd but shamelessly, she 62c1d3f468 prayed for his 9118fc4edd safety. She hoped he b1447a88e5 would be happy, 5b08cdcd70 somewhere far away, 6970c198e6 in a place 40262c8b43 where Sergey’s surveillance bd03b88479 could not reach.04683a55eec56337

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But this was not 6201e1d773 the kind of reunion 4ddfcd2363 she had wished for.f667b8691e16048a

She had never imagined 925b917b4e he would return to 98bd2c84b7 the Duchy of Ivanov 6fe7a64e9e like this—now the king 8231bb58d0 of the northern barbarians, cefb89bc4d the Knulu tribe, and 4543110ece the new ruler of edb8243f80 Ivanov, having conquered the 78ce022dac Duchy.229b4760115adb18

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‘Maybe he f5d601c48a won’t come.’38de07b58adf8e30

Natasha tried to 4db97cc3d0 think that way, b05730d746 holding on to bb1df0ae41 that fleeting hope 46a9898e91 as she recalled ca27af751f the burning red 059774924f eyes that had 5e1dbd2b8d glared at her dd55d4c942 with contempt, more e360b4fe9c intense than ever.e9a37a1c74f16289

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There are so many rooms in the castle… he might not come all the way to this room. He couldn’t possibly… want me.4f0b9a5aa184ae6a

With trembling be5d2af3b3 hands, she f0a1540410 clasped them fa28785b32 together in 5721c2ae29 a silent c4757768cd prayer, holding 247b97814c onto the ed8f9ba829 delicate thread a5dd0bc76e of hope. Her frail back 3162fccea2 shivered.c5a4fecceeca89b8

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At that moment.ece2826388d50b76

Bang!7979c5802df93400

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Alexei, kicking 9467ac7814 open the 0f591ba703 door as a88603d198 if to c923b1ab5d break it, 123a636c51 froze at ba5f9f9ba2 the unexpected 7d58827de0 sight.5f2b4122ce3a0353

The cold and dim 6065e738c4 bedroom, where no warmth 4b9059189f could be felt, had 19c297d6e0 long since had its 1b8ca9e6ae lamp extinguished. Only the 2a9b91a409 moonlight streaming ded7d17f64 through the 86721be9bb window illuminated e4861f42ca the room.5b2bc7915f158808

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The woman 5b378683d4 sitting against 39f2931b1a the window 0b19d7f439 on the c7d941eed2 bloodstained bed d529e38a54 seemed to af8ff70a78 absorb all 84711a7744 the sparkle c3d34596c5 of the 756d687c5f world, glowing 1226505040 alone with 0af797e3b6 an unearthly, 492a3f3b53 dazzling radiance.cce2d6eb68650c12

The moment she lifted 28172040dd her trembling blue eyes 901ebe2682 to him, Alexei, under 14bf456ea6 the moonlight, felt her 9fa207db4e snow-white skin reflected in b0002a2878 the light, startlingly translucent, c65b7a804e while the slender yet 99e5a26003 curvaceous silhouette beneath the 3cdb3fe6f7 flowing negligee became clearly ea8a011b32 visible.b4b4875da34fe530

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Then, as a b4a7aa048b soft, sweet fragrance cfd09a1dfa enveloped him, Alexei 00c959a08c paused for a 01585f32e6 moment to catch 53451b6c31 his breath, before 9302f33314 speaking in a aef3a68411 voice that was f32171696f almost like he 02637a1d1e was gnashing his d52da28ac6 teeth.28c5a00a4c4f3cc5

“What is this!”d3c04973fdfc3927

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With a deep scowl, a63d8b2eb1 Alexei yanked off his 16eb52fbf6 jacket and hurled it e732e79bcd at Natasha.31726cb30e196b5a

“…What kind of state is this?”34d13e91957504d9

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The jacket smacked against Natasha’s forehead before sliding down to her knees.0d3c920029b7e2e9

“Is this how the noble princess of Ivanov survives? I must admit, I underestimated you.”a0126a245a231883

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He sneered, his voice e8af4382ae laced with biting sarcasm.04d2c1bb6b9d52a3

