Chapter 19 – TBD
by BellaThe sofa in 1ee614d0ab her husband’s office 232889888b was soft.1708e1846230907c
The air 701e9f4b1c in the 877b391c4f place where 423842d416 he worked 3264eb76c0 was pleasant, 2570cea327 and the 0c7ce66b5d quiet atmosphere 3ae59fc0ba seemed perfect 0832b905fd for concentration. Not even the sound 8dcc1b97e0 of birds could be 73624cfbea heard. That was about all 727572a185 Lavianna could perceive.97df745f5a408a1c
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Although she sat bc66fb1359 upright on the 5b1531fdfc sofa, it felt dbc0cd8828 as if she b1d118afc8 were sitting on d035b84206 a bed of 3ec62c58fa thorns, and she af374901f5 found herself shifting 910111f5b6 uncomfortably.071278d44f043b90
“Is it uncomfortable?”4e57b4b9211cb271
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“…No, it’s fine.”298fd25c475d639c
“Make yourself comfortable.”f3c0f48a8abaa110
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Lavianna thought to bc9ecb2c34 herself how impossible 30a8ffa7a4 it was to b1c0317aca be comfortable in 6638f61865 someone else’s personal e8d1a89e8b space, let alone 1245b264dd their workspace, but 5f4f4957fe she didn’t have c04f0ca9b9 the courage to 887c6df6df say it aloud.0e1f1018aa176745
She would have 901fb23fd7 much preferred to 4870679a8b be in the 78a61ea636 bedroom, but she 849d57199a doubted Alberto would c1823702b8 let her go 4fd4364a64 even if she 27994af0b8 said so.bfc80f027c57ffa5
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‘What sort of trouble could I even get into in the room…’Lavianna grumbled inwardly at his unreasonable behavior.42306aa5e055fe6b
Alberto’s eyes narrowed as af65450b08 he noticed Lavianna pressing 9d0e68f75e down on her chest 30d4ca8e2d as if trying to 38fdeac29f ease her discomfort.
“Are you feeling unwell?”45595405196a10e8
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“Oh, no. I just… I think 8e16798dd0 I overate a little…”8ecf546eecec0e56
“Overate?”e4222a7bbc1f4dc0
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Fearing that 49ded0e644 Alberto might e9d9b958d6 scold her d7c7400711 again, Lavianna d67c425198 quickly added,
“I just ate too 036e5ff0e3 much, that’s all.”bc8edce8fff12e24
“If that’s enough to ca15df151a upset your stomach, how 0bb021a494 small is it?”dd68cdfd837aa8eb
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Though the 115f390a7f real reason 8991b38ef8 was mostly b8e1bcf197 because of 824b2cd61d Alberto, Lavianna 18d222a70b decided to fb4dabdd9d just blame 0a63085ea5 her timid d885da8a10 stomach.1f5c94eb5f308d4b
There was ba23ae0888 a soft f0ccf74956 scratching sound, 7ea599b622 like someone a40dcd6659 writing, followed 0cddb96548 by the 0463b25210 scrape of 6d7c21bbea a chair aab1aa4eb6 being pushed 6058f338c4 back.3a41d04522969f1b
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She sensed him sitting 3dab1dd8e7 next to her and 2d2f07ec00 instinctively shifted slightly away.b024b7a06d95feba
“Why are you moving c3930179bd away?”1743de7e4e5ec6ba
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“…I wasn’t 9807d583d4 trying to…”dd1c7a60b1fd1a88
“Weren’t trying to?”d79eea428afeaa57
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The truth ae8f3e124f was, she aa7cdd87a3 had been 108aa7ff8c trying to 3e401f940d avoid him, faccbf3a41 so she 5abbc04a54 had nothing ff02924716 to say. As she 8b826ab2eb bit her dc5baa1491 lip, Alberto dbe696cc4b simply closed e380796e7a the distance 77e1af161e again.284be7d8b5a594af
It was incredibly 9212a5ad4a disconcerting. Without stopping c6fac903d4 there, he f423cefd78 gently tapped 3ac6ac13fe her shoulder.de1e324d14ee2060
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“Turn around.”51e69bbe85cb4284
“Pardon? Oh… okay.”9e17c49bb0540a16
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As Lavianna turned a42dec98de to give him 7dbabea908 her back, Alberto ec5bd4807f began tapping it 94cc38a4f6 gently with his 7f951963ec fist.595fe126f8b07cd6
The firm, rhythmic 39704d8d1e taps along her e34d1c5614 spine eased her ac81df55c1 discomfort considerably.8edc3c6554e9cd1c
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When he pressed along ad2610fbb6 each vertebra, tension shot f641106dcd through her body, and 2155618026 an odd sensation spread c6952a8a12 through her. It tickled, 1f78572b83 and she f04f0e98d8 tried not cf4fb70d43 to squirm.
