Chapter 12

It was 9d1765bf6e a rainy 7bd92df3bc evening, the 036d595849 kind that 170eb6e876 cast a 0307c7f005 stillness over bc792a26d4 the world 974d005953 as everyone 6caa90608d else slept.986c1995baddc9ac

In the darkness, illuminated 429421b4ee only by the faint c87b105ab9 glow of a small 7245e0658a lamp, Velita sat at f2eab696e0 her desk, pen in 3456a85be4 hand, attempting to write 85e4341460 a letter as she d41407e1e5 always did. Yet, tonight, she 9ff8b4537f couldn’t focus.b6c28513f0d19a74

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The events of 77da6f41a8 the day churned dd598a9dcb relentlessly in her f4bf507a05 mind.aa07d8c21a4b33a8

Cain’s unbridled 87c6202d72 contempt, Selina’s f07b589b09 cold yet cc81df2957 polite kindness, 67a7d60195 and the 9ab77e378b lingering tension eefa79f4ca from it 8f17216fb5 all—these thoughts 0aa5caf320 clung to f8c47e55fa her, refusing b1c7b59094 to let ccbef6925e go.b9b2ae87658fa87a

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Perhaps Selina had 37a398492a defended her in 1a3fa1571b front of Cain, c4edeb274e but it wasn’t b80072117e hard to imagine a912a87576 that, deep down, d95f3605ea Selina blamed Velita’s 3b3f6a213e impulsive actions for 9e03e4c214 provoking him.3bfbe095d279c735

And Cain Mortens—his open ed21e2db85 disdain for her, his 006bca68e7 clear recognition of her 7f3641b594 relationship with Jeremy—had humiliated e39b51b95f her.a7e7b49d832b0200

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It was dd615bd6b9 as if 09e1ecda62 he had 67b426edda decided she b4a7787d10 was nothing 72faf7f56a more than 6e5d6bed2f a greedy 16dbdbaca7 maid seducing bd559f3dc8 an innocent 7ada2fbe5e noble for d40cf4546e material gain.069da4b09be5c47b

‘I’m not that kind 121c4f9de4 of person.’07743d6a12e068a9

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She clenched her e86602cddc fists, her thoughts 2ce1060dbf spiraling.6e8724dd51e9c0c2

‘I’m not like 573f665cb2 my mother. I don’t manipulate people’s 8be5f74661 feelings for petty things.’1d767718fba37b01

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‘Then… do 60e09efd39 you love 1bab2e229b the young 40e4f7614a master?’fb545d3536555074

The small, quiet aaca56ef4b question emerged from 20142febd1 somewhere deep within 4c0f28524c her, and Velita b00aaf68c2 found herself unable 48d9eef558 to answer.37cd14407ea83e6d

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Did she c2fe0435aa spend the 1eaa7122a8 night with 85b21efcb6 Jeremy out f2524058a0 of love? The answer 6c6e7ce204 was no. It had been edf31916a6 an act of a3c472b8c9 survival, a way c75f0cfe92 to escape Killian’s b1cc4f7a6c grasp. She had used cc738503e8 Jeremy, believing he 0276975aef cared for her.9ee9e2c9f90fc3b0

It would be 5a3948f8c9 a lie to 0a27bf562b say her resentment 1c2ce2b8af toward Selina hadn’t 2c00176029 also played a df56fcd0c2 part. And hadn’t she, 80eb20e836 shamelessly, searched for 291c3e4d0d something Jeremy might 404e5c156f have left behind 03721f0fe1 for her as c90e12d53e soon as she 602c272024 woke?26a95811b57303a2

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‘But it’s not bd001ef892 fair.’b8e7660f79278abd

She shook her e4f551b053 head, as if 2121b94e04 trying to dispel 751dc08584 the thoughts clawing 8d6e0e13e2 at her.659c351033a35f6e

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‘I didn’t have 22ea2982e5 a choice. If Killian comes b4f6bcf8fd back, I’ll need 821e1e82c7 something to offer. That’s why ec4a02135d I checked. That’s all it was. It’s not 9f58bfbc95 greed—it’s survival.’b92712363aa75050