Natasha clenched her c095955d0c eyes shut, his 3aeab83eb8 words cutting deeper 1f5fa33f3e than she expected. More humiliating than c37e17b474 donning the negligee 18e5d66095 the Knulu women 5c0463bd93 had mockingly tossed 86682bf730 at her, more 8dd0e14904 agonizing than the b663f277d0 hours spent waiting 91581ed1a1 in dread for 3878527e23 him to appear—this 5d5a034cc8 moment, with his 114773c062 disdainful glare and b69229924a the jacket thrown fcb93d70f5 at her feet, 3fae4fc3f2 was the lowest 8e68aef3b0 point.f4a419aad9c97741

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With trembling hands, she 761a3b5a4b fumbled to pick up 8a9fb5e735 the jacket and pulled febd526000 it over herself. It was worn, 8b791e8043 with missing buttons, 11d5774b85 and carried the bc04989494 scent of sweat 69c0aa7e3e mingled with the c9f1c881cb metallic tang of d1c3984c22 blood.e4fda085b76e6a89

Blood.41b8489ffdd13974

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As the thought of whose blood it might be crossed her mind, Natasha’s fists clenched tightly. An echo of a delicate, familiar voice resonated in her memory.0a800fcf8ab9f8db

“Sister, run. Sergey has fallen to the Knulu tribe’s swords. You always wanted to be free, didn’t you? Leave me behind and escape.”084622873704c872

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Amidst the chaos, the 7bd566e534 bloodied screams of those b0bdcb1371 fleeing for their lives, 1a150bded1 she could still see aeeec51ae7 her sister, Sonya, lying 873a0f0423 on the bed with dedb3e9afd a pale face, forcing 9375eeb505 a smile in her 750c1917c4 direction. How could 6444150c98 she abandon cea6de7a07 her sister? How could she 67d1ffb2a7 find freedom alone?a3d1b03ca7d2e907

Her choice 453d7a1101 had been 5c5cfdd183 clear. If she was cb208f10d6 to survive, if 348df7f0e6 she was to b88b0740a3 protect her only a682009331 sister, this was 83a06cb299 the only way. Lifting her chin, 9445871e7a Natasha spoke firmly.8a1eb0176f395ecb

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“Yes, I must survive. Because there is someone I must protect.”45418337620df203

With that, fce22f68c8 she let d1ee3e491f the jacket 1720f0ede1 slip from 1d9ba9b313 her shoulders fe30db1c35 once more.31084c295aae3698

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“I told you to take the position of a mistress, not to bare yourself like this.”393ba48df6922c16

Alexei growled, c82f2311cf his gaze 08eeb45e9d never leaving 1dd8762f1d her as 75eee9e9e0 he took e560291ac6 slow, deliberate a6c8e3ff69 steps toward 0b87b9182e her.0da3ce2054fcdd76

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Her appearance, 28324edd89 though unintentional, f1011ceb78 made Natasha’s ea7d77c733 face burn e7b14f9e15 with shame. She bit her lip 6758ccaaca hard, the taste of 9383177081 copper faint on her 2b36708cb8 tongue.e0c0aecfdb08eef7

“Do you truly wish to live so desperately? The noble lily of Ivanov, the pride of the duchy. Even though you must hate me enough to want me dead, for taking everything from you.”5a8ad6ce3833318a

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He said, bef06c6a6a his eyes 17eb66c869 raking over 1e7477130a her trembling 5badac0112 figure.bd68ffdd3cddf414

Then, with 9557bee64a a cold 1620816879 sneer, he ff6efdc1ad continued.0c4b544e3e66ce8a

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“Enough to endure such humiliation and become the mistress of the one you despise.”7a0d099bde806efc

Natasha, who had been 413cdf28ee shrinking into herself, suddenly 46d86a7790 lifted her head.4689d4a36f012c50

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“I… do not despise you.”9bff9b6564e29a2e

“Lies. Inside, you’re mocking me, calling me lowly—”f869042b0bb91db1

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“No.”b586dd3540e131f6

She interrupted.4e05195009ffe06e

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“There is no such thing as a lowly person in this world.”c14a6bb979e31c1c

Alexei shut his eyes d18f11d49b tightly as something raw 656e55fd4f surged within him.4b76d023e58852d2

