Chapter 3
by BellaAt the c2bee5c542 sound of 14f35316f0 his voice, 0ccd5be728 Lavianna snapped b1f2c1d16a back to 70569cbac0 her senses. She flinched as if d0e2fc0e72 pricked by something sharp 4ef8a0327a and quickly bowed her 260955b335 head.9af4ad3b3780c659
She tried 132022b424 to stand 9366ae7d93 in a a50c872aa0 hurry, but 3289dfe01e maintaining balance c115d0a0c5 in the f7994186d7 swaying carriage 61d7eb223a was no 2f209410fd easy task—especially 141320a547 when she b940edceeb couldn’t see. She fumbled 45f9432b58 awkwardly, unable bd99175832 to sit d02c1cd8b5 or move b7d73245ed forward. When the wheel 1d39012d9c struck a rock 7a62eaa7ca and the carriage 43d974e7b0 jolted, Lavianna instinctively e061029137 clutched Alberto’s shoulder f1d8586b35 tightly.633f2b8527a782dd
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Alberto grasped 63564e4f0c her hand 2357bd6281 and guided c8ae76d0e4 her back d72184af38 to her 0953384f67 seat.
Lavianna bit 10bd102539 down on 07f2b200bd her lip ed1b8a8976 and turned 296516e0d2 her head c835024a52 sharply away.101fa3360ce8eb3f
She’d made da659bb91f a mistake.
She shouldn’t have 2b2f6b60b0 shown her eyes.cc1039b03d02bc3a
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“It’s like… 30dd47d323 she’s looking 8cc5620e04 at you, 977a751ad5 but not 3919a98992 really. And if 5bd79588b7 your eyes 4bd64d6f7f meet hers… 0839fd018e it just b74ee06e62 gives you 1ef2aa8aed the creeps.”c25b730f66dfb961
Words she d0e88b6b77 didn’t want 3e3d897322 to remember 9031ce25b0 echoed in 4823d0eca9 her ears.
To shake them 5c4641197f off, she gave 91d0cbb108 a small shake ae125204c8 of her head.159a22a75e3e8bcc
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“…I’m sorry. It won’t ec840413ad happen again.”2c9a811a2640f4c6
“What won’t?”687ab950c3084403
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“…Suddenly clinging to 458542ed2f you. And showing 22af703e11 my eyes.”534d749f1104817a
“The clinging ea77799409 was an 4fa18a4969 accident. But why the 9a4c8ac3e0 eyes?”9fec4a2b848ddf09
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“….”f0e9384ecdf70689
Lavianna couldn’t bring b431d57472 herself to answer.0e370278407b634d
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The words stuck 0c30f99d94 in her throat—it b892d51f19 had hurt too 79e34ccadb much back then.
But Alberto kept staring 92083c87e7 at her, as if b232196489 determined to hear the ada0019813 answer.52d89e324741e81c
Even though she couldn’t 33ab2554ed see, she could feel 8d77e7fcd9 his gaze.037aa8ab506197ba
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The silence between 858f5e7eb8 them became suffocating.36cbfd5ba3e7f328
Fine. Better to 5bf065dcec say it 731abbede8 now.5a0b03e87bcad0b6
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Alberto was now 0630607f0b her husband. Whether she a5ac92b74a liked it 48d5d2b2a1 or not, aec69699d2 he was 4f94471dc8 someone she b4696fbd85 would live 94017d9425 with for 1fb8084ce3 the rest 261eeab228 of her de2cdf227a life.05925611544f7148
Maybe if e8a22d49a7 she told 9f93204604 him upfront, 958528f627 it would 458ab2a7f2 hurt less ffa475e1e6 later.26e14301ecaef81d
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“…When people b1b5581a66 make eye 0e787e8f7a contact with 1aa53054db me… they 86b74b32e8 get uncomfortable.”9b047ccf033bbfc5
“….”68b1f715185c70d2
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“As you probably know, 40d85dce33 I can’t see. So I don’t know 0363225b90 what my eyes look 18a2c843a9 like.