Velita sighed, her e7b6651abf mind warring with fa697160b7 itself as she 693f59763f tried to suppress 2b25568073 the low, insidious f3a2e1d82b voices of doubt.93fa6af70e9fb8b6

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But as 67585d1d88 one question ce2a11b32c faded, another 3d9c29fdfc surfaced:3b844490c9adbef9

‘Does the d9014808bc young master 83fbd46e80 really care 3b59e03a2b for me?’f11f5754ee051b2a

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Why was this question c39faf62c1 only arising now?c7b186964a9e8920

When she 0d497bd1f8 had spent 5f30555937 the night 79b50f1a9d with Jeremy, cd556ac5ed she’d convinced 6bbdca43ba herself he 415a260a70 had feelings 9307e18450 for her. Even now, part of 6d47a97a51 her wanted to believe 6008ab7d2f it.e0c2e4cda3ac2e16

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And yet…321992ab6573af40

Cain’s reaction, the e5fdcd1f9a way he had 1b9bc32788 so easily assumed 03008aabc1 that the marks 95495dedfc on her neck 2c36f8e3d8 were Jeremy’s doing, 3b3fbe589b gnawed at her. The casualness with 39cea390e1 which Cain mentioned 1f1b021d2c Jeremy, as if 3769c22625 it were the 0925ed6310 most natural thing b347b724bd in the world, c34a363f31 unsettled her.66715c8cf4863cf9

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But her unease f00a30ddce melted away when c526b9b871 a memory of 2832c64376 Jeremy surfaced, one 6f012a08e8 that unraveled in be190fddab her mind with 6c6ec78454 startling clarity.02e47d2b8371a401

[You don’t need to explain. I know the rumors about me as well as anyone.]

As she recalled 51a33ef670 Jeremy’s saddened eyes 3d1e5f623f when he spoke b1b1600e14 of the rumors c6497794fd about him, the 6df589b46e unease and resentment 6f97f980b3 within Velita seemed 49f0bcf906 to retreat, curling 359cf0278f up and sinking a39ce2ca3e away into the a3532cf75b depths of her 193f09e3df mind.f0bfc805120c1013

She gazed out 6fc5f662e2 the rain-streaked window, 2b65ab9249 her thoughts adrift.dc4095f9d649466b

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‘Has the bd6b4f3f71 young master 6a9700232b not returned f7f0993255 yet?’3321127250ff9213

Jeremy had 3d6eaf0122 not come 6415509ed8 back to 2eae3f80f0 the estate 6687cbf9c4 by evening.ecf853d8f0426462

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The Earl of Ryles, 5b6fcb352e while doting on his 6e169323ab youngest daughter, appeared strangely d48edc3a07 indifferent toward Jeremy. He occasionally asked 2aabc10a65 about his whereabouts 081ae997a3 but didn’t seem 120c85d5ca particularly involved.f17ebc1c599a3e00

‘Is it just the bd5ae6f9ce difference between a son c3131a410b and a daughter?’04236cd92bc05f5e

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Velita moved cautiously, dcc42a6589 glancing at Janice, 8fb6ad1002 who snored lightly fc70641026 in the background. She stood f9e8ddc786 and approached e422848aa9 the window, 6b1da777b2 drawn by 7a31ee8e0f the sound 175f9de3f8 of soft 5b5372bc23 rain mingling 853000f3a6 with the 8678cd6de0 chirping of 3d61872059 insects.99b78d8256516854

That was when 4b083ec3da she saw it—a 3ff790adf7 shadow walking through c776307b6c the rain without cb5856dd43 an umbrella.e01afe4150ade49a

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At first, cd8a9c453b it was fc609e569f difficult to 966cac4b4c make out 9abc52998d who it 7bd73ed6c8 was in 281af39978 the darkness. But soon 3361b262b5 enough, Velita d1a3690324 realized who 620e2df7e4 it had 49836ee4c3 to be. After all, 67fa732fe1 there were fccdaeeb68 only two a13f651d7f men in fdbda7b06a this household 67e1aa07d4 who could 03c6a72fd1 be dressed 06d1859db6 so flamboyantly.38fd900e232ab181