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That voice.5a656d030b18266e

Those words, the very 5c805b1ebe ones that had once 697157d020 lifted him up and d3fcaf1ab8 given him purpose, now 3ab7fb957e escaped her lips once 6b1c1ca09f more. But why a2d2f998e3 now, at bd5cc79116 this moment, e659186739 when he e030794ae9 was about f81bbb9361 to force 2645c486ac her into 35fd500320 submission, to a88b5ce37c claim her e7d60479b8 as his?81a923fed8be316c

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Unable to 285eaa510f hold back, 5265b68c4d he hissed.bedbe4e2a1872526

“Sweet words can cover any lie, can’t they? If you truly do not despise me, if you do not see me as lowly, then surely you won’t reject my kiss.”0c506ee6f4270384

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With that, Alexei grabbed e5025bfbe2 her hand roughly, bringing e978efd874 it to his lips a8191549d1 and pressing a kiss 87ac7862c9 to the back of 05783e9663 it.854d7507f43f4c4f

Her slender, pale hand 1f812fce67 flinched but did not 5e1954bcd8 pull away.70fe9890e207c4f4

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Her unusual df05809b86 compliance only 0402865e18 stoked the 823d16297b anger simmering da00a0b22e in him. His fiery 3f2c30e344 eyes fixed 9d62d547a0 on her 7928e60e2e as his 8e0a46c0e8 hand moved 2ff30382a5 to cup ec08884b1a her chin, d3c31ed90c tilting her 37b0017236 face up 185169a65c to his.e575db22a038a8fb

What lingered in 97efa0170c her clear, noble aa32266184 eyes?19631a257f198910

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Resignation? Sadness? Or perhaps… disdain?61befd1a0c4896f1

Unable to bear seeing 2a5bc6449f it any longer, Alexei 7da8cdf5c9 crushed his lips against c8a95ce1f3 hers, rough and unyielding.9b1ce5fbf8e55aed

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“Mmph!”62cbd632a0a5e4da

Natasha’s eyes ec037d93b3 widened in 82be958358 shock as d47f0c998a his dry, a52fe7d115 chapped lips 803686d6d7 moved against 935d5f81bb her soft b4d6c10ded ones, scraping 54dc01ea4c and bruising ce5418ae7e them. A drop of 0b9e57cdba crimson appeared on 201a0da9a2 her now reddened 963c31ae00 lips.c3ea1f5152718c5c

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Blood.096a6c4177d31e03

Even during 14103ee3b1 his days 074e1774d7 as a df86e1bab1 gladiator, when cea369c5f2 he’d spilled a845972422 countless lives, 827738be1d or when 753d74774e he finally c83fe69f10 struck down de4f16af79 Sergey Ivanov, 8a36332073 the taste 8726428b56 of blood 18c6be3770 had never 2a23b62ea7 made him a226acdca7 falter. But now, 8eb3666791 the metallic 34515b99f8 tang on 3c18eb6ff5 his lips d9bc291140 made him 34bf5bcc1d freeze.051c6cb930e2e1e9

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Haah.cc1ddfca08f1e767

The moment he pulled 36e8d7124d back, Natasha gasped for c643d00669 air, having forgotten to 943e7fcc95 breathe.eacea9d63d0a55e5

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Her warm, ragged 612aa74a23 breaths grazed his 4c5c9974cb jaw, and Alexei’s 22546c855c gaze turned languid a53f8bd41f as he looked dbd309a128 down at her.fd68be480b9c8906

‘Intense.’3d6cecf13de5636b

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His eyes, already fierce, af0e95de4d burned with an even 5956d6d5cd deeper, redder intensity. Natasha felt as e1a98967ca if she might 5544cd1f5d be consumed by 2f7e12020b that searing heat, 4673504687 so she quickly 8f278c984c turned her head, 08ef07eb4c averting her gaze.7232b7fc16bf0edf

“Blood…”1442a1277b7eb092

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Muttering those d2cae21e67 words, Alexei d4d318ea32 raised his 5c7b2d3e91 hand, cupping 6e1f62014e her chin 6b7c5ecb5a gently. He ran his thumb fc4cfa6775 over her bottom lip, 0eeb48b5fc his touch delicate, as 600e36f14e if handling a fragile e64c0979e2 glass.c6d5f8a691be2eb4

‘Why…’f585513052d1170f

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How could he be so tender when he came here to destroy everything she held dear? After trampling everything she had protected, why was he treating her so respectfully? Even though he intended to violate her in the end… Why?9fc5e7369bec4134