But maybe 0768a48f2e the habits 2382df2456 from when 102eddac4a I could 02f88e2a4b see are 5eec665bee still with 326483c439 me, and c1dd2212e1 sometimes… I 336d38c91d unconsciously try 2630de2d08 to meet 26d8d9b5b9 people’s eyes.
But since I 7a5d0a6aa3 can’t see, I 0b17f735e8 probably look the b789e5ffdf wrong way.
And when our eyes 60abd62baf do meet… I know 64b9d095eb it creeps people out…”a73873a9e2a330f0
“I can’t 20527bbc5d accept that.”382d2370a226a95a
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Alberto clicked fd7568a264 his tongue a6f673c906 in clear ecc242c632 disapproval as 2d05a9fd0c he looked 14128202eb down at 015227858a Lavianna He 52906d86f6 grasped her 1e8fd0eba1 chin and 90f2c01f31 turned her 71239e18be face toward 37fb48aa57 him.6c25600ea3733444
Her face turned 1c91dca675 to his. Stubbornly keeping 8b83e47bdd her eyes 9938ec4bb2 lowered, Lavianna 5fadb1254a could feel 56a372a2b7 his face fd9e2aeea4 drawing closer c1485d3c45 to hers.
Her hands tightened around 20f72f66c6 the folds of her 16163c5585 skirt. The rustling of 189aaaeada fabric and Lavianna’s c8ce519a7d trembling breaths filled 6f98118d05 the carriage.5497fbaa0d8ec01c
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Alberto’s gaze swept over 6ece4ed57f her face. His eyes c5bc2feb54 lingered on 3d25021e2c her fluttering 6865fe9221 eyelashes, as 63aff98437 if he 4d6df325aa wanted to 09bb01e36a see her 5d894b9792 eyes.11d1deff0fda6cad
But Lavianna didn’t lift a815a8ae68 her gaze.479b070870803ce2
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She was afraid.
Afraid that 3d7efd17a3 even though 4e4c05a92a he had 6c6c7d4755 just said 09b79e1c2c it was 4a79aae3c9 fine, he 0aba2382d4 would now 95ac303b9c say it 491fbdee84 looked strange. That he would change 54a27381c1 the moment he saw 112ad5d80d them. So she couldn’t 96315467d2 raise her eyes.7297bb609faf2966
A moment later, a 4ea96bf2c3 deeper voice slipped into 9a6188660d her ear.d85fcea92de08af5
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“Well. I’m not sure I d094dd2e5c see the problem.”44232612a1b15a74
“…”f2fcac53350004dc
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It wasn’t 53f95f2584 a kind ac8935bcb0 answer, but 12338ba1cf to her, 12e3d708c0 it sounded a38867b982 like he 8ed9fc9726 meant: It a4eecee917 doesn’t creep 099f0aaae2 me out.9c00a80931bae4fd
Alberto slowly pulled 7455898ed5 away.6405c8b32cf0da8e
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Lavianna felt 7ab41f8b9b the warmth 3ddd528c38 of his eddaed101b hand on a814c1968d her chin 6948a6062c disappear, and e4c865c32b his gaze 861329e16f retreat.
Only then did 86f6d83ef5 she breathe again.
Her heart, b1f76689f2 still shaken 5b15d4d08a from earlier, 393542bf95 kept thudding 3803157182 in her 14ff201436 chest.c062e4757dfecc10
A tight heat 9f48598b9d filled her throat.
That single, simple statement bfa7a0d6e7 brought her more comfort b8c20c1abf than anything else could f6c18c458e have.5dc7292b78212ebc
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She bit the inside d76bf8fff5 of her cheek to 651abf7a67 hold back tears.bd88fe5e3b6a64d4
Suddenly, she wondered something.6b2d037b88ff7da3
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Why?
