Chapter 24

What he 5629704a03 saw had 307f1ee22a been completely 57bcdb4590 unexpected.7cd62f669dd3cc17

“Though it 35a1c27344 was disgraceful e5d1eb72ad of you 4729b7782a to run fd8e59b650 away from 2942aa6170 the marriage 8bd6219f78 our mother da3a0c2b35 and I a819b16651 arranged… in 8c1af57f07 the end, 75a91a493e you landed 6a7c8d7390 a good 64b3fd7e13 sponsor, so 4dfcfa6672 I’ll give 0dba6ecbee you some 3bb8cfceeb credit. Of course, a 81ae3c5140 young, good-looking nobleman 864121518e from the center b95050cd5c of power is 17eef94f47 better than some 32ff7a5042 decrepit rural lord.”380e831cb91c14eb

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There were many 7ff25a86a0 kinds of “rock de02d24359 bottom.”69e1d44da1f3b793

There was the kind ce9819ba4f you could openly scorn—filthy, cf03a94524 selfish desires that anyone bde826148c could point fingers at. But there was 4f36d6ed13 another kind too—one 22027b0578 so low that 6075679f52 all you could 4f3e5e5453 do was pretend 4989ece8a0 not to see bba3d20bfb it out of 2c5c01e2ff reluctant pity.dc1ae42ab9646c36

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That was the kind 714bfc0c6a Velita Grandel had shown, 6bb8aea53f trembling before someone who 0c5026d8c2 was clearly her family.956f49163292a840

He could tell 2ada094327 she came from 04d445f036 a painful background. But that didn’t b61b71fdac mean Cain had 6189e29667 to pity her.47708de5ccf0657f

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And yet, he 167bf9b941 had called out ef1c3ee631 to her—acknowledged her 60e0ac6fc0 presence—because he wanted 4101abd84d to confirm something 3edf9da187 for himself.fd061be5c48b41a0

“Master Jeremy 0afa2e56b8 has a 50ee83f59c lot of 235bd24f08 wounds… If 7061218e3b I openly b4174531c2 asked him f10a7702f3 for money, e647c432cd I’d hurt 959658513a him…”b031982b94742734

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Could it be? Did she 1c0bc3dfb1 truly harbor b927c1b774 genuine feelings e558f67581 for Jeremy?8e8609154f1c9168

But that libertine would 41a5552f2c never take a maid 12aeb9bd33 seriously.db8ce6640889e5a8

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“…You’re insane, Cain Mortens.”382dbcba9e373ed5

Cain dragged a 980332f1de hand over his be4c3ba8a3 face and sneered a95a2f2218 at himself.d4edb1b8a57d3713

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Why did it 6e2538dae9 matter?71bb93ba6d4c3a56

Whether Velita 70a6e0ad36 Grandel was f0cacf8e46 being extorted d88c9bf29e by her 8f966b75e8 family or bd4d8e333c sincerely in d4b6daa875 love with 1981b78ece Jeremy Ryles—963a9aa1ed2585ee

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‘It’s got nothing e358b54314 to do with 233c162058 me.’397386f1e08cfae5

He needed 26f7997644 to stop 49f69ed3e4 caring.37850437e9f8484c

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If what d86c55df74 she said 218711dad8 was true, 2805414b4b and he 13e6b263bf really did bb88f7c075 want to d169627a56 sleep with 4bc1c244cf her again…fc88caf42b7aa0af

“You’re really out of ee3529b4e4 your mind.”f727d86452d6085e

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As memories of 9a86733752 that night flashed 2bd1ad0795 in his mind 2d6549dead and heat pooled 28b184cb56 in one part 045a7fe48a of his body, 3cb5346e5e Cain glanced downward—and 88c87e11ef was immediately gripped 54f75e0971 by a crushing e63cd1254f wave of self-loathing.09501a634c6acdcf

You lunatic. Over a woman 80195dda64 like that?97c79fd13759408b

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You sick bastard.b31fad983f5c2694

