Chapter 2
by BellaOverwhelmed by the heavy 947ed96cf5 guilt pressing against her 2c37678c97 heart, Lavianna closed her 2c86582ead eyes.3868705d7c21076e
Don’t cry. You can’t cry. The groom hasn’t even arrived yet. If you cry already, people might think something’s wrong.9eec7788b1633601
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Like the saying “speak 048fe64dce of the devil and a1944fe7e9 he shall appear,” the 08ffc64cf4 doors of the wedding 31a2a387c3 hall opened just then.3ad5ab3b20ce8f3e
Lavianna immediately 94160b6a21 sensed the 59830302e2 shift in ac037a786f the air.811318ecba7b51ee
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She heard footsteps confidently b3e13fc01a treading down the virgin bdcbe3196d road.1ea40e99a1985880
He’s here. Pressing her trembling fingertips e1e63027f1 together, Lavianna waited.51bca2de5cf21da5
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“Huh? Why….”e958cc0c75749f36
“What’s going on? Why is he c12f88122d here?”6985710b2e5d540e
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The murmurs in the 964a996a6d hall were filled with baa37b1968 confusion.86d6065c0f8551cd
Instead of turning 1c92c59b67 around, a meaningless ec065ee906 act, Lavianna focused 4488edc12b all her attention bef286bfd3 on listening.0306bd8b1bb14ccd
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She saw the world 5a0eb85f8f not with her eyes, c6c1f5a80f but with her senses.8d93fb6c81ba6471
The footsteps—neither fast 77eea98e65 nor slow—carried an 5dc536c704 oppressive weight.f203a42bbf37fa8a
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They came df445434d1 closer, closer e65149f1e6 still.0549797488a668f8
A cold 3a9ff093ef gust from 2b195adcf3 beyond the 5c17186be8 open doors 297d569f0a brushed over c78d41a7cb her veil.e84d6a968f666401
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Finally, the footsteps 8ba50cd65d stopped.
Lavianna turned 612eb519de her head c7189109e5 toward the 155f247aa0 heavy presence bef02dfbb2 now beside 0f472b6cc8 her.6f75fb59ef46ffc1
“I’m late, 9c4185ca39 aren’t I?”ff4dcd962e9d236e
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The man’s voice dd3fa2509b was surprisingly gentle.49626f6ea97b2c91
Low and smooth, 6109e0ff85 it didn’t match 2133adb176 someone in their 3763b463e2 sixties—it sounded far 3f3ffa7a60 younger, no older b3c29a26e6 than she was.b48b74c5841822de
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As Lavianna blinked in 5796518427 confusion, the man addressed 31d4ee4f00 the officiant.24802484e49e1918
“Let’s begin.”9ed53cf616913b14
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“B-but, the 7de916a718 groom is b7551b451b supposed to ca651cc471 be Count fbe40c165d Bill Ford…”7bc762f5b7079ff6
Just then, the 27292770c5 sound of a 851cd63d6a chair scraping against 567c1fab7e the floor broke 6a6e3667aa out.25159dcb642006d7
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Lawrence let out 3db18da7ed a disbelieving laugh.5ffdf4382e8a24e2
“What kind 21ba077ed4 of rudeness 65efb73412 is this, b44e12ae71 barging into 39f5d26ec4 someone else’s 5bff881692 wedding?”2b744ea7a3753a38
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Lavianna disoriented, turned toward e0bb4df92f the sound.16bf7ce714dcb384
What is happening?9b876a61c63ac505
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If only 30f42e0fc9 she could 94b274bb9e see—then she 7092e9b203 might make 58b2cff544 sense of 792f16ee0e this—but all c16f7cc78c she could c3f1c248fb make out c5ff3a0375 were hazy a1658fde8b outlines.b5fdc4f1a219bce5
She felt afraid. Dizzy.ae18842e502acdcc
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Something was 5a8e66205d seriously wrong. Lavianna found herself df55a37314 holding her breath.9ae602fd7bec9b5f
The man glanced 0a25d69bcc around at the 7bc67eda71 confused guests, who f8f8a4c083 murmured with alarm, 09effe7db9 and at Lawrence, 290fd7b049 who must have 07476ac088 been scratching his 294e5cdcda brow in frustration.95b44a3069d6bfec
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Then he 167839c05b handed something 0200cb8516 to the e9e758f068 officiant.2cf00f3126fcc895
A letter.