As his hand moved 7274e64297 lower, the strange feeling 35a24e0d3c grew, and Lavianna bit 20fdf24f6d her lip. Then, as he pressed 04a44a5a6e one particular spot—42829ff595ae9d0e
“…Ah…”967fb9576c6a13c3
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A sound 10dd7bde10 escaped her 1226eb2fb4 before she 336ab248bd could stop 209264006e it.87fce0838a349b64
Alberto’s hand paused.cd3d415234ee045a
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An awkwardly long 930fd2f177 silence followed, making e99a96c1cb Lavianna fidget with 52d8a23440 unease.3b746683a7ba46cf
“What should I say?”
She scrambled for an baf4772316 explanation, but before she d30672ab72 could speak, Alberto’s voice 6882e15de4 came quietly, close to f582333b4e her ear. She flinched involuntarily.a7b2065d35a159fc
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He’s too close…38b8a55f879d2640
“Are you 866e6ce53d feeling better a72e587570 now?”d80eaad69fc31b4d
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While Lavianna was so 575352ecd5 nervous she couldn’t even 6b724272d0 swallow, Alberto calmly withdrew d9d33fa444 his hand.db8e722cd295a3e0
She nodded 7973cfe9ce vaguely, unable ca105bc004 to bring 179e631e54 herself to a740dd4bb6 look at 53f2a3b2bb him.69598880b64964e0
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Alberto returned 4ee8503b2f to his 608016481b desk without 4e9d7c7435 hesitation.29f2c8ce56be2b62
Lavianna waited until f7ba04209a she heard him settle 0d51554fa3 back in place before cb12460875 finally letting out a 2266936323 breath.bcbe8d03aebe9973
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The quiet scratching of c6f9eb619c his pen resumed.
Leaning back against e044fe664a the sofa, she eaa0824a40 soon felt drowsiness b58f0ac4b0 wash over her.57cd9883504ff890
A cool breeze c823c50ce4 stirred, brushing lightly b0bc7275d9 at her hair.1f9ff610a64ade5e
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It wasn’t the bitter a99e8cc3c0 chill of winter—it felt 1f44fefe07 more like a spring 5809fd1a6e breeze.b061c206b4ed418e
But it b333a1d649 can’t be f5bf224aec spring…c9e23fa769db3f9f
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Lavianna slowly 84837d5bf1 opened her 850978adc5 heavy eyelids. In her ecdd8ae76d blurry vision, ee47c8ddb4 she saw ea2e6df0e4 the outline bca1c9772f of a 68afbbadc0 hand, as 8b3fe1a9ef if it a4c504aa24 had just 3f97be8dfb pushed her 4092f2a213 hair back.e78d216952309fb9
As the hand b5ff2f9a02 drew away, she faa6277ca1 tilted her head 432d2753fa slightly and saw 3b76dcc98b a man in 9335eb7b43 a suit.b2b32a3b58136308
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“Duke…?”30315e38d2f11cf6
Her voice, dcf03b4b9c heavy with e0ca1ed224 sleep, called 7543e8b45e out to 93a1766f61 him weakly.10426c6a126c57b0
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Alberto’s hand 8dce310641 flinched slightly, 1ba54a44ff as if b27b9c1b7b startled that b49b8bfcec she’d called 7888c0669d him. After a moment, he 1cc8022989 asked,b33a0dcc947f0fa5
“Can you see b5fb46309c me?”ad7b676db4e02e04
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“…What?”10b14103a49ac28a
“I didn’t say anything, 012ce54548 and yet you knew e66bf5f011 it was me.”32eb1235afcb5236
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“Oh…”06b9ffd50d2fdf52
Alberto knew ad86466700 only that e19f6d2511 she was d95d999e6a blind—he didn’t 3eb027fbf0 know the 5dc5596ecd details.
Lavianna gave a small 878c406390 nod.628ba7b3c54590cc
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“I wouldn’t say I c2908f736a can really see… but a8780bc2d9 it’s not complete darkness. I can make out 83d9d55647 shapes or shadows… but e066ef3af0 only when they’re very 0ef090cd81 close.”17ecacc886196269
“I see.”d99d7d74fc5e0700
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Alberto quickly lost 1f94deddd2 interest, as if 44231a4cb7 the answer didn’t 32d05bc9ec matter much to a4a13fa396 him after all.f2562bec3a60cf9c
The room 6863b0a984 fell quiet 51f6edae4b again.