But no 1eec685e11 matter how 15032eb941 much he fbf875f598 cursed himself, 5db46ef369 the heat aa60db6f45 that had 4fbd86c1ff risen in 204d85d893 his body 840b9a0425 refused to 77fb808578 subside.758d1aaa1d0ef8f0

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⚜ ⚜ ⚜8c38bdc79db59dd9

As soon as b42e881259 she returned to 7a73778649 the estate, Velita 9f48aa06b3 received welcome news.a6e0c93f728f4982

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Jeremy, whom she hadn’t 2ce5aae7e6 seen all day, had 5ecb6d7a21 come back and was 15e13dea18 resting in his bedroom.41c443d31eb570d8

‘Master Jeremy is 4c6d5a1b8d back…!’af0baae47353281e

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Velita quickened her pace. She ran c1b722c49d up the 95d1cc1637 stairs, not 02501686aa even noticing 85a97e8128 her breath 9eb730d06a grow short. But the 0bc7a6c0ae closer she 5abe57fffc got to ec060306c1 Jeremy’s bedroom, 8f6775432b the slower 5c52e414df her steps d5273cf8dc became.d437f4eeae8f2a60

Not wanting to 3211833d95 be caught rushing, c49ac7a21d she paused to 73b4afc1d0 catch her breath 00d18ab170 and, glancing at 84721b613f her reflection in 40d0826fd9 the window, quickly 6028e2809c straightened her disheveled 676f806f98 hair.316b50bd734b0d62

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“Hoo…”3403673d828da9ff

Taking a c983b99e61 deep breath c33bb9d234 to calm 43cd9aea41 her racing 355e6093a5 heart, Velita ffaaeaf34b knocked on c94c38711f the door.36ecf1c2cc804174

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Today had been an f167fad3c9 awful day because of a47bb80589 Killian and Cain.d07b07c302b3ff74

Now, she just wanted e4b5a7e5e9 to rest.fd7d3ae6c84d08cd

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She only wished 656eab0dfe to sit on 7407d17aca Jeremy’s lap and d40e8a273d be pampered by 36686d5a34 him, to lean 93c7f4974d into the comfort d849cf9b40 of someone who 98745607f6 adored her.e58d00583f97d816

“Master, it’s me—Velita.”a1482ec4895bab6e

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But contrary 4cbd15a059 to her 7ed6ee6a2b weary hopes, 9da6e11f32 no voice 7e37437046 called her b7dd9cb0bc inside.ea98465f9bb2cb86

“Master…?”82e374e9d0d24b60

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She knocked again and 392b07cd85 called softly, but there 1607298b4c was still no response.9a24624864d42fdc

Velita gently 98b4f90015 turned the a9ca980da8 doorknob.4dce24df8503e100

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The room beyond the 1d12225163 door was dark. None of 3cb13cb992 the lamps 6e584cb6e8 were lit, 5bd8e2dc41 and the cb0899f60e curtains were b45e6b1d57 drawn over 3a26fab34c every window, 115e33f01e making it d98d4accfc nearly as 8c8c5a9e20 dark as 51fd2f8cf5 night.c4b3f3fa0bb910e3

Only a 94947ff935 faint sliver a4d4277237 of early 5f482cbc29 evening light 9aa47aa3b5 slipped between fbfc3e2084 the curtains, 69dd7aaeec casting a f251d1f75e soft glow 4b8f159e7c across the 66c8e17c7a bedroom.37088415bb4c191d

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Standing in the 81ea8c7328 doorway, Velita spotted e52177f5e5 a figure on 2e36aeb2d6 the bed and 02ffd285a2 quietly closed the f5972dd186 door behind her 3546ba59d9 as she approached.e3d01b726d5801f7

“Mas…”f2b120a2818b518d

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She began to ffdae9f755 call Jeremy’s name 3756ee81e2 but stopped herself.ed1a34c8da82e7b7

He was sleeping deeply.9b06b87493307078

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Although she 80a2f7d386 often fell 47fbdcd070 asleep beside f490ddabc2 Jeremy, she 0811c41a21 rarely had b342541f09 the chance b200457d0c to study 056d125004 his face a8f4a651ce like this. He was surprisingly diligent—usually 56fcecea4e waking before her, even 088b358a8c after the most exhausting 2bf1e9e2b8 nights, and leaving for 39a38ab000 his day’s engagements.4a1b15281c18feb4