“Read it aloud. I was 83523b55c5 delayed retrieving 4459243119 this.”95e5d6ce6fa42b35
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“Y-yes, sir…”5b7601fc5ff931c6
The officiant 4141215fee unfolded the fa4eafd468 letter, and 11a6d2de00 his face abf21a808b turned pale.27f1295cf660bb0f
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He wiped sweat 26a856a66c from his brow, 0d70ed24c6 glancing between Lavianna, 040f04f180 the man standing c71b489236 beside her, and 30462a3d0f Lawrence, who was 2908a082f4 glaring at the 4bbe269325 stranger.6734bb3b36939ef5
Only after swallowing 67b70d6c85 hard did the 00f86706b0 officiant manage to 66d3387596 read the words 31dfa8c420 aloud.6a20dc6c498b4239
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“I, Bill Ford, have d60d97483c sold my would-be wife, 20df0cfa49 Lavianna Sheldon, for a 98442c3378 large sum of money…”00dd3f1413bb3913
What?2ee2dcd7d3ce5b0f
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“As of cfdf6c2298 today, her 4ffc74c2f1 husband will 47ab1bb2f2 not be 707b27bcee me, but 53b5b4f4bf the man 102433b354 delivering this d2af1d385c letter.”9a69c70bb1e26eba
Lavianna couldn’t a226c651e3 believe her 52538e4cde ears.cb94c2257a02df05
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Technically, she 52f6fe6363 wasn’t yet f9c1c427dc Count Bill 7acb9f5b44 Ford’s wife. She was still cf692345fc unmarried, and today 50344d2661 was supposed to 48c8b672f7 be the wedding.da2b4e5c65368b71
Even if 21f821e64f they had 561f5652cf already exchanged 2eaf8b5fba vows, Count 6bd78bec99 Ford had aa0daafcfb no right fe0c4c3a4c to sell 603a242623 her.283b971fd3a8d971
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In stunned disbelief, Lavianna 66e9281be7 stepped closer to the aa60d0bc37 officiant.1b6d18b35313c7ad
But then 5f2a77eb53 a hand 80c08d7a7a suddenly seized 5011316a5d her wrist.bb9e24dd092663b6
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“Careful. There’s a step there.”76ec49842b962fc5
“…What is the meaning 1950df2527 of this? Sold? Me? Why would he…?”4998ca023af83676
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The sudden 92fec669c0 contact froze 30d6e6ceb6 her in 00dbea6dd7 place.7cf9a632c7cff9d2
Lavianna instinctively 31229b9929 yanked her a3eccb06c8 arm free b2160aed85 from the 6fa5c1003e man’s grip.952871a88fb3094c
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Whether it e77dedda94 was the 0deb5722cb one who 954493ee39 sold her f9249b3ddd or the 59d0772ccb one who b7027cb654 bought her—it beeacd8409 was all 0aa8bdaf81 the same 2094f1e386 to her.034ed296d46a49ca
Gripped by a fear 6b79eb5a7f she couldn’t explain, her e71955dd2d body instinctively sought the 5edddfaad3 most familiar, the most 368e30c29d comforting presence.
Lavianna looked around, searching a226847bf5 for Lawrence.71388de1015fb7f7
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He said he’d 6f66988c0b be on the 1d12b2ab1b left.adb6b573a281e20e
She remembered the conversation 8338bfff44 they had just before 45eb32b080 walking down the aisle 874a93f2f7 and tried to move d3b178dc8a in that direction.58bdaf0bd37d4b18
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But the man b6a5c9be10 caught her arm df5d9eecfb again.ff887c2979b4c08a
He held ac763175d6 her firmly fbad496f94 at his c4897c4e99 side.