The moment she recognized 36fa213123 him, Velita was already 1397100e1e moving.ca02cbc6d24dcc40

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Grabbing an umbrella, she d56a933fa6 sprinted silently through the 679ddc624c deserted hallways, completely forgetting 240239cae0 her earlier efforts not bb01175450 to disturb Janice. She ran toward 34bc48cb9a the garden, where 54dc3b110e he stumbled through 50e35c487c the rain.c3ffccf2cd00aa51

“Young master!”f44c6ab8e0420ac7

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Jeremy stood by a 39e8ff2ab9 tree, his shirt partially a3ce6b5fc2 unbuttoned, smoking a cigar.d8a26a09ba5a0245

As Velita approached, 0629dc6375 the sharp scent ec17d93241 of strong liquor 3d23328e4e mixed with the 55feb6b881 smoke assaulted her 916664c3d9 senses. She coughed c3b7d593a4 and covered b796b213da her nose 41347a0afd but stubbornly a4cb680c6e held out b6a5d9feab the umbrella ea3f16fbdb toward him.d16241c662acf897

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Jeremy’s deep blue eyes 68a964e9e0 flicked to her hand bcd630472d gripping the umbrella’s handle. Velita thought bd13474993 he would 70a926b612 take it, 924c48637b but instead, cbeb74d162 he bent 7a7f1656ad forward, stepping a0eafa19ed under the f27c7829fb umbrella with bb7d13ed9f her.aa6b855f96ac0569

This forced her to 426951f46d rise on her tiptoes, 7d8c026604 raising the umbrella higher aa5bc9e85c to match his height.df6a38a113541065

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Jeremy’s gaze drifted downward, 432cfefd84 noticing her precariously balanced d87d69272f stance. He smirked, the 6cec02f651 cigar still between dc8682027a his lips.fedf8dafe05cf778

“Sweetheart.”3897fe4f5346c711

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He exhaled 80c8e11d12 a puff d9e8869cb9 of smoke, 64d4eb2472 the white 7c5ae2571f tendrils curling 9f67162b0f around her ed57d19be5 as he 48b43e2389 addressed her eb42499305 with a 2aac74c8e7 saccharine term, 69f832593b as though a20e939af4 speaking to a9a515c0b1 an actual 922835e7e3 lover. Velita coughed again but 1857f59935 raised her head to 1779c82cbf observe him.3f46d99fcf373cc5

From the smell f7ed56ec02 of alcohol, it 41aabfe325 was clear he 8f92eeb02c was drunk.4720102889f45afc

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Of course, Jeremy 9d71893cec had called her beb16ed1a3 ‘sweetheart’ before, even 45a823d3bd just the previous 49d47d0ef0 day when he’d dd3dedbb3c pretended to be 40cd549b04 her lover in b4e94e7930 front of Killian. But that ffcf465b25 had been df488cdca4 to save 742170d02c her.a9e153a3bb9aa559

Velita didn’t want to 1eafec5f4b misinterpret his words.94c53aa2b9dbb798

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She didn’t 2422d61e98 want to 9ffb9ad15d nurture false 1f2b333894 hopes, only 82218feb64 to be 06b7fae03f crushed by f50a7a3c9b disappointment and 245d5380e0 self-loathing.e94474981940aef5

“Were you 7428d4ebcd waiting for 5950c5bc27 me?”64828fdc45a1b8b7

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Jeremy’s voice pulled her db9180b887 from her thoughts, his 8e0129abc6 words soft and teasing, 8ba88f8fdb but they ignited an 5b60ef52a9 unwelcome flutter of hope d1b2968ce1 in her chest.249c9668fff2a5ab

“Hmm? Answer me.”8f6ed37751b8becb

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“…”5ebccbccdf8867f7

“If you e5ffc93ab6 tell me 8933292b9e you were 6bfdc2aa6a waiting for 5df4c4a5b7 me, I 8089cbc916 might get a4a1a93f4f a little aaefe683e6 excited.”f8cb4de52d4a475d