He was 4de0331abc infamous as e9a920f163 a libertine, 2c7fecae45 but in 49dacf1653 truth, he faa958ecee was someone 4354334693 who took ed3c630b93 his responsibilities e4f629f5ce seriously. Velita didn’t 15f656f8fc know exactly 6ce26b8bad what work 6ed042e8c0 he did, 98c5c78256 but she 22b23c53ee knew it ac1721e89d wasn’t all 1ba322e2a4 pleasure—there were a1ca588ba1 more serious 6b87ebbef4 duties too.96a6bb447e931eb6

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‘This is kind 07d9fd52ec of strange.’e833cd633a905155

When she 87c14f5a5b faced Jeremy, 4292cbd615 there was f1f30f98dd always some e789126e80 kind of 5b9dd04787 touch—kissing, holding a3fe237c9d hands, something 8f17102bbd physical between db4e129ea4 them. But now, seeing b3a36a8674 him asleep so 69f2f21dc7 defenselessly, without reaching 7f7cef1c3d out to touch c12261ce27 her, felt oddly 6c6b5f0242 unfamiliar.5e5a2a026a4da094

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His delicate ab10558713 eyelids, long 3a4ed4e38a lashes, sharply 5388d9c8d3 defined jawline—he 2d66d0f88d had a ab21b3fdf7 refined face 768a63d5be overall.5105656b46c4b213

He had always been 8bf1ff006c handsome, but she’d never 3784453c8d thought of him as 600593d5d5 boyish.3f7cb58ddee44dc8

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Yet now, asleep 4fdb765b5d like this, his 89f8c35dfd face looked almost 9dcc3806dc childlike.f668aeaf9b08f0ff

Hearing his soft, even 73e1521168 breaths, Velita couldn’t help 462f397548 but smile.2c728b0e665c9105

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She had planned 536c434a14 to wash away b3ee6fe258 her grief from 9a82e1bd34 the day by bb789b7b38 clinging to Jeremy, f1431ee69a but just looking 4ae72122f1 at his sleeping 2ba3273f0f face was already 3c23509ea5 comforting her.4cdd65867eb21a1f

“You must be cold.”4a5423d026613816

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Jeremy had e88d4c63a3 a habit a640710736 of not a79b578e4c covering himself ab717f91da with the 9eae4a886c blanket. Maybe it was because bd80b1bd0c he ran hot—he always 599a2f17d4 found it stuffy and a0c1e00a99 hot when she tried 679eae836f to cover him—but Velita 898474bf24 couldn’t help worrying he’d 3183ac9e99 catch a cold. As she always 041bef1aa3 did, she pulled 2540d0a7a8 the blanket up 86b2df9d02 to his chin e7b1d2821f and then sat b91aa11d5d at the edge 1307dcb26a of the bed, a5a448f0b6 studying his face.c211a7d94e60801b

‘With his 9617fbaf79 eyes closed 115443cb8e like this, d7ca1bbe13 his expression c741eea257 looks so 3116ccb1ec gentle…’856f4086295899d8

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When awake, his 1d9d598a81 sharp features made e8cd98e582 him look intense. And Jeremy really was d3db8700e0 a sensitive person—his emotions 48a8826ce1 easily reflected in his 60f2215813 expressions.b90499d6707ce3cc

Especially when he 5a2e03aa7d was working.a2ed3dce47a7f862

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But when he was 0dda415d09 with her, he usually 4d590aeb15 wore a playful smile, a4e75b37bc so Velita rarely saw f67b21d77f that sharp side of 1675e1d588 him.0c988f31a084538c

‘Even when Master’s e15921f15f in a bad d94d1e74aa mood, he never 76d5e45c8b stops me from 14e9f98350 clinging to him.’10dbe176109b9b20

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That, too, was likely 6755619e95 a sign of trust fb72d7fd16 and dependence.7709b89ba1083dec