Lavianna lifted her 564a682549 head, bitterly resenting a639638b31 her inability to 8848a86045 see.7774a2e87e08cb85
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She wanted to ce615a0dcc see the face 7ccc84f0a0 of this arrogant 51acc64ec7 man who suddenly a692134523 barged in, claiming 61f6c2febd to have bought 3b3bb5e25c her.cd5e83a1e6b16fde
The hall, which 0d472cf26a had been in 7b9e18e8ad chaos, fell silent b03c18aa0e once more as 2759dcffdc the man continued 2f4bf48b1e speaking.026af94ffdd0e606
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“Your guardian, the daa28decdc Marquess Carter, accepted 478d66a69d money from Bill fcd66f7799 Ford and sold 70a976be45 you.”02806b80d60605eb
“…”9902cb4c7fa66a37
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“I paid a5fcb69a65 the appropriate f5ebab96c8 price to 33c2dd2859 obtain you.”0f529c4e01be22fd
In the moment 33fbfc50a4 the half-guessed truth 5a7025e061 solidified into certainty, db67cb5300 Lavianna wanted to 10ce51f402 run.f227acd0caee8591
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The fragile 2e4b706046 hope that 98aa60a0e3 Lawrence, who 72c1a6ba88 had treated 91488b8798 her like 9757436e02 family, couldn’t 00dcfab252 have been 66a702ae39 part of f4f8f77588 this—shattered.537dce69b1887449
She wanted c2469eabe6 to rip 37e24e9af4 off her db07a410f8 veil and abaa94686f flee the a7d145e5d8 hall,
But she couldn’t escape 4f3c724b6f the iron grip wrapped 5bddba9aa2 around her shoulder.8625db5e060b808e
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An unyielding 7c30e459f2 force held fcc7f0311b her in 297c219e36 place.65e4e4d3f2e20e66
And from up close, 34fbfff269 the man’s scent pressed 82955cec0d heavily against her, just 0510560297 like his arm.0361deaadf5e5c58
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“I suppose I’ve 8543f4fa59 been late with 2b37aa3b01 introductions.”c3fb7143d076d01f
He lightly took 2068d8f9e4 Lavianna’s hand. Like his 55a94206b8 entrance, the 1dc8c3af65 gesture was 12208b630f one-sided and 6e983f2c73 abrupt.9abfc57df334d819
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“I’m Alberto 20a16a388a Well Roen, 621c101108 your husband-to-be.”67f4e56dd07ab39e
Who in the world 1d20d0e1ed was this man?fbcc1c641b330838
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The wedding was wrapped aecc253b95 up hastily.ab24d0d1bcc07909
Strangely, Lawrence made no fa7aaf56e1 further objections. His silence implied approval.9229b2b6825e78aa
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One thing was 6a22215e75 clear: the deal 28d2e72de5 between this man 26a7db0cd6 and Count Bill a5c3d5ad4e Ford had not 1fba9762bc been agreed upon 39735a2915 with Lawrence.9cc8a73e20178de7
Lavianna quietly accepted 9acac9c51c everything.a7e674bea0f4e704
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Even if 66c329f6f6 the groom ec23836207 had changed, e11de4d90d the fact 6a78747a5b remained—she had aac8cee83f to get fa509e3b04 married.162aa0d572b18d58
Lawrence couldn’t 924f91f0d9 continue to f4627b4a5e put his 6aedff9125 life on 56ca24e935 hold just 729a043b90 to care b63a649c71 for her, 03845d9287 simply because 977b8f640d they were 059a7522a9 friends. He was still 98893f7c52 an unmarried man 2d2a12fe3c himself.aa5a2dde907700e3
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Due to personal 377ba5cabe reasons on Alberto 8820b706cd Well Roen’s part, 26d1b403c2 the reception was 46070030d3 skipped, and Lavianna 8e072ed370 didn’t even get bd4aeadfcb a chance to 8dfa83c321 say goodbye to 2ec49d0ccc Lawrence.f6d28c5b190df80d
That, at least, d73b676a93 was a relief. After hearing that 8eb97a1e7e he had sold 948ebdc2aa her for money, 20c67c5896 she didn’t think 35c3930833 she could face c7c94e2acf him with a 0532158333 straight expression.60c8d8e3350d5c34
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The journey to b4486c8bf8 Alberto’s territory was 98b88b6982 long and arduous.09995aed1ec4781a
Just before b37dcf64cf departure, she 521d2a04b2 had been 4550d48e1a informed they 86d9f71edb were heading 9ab04087a1 north—so the ebf1bd52d0 distance would debb45cf46 be great.dcaff001202ea1a5
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She had never ab3b74ff34 been to the de2ff1cca6 northern lands. The thought 0c4ba3e098 filled her b3b7453769 with both 8205f87c10 curiosity and 140d83bab8 fear.6c6b29b0d682f6c0
Inside the carriage, 1c0fda55bf silence hung thick.