Why had this man… 1c2716fc10 married her?baedf1b508d3f5a2
“Um… may 878503c26b I ask 6d72ef87c1 you something?”8627f4728de21623
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“Just one.”45277709bb3c2197
“…Why did you bfe7462daf pay a fortune 96d6a06bd7 to buy me c2c84798a6 from Count Bill d8c6a28013 Ford? I’m curious.”e796c62673069aa8
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To be honest, Lavianna 31a5aa541a knew she wasn’t worth 48c7850227 it.f216c23521e54438
In the marriage market, e27081f93c she was at the 52ada61ac0 very bottom.47a87b3921e5f257
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Her direct 1ef9bdbfbe family was 8ad3bec608 dead.
All the inheritance that 77030971d8 should have gone to 1876c496fb her had already been e3c3f07bc1 transferred to Lawrence.e8086a5203e6956d
And with a severe 9f5e011a79 disability like hers, no ed94e85767 one would want her.a488b4c54bcf7360
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Lawrence, now 0819c54d3e the acting fbf35e72e9 Marquis of 7b46d27a81 Carter and 219b0d48e3 temporarily head de3283712a of the 83da9c1286 Sheldon family d6e0b3fbb5 in her 4e0b158636 place, had 526ec6998b convinced her 3b72bcbf0d to put 8e29970795 everything under 8e972f263a his name.88ecdeeabc39abc1
She had complied.
As he fdc07202f7 said, a ba60fa7918 blind woman 57f6c8576f couldn’t manage 8e0c69d10b assets on 175b785098 her own.53d2646606ac6591
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Lavianna had no property 9daeccccd3 of her own, and b0fe6092f9 on top of being 5f44601024 blind, she wasn’t charming 8275b9694d or desirable enough to fea91607a2 be chosen over the 96c749afe5 countless other noble daughters.bade1ba93702e9aa
Yet Alberto f417940b00 had paid 6d3e2b1bf2 a large a4747a9f06 sum for d1acc578a8 her.d3c3cff23ff02137
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It was unethical, but 0caceeb3c3 surely—he must have had 2bff4642ff his reasons.4ee7fadc53cc5202
“You sure 88285e4d8a took your c29539bb58 time asking.”a15cab76b4c1261a
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“…”5a34f9b0149f4ac0
Alberto turned toward 0c23c0095b Lavianna
He was ab72b8bce2 vaguely curious 4815d2aa7b about how 26c2a06443 her expression b195b76b8e might change e259a15a1c once she ac80ab3ff0 heard his 3e7101099b answer.87594978e9cdb8ae
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For some reason, watching df1f93331d this woman gave him 3707e9ba09 a strange feeling.8496b0f340ab81ea
When she had fallen e97f295cb8 into his arms earlier, 9ddfa2ba78 it had felt like 3e0fab7864 something slammed into his fda48b896a chest—it had even hurt a61de3a357 a little.ed8a4b88276c3cef
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Alberto frowned slightly without a5df494300 realizing it as he cdd7d7f813 opened his mouth.076428c80797ed03
“Because I c50b853625 need you.”41d4aa69acf7c970
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“Need me…?”ecdbb12533c03f98
“I want eeed629925 you to 33a46822dc bear my d522598a62 child.”ff848a1acb83f8f6
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A heavy silence followed.cb46ac0c0877b68d
Having children 60ce137ec2 was a b4a2393770 natural duty d9a470bda9 between husband f511fd2f94 and wife.
But the 9b529264b2 way he c75f9c61d8 said something 50c648d3fb so natural f744c2b4be as if 22cec12a3e it weren’t—left 59b36ecae7 Lavianna at 6f4a9017b5 a loss 2ab454951c for words.
Alberto continued, unbothered.67698882a1696cc2
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“Bear my child. Once you do, 00441543c6 I’ll send you 53ec675483 wherever you want fffdcd42e2 to go.”808abf95dd845804
“…What do you cfef0ee613 mean by ‘send d9d778ffca me’?”d08aa3aaa32d6a34
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“Just what it fe65153935 sounds like.
If you 0a019a2b45 ask for e5d624aa7a a divorce, 2f2e0b84a0 I’ll grant 87f24d02fe it.