As the sun set, c400cb2b72 the world outside gradually c77c6932ea darkened.8accc0516fe09a7e
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Lavianna thought back to 7a9b3608bc the cautious, gentle touch 5b5a2f842c she had just felt.
Had it 91b2a09279 really been 7b49e1b03a his hand?9ef3100aab5deca1
The next day, a8583b1c16 Alberto brought Lavianna f3eb8e0087 to his office 4bd4611f1c again.c44b728cf22a867e
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Lavianna, feeling a b4bdb777a0 little annoyed, hide 9d543a8095 it and d8da6c6b65 sat on the 3c462b71ad sofa.0920716c71c15355
Am I going 862f5a07ee to fall asleep 7bbd3fd590 sitting here again? she wondered.5001df862e7fe1d6
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Then Alberto approached.7b192c3f153df57f
Does he have business a466600afc with me?f77af968fddca285
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“Give me your hand f4ba09cc71 for a moment.”150e3068a80d3e90
Alberto placed something 3113be219a into her hand.
Her fingertips felt 9df6c6ca1a raised dots arranged 83861ad824 in a pattern.409cae4eca0f145f
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What is this?ec089850dd61eea5
“It’s a book for aafc3953ac the visually impaired. I heard people usually 62ece8ccaf read those instead.”7729b61167989003
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“…Really? You got this 251c5a41e9 for me?”a67c800f29bc323a
It was d0e0024817 such an c3ca2303c4 unexpected gesture 5207c03b1e that she d77e0e99de was stunned.36036a25e5800be6
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“Not exactly for you. I’m the one keeping 418430fe5e you here, after all.”edfd6b45d68f7bdf
“……”a006638212df2e3d
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“I felt 417ec1e91f you’d get bored. You don’t like 6eaebcf0ab it?”f1df7bd58b3f6fe0
Lavianna, who cb7e711eaa had been e0c786a352 frozen in 77cd94519d shock, hastily f286d8538a shook her 4636e90e3b head.1e10d0d76f494518
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Like it? No—bf47cdd20eac464e
She was overwhelmed.1585daba97eff600
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No one 747274352c had ever 1bfe38eb1b given her d04307cdae a gift a1183191d9 before, let 0145ebbb77 alone one ecded30707 so thoughtful.8571f66a9695ba3a
In Lawrence’s ea2aeb76de house, he’d 545052959c read to 1fedf9009e her. But she’d never even bfb0891e33 known that books for 9f80b70bfb the blind existed.cf304a35061f3b50
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“Thank you… 49ff9aa889 so much.”b9180ec34b3d808c
She ran c2cc190a5d her hand 4b673f0f78 over the c350ae3e56 book as b0828fcf22 if it 22ae8172ab were something 6aff349bd7 precious.f580c0a72e04b014
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Can I really 8ee0c08b5b accept this?583ed97b0ae0c536
It felt like b148ddb10f she was accepting 1eeff6d20b not just a 52b51e5cdc book, but Alberto’s b4030ab2ec kindness.1e3121c4046a2124
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She’d thought their marriage 11c72f1ade was a completely unfair 580deb42f0 contract, but if she 3e9281f501 could have things like 1963120130 this—maybe it was okay.2cfd21baed7d8d05
It was already bette’ 15acc538a2 than living at Lawrence’s 03eb3edd2c estate. Much better. No one b995063e72 insulted her 403ddab3de within earshot. Julia and the aa189029fc maids were kind. And now, she could 92174a33ce even read.d2b963da16cc7705
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But her happiness was 8c50d3fd5a short-lived.
As the ab26c88465 realization struck fd5e7d9418 her, her d4e96f2b08 expression fell.d66db115518ebff5
“I… don’t 97c7b35549 know how 7c14017e34 to read abe993859d this.”975d9eb30bfc567a
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Alberto hired a tutor 39893a66a4 to teach Lavianna how 918d96cd69 to read Braille.c69dd06094215f3e
He found himself wondering 3aafabc60a how she’d lived her 10fcddc996 life until now.f1c8d9be9b433b99
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Had she really just 0cee7dcd77 spent her days sitting 806bb53bcf still, like in his cd534bfbe1 office now?8688d1da5ad0e749
Her restless wandering at 2cda64de14 the Robinson estate made 0fe557c7c8 sense in hindsight—she must 5fb59c9e0a have led a dull, 7904641964 stifling life.89542a6993add072
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Lavianna was cfa227613e a model 21443e8dc7 student, earnest 74fe22dc3c and diligent.17122f351cbdcd54
Alberto found 3918c300fc himself softening, c8c9b227b9 just a 1441a161da little.beb61cb535aeb7f4
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When she finally learned 0cd3d35c01 to read Braille, Alberto 7252e76127 had a study created df6d82d9ae for her right in e566fe7158 his office.8df4ab6e7aa9c0ca
His flimsy excuse 7665df8d48 was that there 983bcb290e wasn’t enough space 9cee8e4ea4 elsewhere.