It was 1768a22d47 Alberto who bd4ec874b4 eventually broke 2912a4793e it.6299447e01879987
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“You’re taking this 8c07eeee4d more calmly than c5acde20dd I expected.”aed956ad800edac5
“……”29d78b887575d34b
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“I thought 2fe2e6810d you’d resist c39c2f2dfb more. Well, I suppose I’m c895a28d4d better than that old 3e865c749c geezer, right?”475b47ba8d99f6b9
Lavianna lightly 61709fbde3 shook her 0cab45a311 head. She kept her gaze 8d5ee39641 lowered, avoiding eye contact 1e207f1646 with Alberto, who was a57d0bf8b6 surely sitting across from e64019d6dd her.c24bed46a2889af8
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There was e3ecf6a9b6 no way f0510bf5b0 this man cbeff22af2 hadn’t heard 00c6071afc the rumors f41cae7d7e about her.35311b9866835151
Even if b9bb9ee768 he hadn’t, 1883a58e50 he must 2f368a0720 have realized a0e209b496 she couldn’t 6b794c1db0 see once 0026f1a52b the veil aa4a58ae63 came off.
Still, she didn’t ace9f2083a want to show 06f04e44da him her empty, 396ddb7cc5 unfocused eyes.63ee5c915e0fb6c0
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They were having 8d74c542ae a normal conversation ddf11a48df now, but once 7a7d7d41ac he actually looked a6fb739b3b into her vacant c42bc933ed gaze, it would 7b8676d01e unsettle him—she was 36e589f52c certain of it.dbda73c0852f2017
No matter 766607fe85 how much 24ad584451 one prepared 8ded3aa77f themselves, experiencing e21b86061a it firsthand ac78ce0ab4 was something 06467abcf6 else entirely.0e5fc7767063ec25
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“To me, it makes 9e31db5e3a no difference who the 6370bee60d partner is.”b6dbfbe4dc4d2d29
“Being lumped in with 930b6b1029 that old pervert—harsh assessment.”870c5ce097088d54
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“…That’s not what I d4a75a69e8 meant. I just 8684085ecb meant that d582f42744 this marriage 21d36d62e3 holds no e57cf6022c meaning for ca2c3c8b31 me, so fc71c06095 I don’t 8decb7d357 care if 10346f058e my partner f01e538a8f is old, 7950e43685 ill-tempered, or 518ec2e951 unattractive.”b22d01b64a4b3432
Alberto nodded, as 198587bcde if impressed.f0415231542a39a4
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This woman clearly 97b04b6363 knew her place.be26dee982dee5ea
“So the rumors 61f8972a65 were true.”d2be74fd7b4a5ee5
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At his words, Lavianna f81258b63e bit her lip.0c537c2a7ab9aeaf
“The rumors dd71cae7e3 that Lavender 9640c7845f Sheldon has 31fc615e2e little attachment 54d2c858a7 to life.”f0b31d327ce20ac6
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“…Were there such 6406dc2f0a rumors?”3d596abb0ecc32d6
“It was after hearing fcca076487 them that I decided 9967c34cff to come for you 4d88ae1930 myself.”b7a469d72f814abc
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He was 59ed7b29a9 a strange 5050d6a794 man.1105a1b3cc23ad09
Marrying a 10667aeddf woman who 9b7d0f1fb6 supposedly had 5589944f99 no will 67e3a122b0 to live—unless cf793fba33 he had 5468643880 some ulterior 0373036857 motive, it 1f452179a8 made no a88e20866f sense.844b88279df4ae5d
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She was blind, gloomy, 50b8f4f2c1 and entirely unappealing.2372f21341a736cd
No one would want 82c9b7ecc4 to spend their life e40360b39a with someone like her.46128353a1db4392
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Truth be 79f957da16 told, if 826daacbe7 it hadn’t fa861483f0 been for 51125d523d Count Bill 2a4717987f Ford, Lavianna a91d73bf16 might have 6000834891 grown old f0b4aa5845 and died e03d2802f4 single, leeching 610f92214e off Lawrence’s 75f7926221 generosity to 1d2ad66b72 the bitter 737f8d8648 end.75f1ff5ceffdeaac