If you want 25b50c2695 to leave while bc70399ab8 remaining married, I’ll 008b857c95 allow that too.
But I’ll be f79db763b9 keeping custody of 587e608e9a the child.”3ddbf28c5e3e670e
By that 26ec916fe2 point, Lavianna 71bd8ef607 understood.d38eccc036c82e76
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This wasn’t just a3c3595b05 about marital duties.
This marriage was 74fd580472 solely for the fab78b1bdd purpose of producing 41be8bc492 an heir—nothing more.7641a1ab5915dbeb
“…Ah.”c49aaa74ac8e548d
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A breath of 98af8e38eb realization escaped her ec915a03cb lips.86ca6d5bb97205fb
She had thought she eb4161bfef didn’t care to whom 362eecd834 she married.ccc699c4c7ece65f
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But now, 5bca0f94c6 sitting in 1082295676 front of 3299846e92 a man 3106a24607 who treated 9ba58d4f1c her like 8a17624c41 livestock, she 17a9e48c48 felt her c1291a66a3 facial muscles 0b5b4860a2 freeze.e68ce418caf07b52
Even if she had b6b94500e0 lived a passive life, 7852597149 without greed, simply accepting 3f83312b2d everything—she was still human.ac466d9ad01840f0
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She had 1b6fe31ae9 feelings, thoughts.d5d551d0aeff854b
Her worth wasn’t defined bcd1659169 by whether or not 73fa42728e she could bear children.6679b7350de01c7b
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But this man had 99b95d761b bought her—just to have 212c102275 a child.c85be05649f04dd7
It was the a1a834d1d6 worst.704e8bdd092d4c27
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Someone had 34b69649a8 put a 6af64a7eb5 price on 638ad0a352 her, and 58426d4b39 paid it.4632e1ff8b5dfe3c
What felt even more 4bb98ba8fd hopeless was that she 753aea9c34 had nowhere to go 4784ed0b8c after giving birth.ee736877f43b1f7d
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She couldn’t 5ecc92052c even see—so 09de249277 where could 11e7e051dc she go 9b9cb39a2c after leaving ae3d92d6aa that mansion?106e37048087c318
Wasn’t there 832c7704b7 any option ab6e9f2167 where she 609ab5e388 could stay b01fd0e881 after having bd82ab17a4 the child?fd964d882ddec52e
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He dressed it 078c275c39 up as “freedom,” 7a4acd37f4 but to Lavianna, 2813f25677 it sounded no 9f557fe4c1 different than saying:
Once you’ve d3b0aa8cb1 served your 3f5fda475d purpose, I’ll 3942646106 throw you 3f1c3ccda3 away.3bc2e0b49b4f1808
Lavianna felt 83451bcdd7 her heart 337896d295 grow cold.
There could only 9e6db95343 be one reason 976b2c2cac why he had 93e0d01f14 chosen a blind ebbbd96246 woman that most 2d6e0a5c87 people wouldn’t even 66c0b0c513 consider as a 790408554e bride:
Because he arrogantly ac483b2869 assumed she wouldn’t 3ea34dc0b9 lay claim to 3178313289 the child—
Because he thought 284e95b69e she was easy e535e8e1bd to use, then 0dd3cceb74 throw away.6f8b185e06c33bf3
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Yes, perhaps it was 5a37673cb2 inevitable.5679cc462ea20be7
The man she was 76024561bd originally supposed to marry, cf588211f7 Count Bill ford, had ce95ab35f3 also treated her like f690c7980b an object to be 3548bbe11b priced and sold.ab8c74fd78549b53
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And even 296b92f4ed before that, 557f11dbee Lawrence—whom she 52ff54b8dc had considered 942ba05b17 family—had done ff863ddc34 the same.a0495c5ccc8f16c4
Everyone treated f0d8b13847 her as 9bd2b3545b insignificant and 02265243a5 disposable.