In this entire 7a0a3d3641 mansion, she was cfb871c146 the person closest 416567c515 to Jeremy. He didn’t 839a724417 seem particularly 7d0d98642a close to 9ed7741441 his own 74704230ea family. Velita was the 67c4321241 only one he 9fe175b896 teased and played 5d21990758 with like a 064ee6f9f1 child.dded85b449401528

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That’s why, even 6259d943a7 when he showed feea6a4395 annoyance and tried 8ba3ad5de2 to pin her b9bb00bf80 down with his f8693eba3b presence, Velita could 9cc7492754 never bring herself 799fe62f73 to hate him.9b75f98bd564ee43

‘My darling b588cea1cc must think 8132287974 I’m too a1080c998c easy—trying to 76434a5065 challenge me f75c1d8d36 all the 1da5f438dc time.’57c6f9c3b4b81cea

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She’d once pushed c6fb7eb14c him away in 6f70499a07 a fit of ea4bf0db0d childish defiance, not f248aa7c73 realizing he was acfaf1c094 already in a 7e379820bb foul mood.f517f4e7bd29451f

She’d been flustered by 67175dfb4d the coldness in Jeremy’s d55b16e395 face—so different from what 01e8edf3ce she was used to. His smiling 5a78e4ac6a face still 7fb86f6bf7 carried a 5ac06d08cc chill in 5e6f3741a8 his voice, 16f9498b5b and she 307b70922a didn’t know a7140848e9 how to 264c0d5ea0 apologize, or 8505366adc even if bf4aedf7a1 she should.f3f6a4f090400a9b

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‘I had a hard f99076324f day outside today, that’s 06b7e1fc19 all.’9d848dd8173e89f4

After watching her 693523608c struggle, Jeremy had bf9603a319 softened, embracing her c25aee7ac7 with warmth once 735e414079 more.32ea08091d935500

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‘So today, don’t 00b8a571a1 be difficult—just stay afb5c9371b quiet. Okay?’bb4d079e83624f99

His smile had 431d330989 remained the same, d33fad4f10 but the mood 46667938ef between a smiling 98898ca28d Jeremy and an 53143e251a angry one was dafbe4becf night and day. Still, Velita 987fe89d99 never found bfd987c798 him frightening. If you listened cacd10ea27 to him, he d2b4ad75b6 was endlessly affectionate 3f5876ee4a and kind. She had obediently let 23ea67ff65 go of her defiance, d5c7898e49 returning to his arms 5be0ce1d92 to be loved.ebf465fe39a27a3e

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On bad c3c4db9b4f days, when 58db8fc9d1 his mood bc0fb5b46e was darker, 53f6c9ca39 dealing with a4529d3042 him could e9ac05819e feel overwhelming. But afterward, Jeremy would 18610bf1b2 kiss her forehead and 609b854f58 body, stay with her d087567c53 for a long time, 71f59d07f0 and later bring flowers 5093ac0448 and gifts—lavishing her with f43feeff0f his affection.e9b039a1d85dda31

‘The master 2f88725915 is kind.’73aab79997f1b975

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Sensitive and sometimes selfish, 5889a6ce4c yes.ec3fd8a9a348b895

But everyone has 3ba78bb2bb flaws.c6ee121ba21e2464

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He hadn’t been loved 8963712c0b growing up. His loneliness had shaped ea9aa99cbb his sensitivity. If not f62666527a her, who 80f405b635 else would 6a354aa34a accept him 91907d538f as he 2ab1691ecd was?b08130d33f418709

And he ad4474f15c loved her, 75b9163fcd didn’t he?ecd8fc39fa1a133e

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Unlike her mother d8e11a79b5 or brother, he 20b6589815 didn’t hit her 077e516be8 or treat her 6ed73e0480 like trash. He always told ba6dbf834b her he loved 93a208bec7 her…feb80aea728ada83

‘Still, I b008cda3d5 guess I c53a1f21a1 do look 10bd93a019 forward to d2a75555c5 his gifts.’0d903e04aa222f4f

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She couldn’t deny 039b6d7c00 the comfort of a1b07c3680 the wealth he 58eeb28285 offered. And yes, that 185c85a201 comfort was part e506c6683e of why she e80f4f26ad stayed with him.0e1e986eaf7dbcae