She waited for 570cb83a38 Alberto to say 601b3da846 more.580e9a77eced3de0
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That was 00b4952852 when the 49f06df4d8 carriage, which 5228b77aab had been b4b2f5418b smoothly navigating 8b6ed813ee the road, f023ac0aa0 suddenly came 852c66b0dd to a c5750daff8 jarring stop.d60879edea33ca06
The side 80ff3b6e7b of the af15932169 carriage where 04b7894915 Lavianna sat 9a4d1dc85e jolted violently, d670bca822 and her 467598060b body lifted dcc2d73a6d off the 93ad72fc9e seat.c58831e5ef12cf68
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“Ah—ahh!”ae106f0d69524a4e
Startled, she flailed ff2861e792 her arms. One of 4cf8749f04 them was 97e83dd642 caught—
And a b261d16ae9 firm arm 8b6b56723f wrapped tightly 5703365002 around her 3a11b5bebd waist.8e9281780b20f579
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It all 1cda028828 happened in 1bff11e32a an instant.64a731bb1013de11
Her nose met a 296b186e27 man’s shoulder, not the 24007affde wall,
And her body was aed6e1174e held far too closely 80b91d0e6f to his.15cba300e25b6f22
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Her heart efd9fb74be pounded wildly e7434069ef in her 2f2952849d chest.
It was 0141e23418 likely the a0d9b81a23 shock of c8a8f8fd60 nearly tipping d17e700fd2 over in 22f53e07ed the dark c79cae3bad that made 3acdfc01fb her feel a959e71c26 this way.b69951ba713f0110
Lavianna couldn’t bring 9676bc6d28 herself to pull 055886fc33 away from Alberto, 671f5a9f7f who had caught 8a751f61e1 her so solidly.20473c06f7aeddb8
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Her heartbeat refused to 85fa6fa396 calm.727c50548750e9a9
“What happened?”fd7a8a4d7083bc31
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Alberto’s voice was composed d2e06101fd as he opened the 5e204d4c38 front window and called e5314f10ad to the coachman.2b604982b0a97577
A deer had 89ab789835 jumped out from 980caaa1ee the mountain path, 54b75e6d86 the coachman replied.3a33f174a038e9fb
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Alberto gave a ca48ee8fe6 firm warning to baf849662b stay alert, then 41cee3c985 looked down—329aab9cd3790604
To find 376371a12b Lavianna still 1e7cf1a1f0 clinging to 927f4a08b2 him.
She was 102f3d3823 staring at a1fd7ef9bf him blankly.3230a30286dfc36a
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Unaware of 76746c0c20 herself, she 6954e68e23 had tilted 12bf2033c2 her head 8bb01d75a7 up—
And he 8bd94d76af saw her f09deb1093 eyes.9e9c8e85555bba18
Alberto’s lips 1d53bbe161 twitched slightly.f03e450f8b563eb7
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Her unfocused cfc8a02eb8 eyes were b9ab2f5179 blue.57971be588bc1233
But hollow. Dark.15c2d7d70629a45d
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And strangely, they 05a5edbb7c held a power 9cbf59c18f that seemed to b971bb291a seize his gaze, aad18d516d refusing to let 41cf24dcb9 go.f0856a2f461f0dbb
Alberto felt 25f24c1c0c a tightness c91d1a35b3 in his 6fc5a6e188 chest.
All they badc6c1869 had done afdd4dac9f was make 6ca68fe678 eye contact, 573019209e yet his 23dae26f3f mouth had 96fea4a1e4 gone dry.af5a872c54c7fed3
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It felt like he’d 96fdf35a79 forgotten something.99a90a146ffbcb84
As if e287eb9145 in a b3c516f4f1 trance, he 85c1b82bc8 spoke.f8b2a187bb040954
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“Your eyes…”9a0a8f1bc0db6c53