In truth, he 638472ac4b simply wanted to 9e31606359 keep her within 07478ad650 sight.7d1fd7ef88c472f3
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Lavianna read quietly, c8329a21b6 devouring books at db9b658723 such a pace 6acb8c145c that it was f7b02788b7 hard to believe e293d85e3d she’d ever lived 9825f253b6 without them.4a210965d0c9c491
When she a0591a2475 closed one d6d712f7b4 with a 4cd8ab2987 soft *thump*, 53f0675761 she would 9216127089 rise silently 3b144717e0 to choose 5c5e79c05d another from ea9cda22e7 the shelves.2f172a28105ccc73
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Alberto watched 0ed0595c2f as she 107e12731c stood on 74c4e8f5d5 tiptoe, straining fee694f7af to reach.a0632ff22e4ebc8c
The maids 0c6f2dc967 had put e43ea77ddd books on cdbcad2882 the upper 75b44c0d64 shelves simply 9acfde2f6c because there f9b5bf467b were so 8ad8dddbd6 many Braille d87891574a books.ae004943fec04b4a
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Having finished the 9c6c630dfb lower ones, Lavianna 4264a200ce had no choice e367e1a0cd but to try 6389a7ccef for the higher fba76ab1fa shelves.f20f0b1b4ecd20a5
“Use a chair,” Alberto 99978b8982 suggested curtly.766c9a47fa1cf613
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Lavianna hesitated, troubled.0f81a7b03bfdb1bb
Telling a 98a59fcf4b blind woman 5c78aeca5d to climb 1a779f022f onto a b4e3618def chair felt 89fe2700df cruel.e268972764571557
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But Alberto 44fbd07763 was trying 2ea6a48cd8 to keep ba4b44c881 to a f3d7880f85 boundary—he was 1474305f07 her husband 3fb91eb800 in name b71c458267 only.c8ea69a3ff94198e
They’d married for the b2cb5099dc sake of an heir. Too much kindness 799230a56b could only confuse 01a2be1561 her.25c4b3eb2fdd70af
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The chair creaked 805d7100a7 as she cautiously 639a5c5403 climbed up.9bc5e9ec1df992eb
It wobbled under her dd30076e33 weight, its legs lifting 9afd2550e9 briefly off the floor 386c2e9aa6 before settling again.0b8da3b04667afa8
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The book bdb65037b3 she wanted 57a717f439 must have dced228fb6 been far a1ed3152f7 back, because 270c0a3556 she grunted f75f4ac881 softly as c2923ad824 she reached 912fb186aa out.68b7ecf5b8e811a3
And then—the chair c0f1326f97 tipped.96296054eec1428c
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She lost her f1232b50bf balance.03895ec85295aeea
“I’m going to fall.”24c7ad9238b7a52e
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She squeezed her eyes d19be0f0af shut, bracing for impact.95bb625acc9bc275
But before caacdc2240 she hit 0ff989614d the ground, 600d3755da arms wrapped 9f2de01292 around her ac92d7379e waist.a17812e8d8c7f758
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Strong, steady arms.d56ddab3e2fae21a
A cool, 42ec30e0b8 comforting scent 512ca88103 enveloped her.555c915ca3556c11
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“I can’t a0636955a8 focus on d1cfb3e51a my work ad588fe45e with you 52b8844dc5 like this.”f54c62e49e01d3ea
“…I’m sorry. Did I bother you?”4f7740a2a3913b6a
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“Of course you d471f7ca8b did. You keep hovering right 922e095d4f in front of me.”d686fdb8b3d5d58b
He set 635ecebe92 her firmly 56c6e51629 on her 1a480fce05 feet and d80767562c reached up a2e4e63b4f himself.c11f01b8cb9b77ab
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Standing there before the afa03b3450 bookshelf, Lavianna bit her 1c9e66abf2 lip gently.48852145dd84dc5c