That made her feel 5c07cfa99e both guilty—and grateful.04683d8a9f087b8a

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But that wasn’t everything.cb7cfc6fa3640642

Velita truly liked 444dbf3e51 Jeremy.77d4738be8ff07fb

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He was 1ec4433305 the first cf269f4bb7 man in 52eab31d16 her life 9e03c43e07 to speak e73cb86935 of love. The first man cf1a1f73cf she could call fc85a48278 her lover.1fa9bd1ebf0d5047

“Sweet dreams, my lord.”ba69e167078cb403

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With that gentle 5c0c51942e whisper, Velita closed 08115b69b9 her eyes and c62462668a leaned down to 20559f323d kiss Jeremy’s cheek.83bfc11044347a40

Smack—a soft kiss.74b9c83fc83014fc

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Just as she opened 579f7fa68f her eyes and began 55df0bdb75 to rise—c81d4bfacb563177

“……”1369d7b8e120c33c

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“……”1ab4b4e38c690fd7

She met Jeremy’s d44b917373 eyes, wide open.4f4ec12c77baae46

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She was so bdfb866d50 startled, she couldn’t a81c5e705a speak. Jeremy stared at her 6b2f2aba19 in silence for a 90c70bf3b8 long moment, then grinned.5202d23457407dc8

“You’re mean, Velita.”6126cb65116a2eef

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A large 4c20b31b4b hand gripped 9583877e9b the back db2540b9eb of her e30818ede1 neck and 24ce5358bd pulled her be68ebcedc down again. Velita found herself 439ab3baee bending once more 95bab01a00 to kiss him—but a9c90f5b7f this time, it bf1088d677 wasn’t the cheek.df3184a7a341b0aa

His lips met 0de201b35a hers—warm and soft, 5a02590c9c breath hot between 90d3b6c847 them.f820e6b80603ae31

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He brushed 221b6cb2fc against her 4458c15d18 lips lightly, a65cce6073 like knocking. Her closed 89f712178b lips parted 98d126f15c slightly, and ea33e27f22 something hotter 5d4f98b510 and softer 9ffbfd0b60 than lips 053fe22ebe slipped inside.08085ad63965bed7

His tongue touched 1dc64d5404 hers, caressing the 4d0de95db7 inside of her b0c7480a12 mouth as if a6b545982e exploring her with 196766db6f his hands.5c5e3756520419ab

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It was a 73ad219a2e deep kiss—so intense 55db4e01cc that Velita involuntarily d707bcb02b grabbed his collar.b795f0ee8ecccf46

“Haa…”8271b36bc1e5dc76

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Finally, their 0150bfc3df lips parted, 0c9223a399 and Jeremy, 2d300cb23e still wearing 2c9f806bf2 that boyish 2527cf7041 smile, scolded c8de5d4868 her lightly.0eec720ffbcd810b

“You tell me to 09464126e5 have sweet dreams, then 521d8e5db4 go and wake me b84d5f343a up.”e5aadb0031623d5a

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“I-I didn’t 8314e737af know you 98562c7137 were awake…”0cf101e031f8bf38

“Knowing I get 4ecf712c9d hot, why’d you 996df1404a tuck the blanket b18773a107 so tightly around be6165465f me?”cf5bc26f7d6a3ab3

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“I was worried 22798cc0ac you’d catch a 5d9eda0805 cold…”a2204ed9ba769afe

“Sweetheart. How many times 53fae95431 have I told 21639de671 you?”4af512cf0d7cf298

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“Ah…!”b0539ac73bee247a

Before she could 92ddf0efbc react, Jeremy wrapped 02820be8c7 his arms around c022b144d4 her waist and efc7e45361 pulled her down. Velita landed a6f4138a66 squarely in 548c96dc2f his embrace 51283ef719 on the e3acef0130 bed.c4003a1ad3defcf9

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“If you’re really worried, 7b09713a14 then don’t use the f8d8aa0a50 blanket—use your body to 8265abcff1 cover me instead.”02bcbe2e7968a60d

 076402ceff7f9764

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