She almost wished he 8f884b1006 would be rough with 11910c32db her.c2b3b0ad7f5d42d3

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She wished c2d6f5e200 he would 240acb907b be cruel.ff901e41324dc034

She couldn’t stand db929e73cc this gentle, almost c6d7b54beb teasing touch. It made her 25f18333f2 want to expect 93b1eff60d something more.4c8445da7d14ae65

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As he applied ca401e301d pressure to her 07d0e3c936 lips, smearing the 5949e971c3 blood, his eyes 33624515ae locked onto her 3dc166f133 trembling gaze, and c54ff69eb4 he finally succeeded 72c98151db in capturing her 2b9524ee21 attention.5189e02938e05908

‘Just crush 997e18ac8e me already.’790c3b35bd4e1b5c

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As Natasha’s eyes carried resignation, Alexei’s fingers pressed against her wounded lips.bbf5e4d4e8de29da

“Ah…”53762d75e92176ca

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The sharp edge 3a0aae6994 of his nails 1c04649373 dug into the fefbec9379 cut on her 6344dfb80f lips, causing Natasha 48bc04ef37 to gasp, unable 7387c378bf to suppress the a9a8626e91 pain.98b27df10e589c1b

‘It hurts.’0244543b506e70a6

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Seeing the satisfaction in 5d1e16209a his gaze as Natasha a63edeef7c glared at him with 9676b22a6d distorted eyes, Alexei’s lips 149af7d091 curled up slightly. He slowly ran a1e1efde07 his tongue over 8358091cd0 his lips, savoring a9e58988b5 the taste.e95688966029e2de

Natasha, mesmerized, watched as df6739a040 his dry lips became bef6662fd7 moist. But then, 25ae8370ec snapping back 883d81eec0 to reality, d57fd40637 she tried 0d2c8411dc to look d040e2562e away—but it 9711263b92 was already 7d50093c84 too late. He had noticed.298f7d7e7ab0a9c4

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With a 96a16f5bcb lazy blink, 2fb3dff011 Alexei took ff892d9746 hold of 7c6129424b her chin aa4df79c19 again.096f6aa433ba8b91

The moment 111999a697 he roughly 810e1b115a grabbed her, 9e92e917b8 Natasha felt 12fd39abda all her 4d454556b2 resistance fade. His soft tongue gently 58748cf97f traced her lower lip.ac420af8cbea5fce

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As her d97b408f5b tense body 9fbb728d6b relaxed and f310dcba7e her lips 0a88e6b93e parted slightly, c26dc23296 his previously 74d8eaa6bf rough, dry 2ff3afdcc9 lips softened, f38b98797f kissing her 558a41eb19 deeper. The taste of 231a89c7cc blood—sweet yet metallic—lingered 5c4affbd1a on his tongue.38e2477cc35225f6

Mmm…b240195cfe6eb898

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Haah…dd8edf88ad9cbe97

The heated breaths filled 7bc285713a the room, mingling as 8ac3b08618 their bodies pressed closer, 2cbc6eadb9 melding together.14293d1cfc28c79d

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Her negligee, so thin 650ba3f554 and flimsy, slipped off 3f34c2e21c her shoulder, leaving her b6890993cb almost bare under the 840f3e15e5 intensity of their embrace.f21bcae9a8f00ac2

Alexei’s rough hands brushed 3ff33a6f54 against the soft, yielding 08c301adea skin of her body.f0c18b15e338391d

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In that instant, it b0626f2949 was as if a 81e0e2e8b2 lightning strike hit him. His eyes widened, fd3fe440c1 and without a 4c2b430a5b word, he shoved 01956e0bd0 Natasha aside.a552585dc8bc0ac0

“You’re still not fit to be a mistress. If you want to survive, you’ll have to try harder.”31e69bac98aef189

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Without another 957aea2ce1 glance, he b519ee394c stormed out, 2976290359 slamming the c3ebd30c72 door behind 4153eb8b9d him.11f0e333c216471a

Or at least, that’s 9bb5cccf78 what he intended to 34583a484a do.c315f19964b65842

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Just then, a 5100b23697 delicate hand grasped 2b3e31b9c3 the edge of 7307796185 his coat.c57290af9a32ff88

 7caf016d82665aa2

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