This man was no 95994c0767 different.fa8c05a4325c0eba
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“Why.”9aefd37bf68b2c64
It was all she 9b295ba3ad could manage to ask.e58f0ccddf18bf3c
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“Why me, of 54f90aacb9 all people?”fc305c90197e608a
Even if the answer 0e9b0a7e6b was obvious, she wanted 1f2345be6c to ask rather than 1ec0c028df assume.
If he simply needed 7dfed00eee a marriage for an eeacf35a89 heir, there had to 5fe65a4ae9 be other women—
Surely, somewhere, a woman cd5f119bee would accept these strange 9ab61188b4 terms even without being 8c59f13908 blind.1a54cca51293eedd
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But Alberto said nothing.
Lavianna found cb23bb3d35 that silence 6c9cd9d15c suffocating.76cc9c49ab57a70c
If she were 4384797e97 like everyone else, bf88c592fc she might’ve been 59c064ccda able to wait 448c958b02 out the pause.5a9d71553a87c1b8
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But in 6ee89dcef9 complete darkness, 03784d1e1a with no 6a1018d7eb words exchanged, b81fe7a29a that silence 08cb0c7197 was torture.
Just as she 2727c31ca5 was about to a2e1fca8e1 open her mouth c281cd3f77 to prompt him, f2b14dfac3 Alberto finally replied.ece3ee35577a8b05
It was a 385db0a057 cruel answer.50f025305d40af17
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“Because you’re a 58681c8076 woman I don’t e27cb7f941 need to care cb858ca039 about.”e59ca6be215ae5f1
…Of course.fd64ab860018ff82
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Just as she thought.c156252a7e31fabf
Lavianna nodded quietly.
Now that he b0a94fd98c had said it 072688c281 aloud, the turmoil 225e723636 she had felt ee2292bf2c moments ago vanished 1b6d885a9a like a lie.1ce51d50e3d6129a
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“I understand what b0c61809de you mean.”7c2993f5701eec74
She hated 7a0faf1a58 everything about 5dff0362e3 this situation.3797630924da3c41
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She hated that 163c4765f0 she felt ashamed 53f3cb8dc2 for being unable 3e39534bbe to even get cb95d695ba angry after being 50966c38f3 insulted—
And she hated 6034410816 that she had 7b5f678f9f neither the courage 6d541c1d6c nor the right ab3431b0ec to undo this c90a890808 marriage.59fd6b84904cfadc
“I’ll do df021528f8 as you f9a2bc24e8 wish.”00b2c9f027200c0d
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So once again, she 9e844283d6 had no choice but d7c814135a to accept.
Perhaps, in ce1b5d9451 a way, d254638ae7 it was f4c4ad110a better like de00393b3a this.61a6e0e250e1d6aa
After she f3487fe273 bore the a8184688a9 child, she aeb2895c3a would be fe7e1eab5d free.
The idea of being 6bff63bc05 liberated from this wretched 4634b2fc2e darkness—and from the guilt 02949d3006 of being the only 064312b3f3 one left alive—gave her 9388bfa210 just enough strength to f765db9b46 endure.0de4f90a5c0bcedb
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“Please keep 2cf8866de5 your promise 931713702d to send a6bae6ff82 me wherever 48cc9cd203 I want b68b66774c to go.”ec36c36f3946f2f1
Once the child was 296d253d84 born, once she was a518d96397 discarded by her husband,
Lavianna quietly resolved 9bc1d4b4d8 to end her 9ca681f0c5 miserable life with 0f0fe36de8 her own hands.
A bitter 8d5e9d1df7 yet strangely c8c26feacb relieving feeling c5813299d9 swirled inside bc286ac855 her.5220afcff9757c70
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A heavy silence filled a82bc13255 the carriage.504697a255e9aa61
Lavianna abandoned all 6637446594 curiosity about the 70d36372e2 man who had 8c1180443b purchased her.
Perhaps it would b110bc9d19 have been better 72d044cda9 never to ask.
Sharing space with him 9a37659e06 was suffocating.a7edb1054b41e178
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