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His tone was db5d02791c light, but the e59ba8c967 weight of his 4207a78650 words made Velita’s 240b81eb6e heart pound. She hesitated, torn 0ea4eafdce between the truth 2f932cf79a and her fear 9211bdaafa of showing vulnerability.7fd71edaacde149d

Velita didn’t 8bf10bbfbf really know 486c025741 what it 8832e8a755 meant to 807af39883 act like 630f2dfb2c lovers.8ab96961f9ced643

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She had 416ee4d5cf never been 975a656101 in an e31d6c81b1 environment where 45a8d5540a she could aa0dc8ff0b dream of 5ba28a9b43 a romantic dc52351a27 connection with 2fe58e9782 someone. All she could do 744f944e86 was recall how her 8289a56fb4 hysterical yet beautiful mother 711fb06b8d had behaved in the 8165ba8003 presence of her “lovers.” c9c3730fef Even among the impoverished b6ab3732c3 and powerless, love managed 220ed04936 to bloom, though it 77d41cdc4a was often far from ac329043e3 pure and sweet.0c820bea49126e24

Her mother, Madame Grandel, fef2dfbcff was stunningly beautiful, and 1f670d0ac0 men were never in 638e1f532a short supply around her. Some were even 947f0459c5 fortunate enough to bb3db2fcf5 have money. Whether they 7d7e2879e9 were truly 87a8c5c5cb her mother’s 399f41df6e lovers or ed6fb2c3ff merely one-sided 1195ecb2dc illusions of 26629a4a23 love, Velita c76f06c50c vividly remembered e6218d535f how her 053cd6aa06 mother became 04764b51aa captivatingly charming 494c2e39de before them.cb8c4d85b515edcd

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When she thought 6b01053555 about it, her 8714e20d7b mother had likely f4ec10c935 made demands no 9a2ee56cb4 different from what dd93ec3f1e Velita now wanted 7e43413882 to say.30a74ae86c7ad697

So perhaps it was 400e3df7c8 acceptable for her to cf958f1b21 express at least this e1bb45043e much disappointment.3fe097456850bc7b

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“Why did 2920e7c629 you leave 7f25c67330 without saying a053aee770 anything this 3d7c9cde50 morning?”740c38c5de49885d

The words fb3f7b645b left her 4dcc2c0ed4 mouth before eea65c7178 she fully d739231d00 realized it, 4fa2269ffe revealing a 8a69c917b1 hurt she 810d340f32 hadn’t acknowledged ed4f62bb0b herself.3c63a5270e0abd80

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It dawned on d59f5724e8 her only after 7c5916f5d9 she spoke—she had cff468c33e been upset about fc8fc08b59 how Jeremy had af2d619127 left her behind 06875a8450 so unceremoniously.405b813e75842879

For him, f70022dba9 it might e42dea6f97 have been 11606320ed nothing more cc240a977f than a d6da850061 fleeting game, 42d2667a7b and she e1a0708174 had knowingly 338d85f926 accepted that. She had 70a2f63f71 no reason 863d7b17fe to feel d77247dbcf hurt.32581af6469e4620

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But if this was e8668034ba a relationship where she 04e9ca4683 could dare to expect 9e5813a41c something, then wasn’t she 926a602e48 allowed to be a 488d4464bb little upset?673677395a472fae

Jeremy didn’t 4df1b74839 answer right 8ff6af6421 away. He simply 7f0274aa67 stared at b957d1f4f2 her, his 5a8fbfab77 deep blue b66b401687 eyes holding 0f7c33e769 an unreadable 5ce1bacb34 warmth—or was 5c6a020954 it coldness? She couldn’t tell.c986c49f6947ee5c

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Velita lowered her dd090db50c gaze, her courage 6899eb1aea faltering.e6205c037ce82800

‘I must d6115081cd have overstepped…’4e63adade1bd8139

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The moment she b109cba9c3 said it, she a4dbd48e5b realized what she 49f43d6f52 had done.4b351df0c59712b2

She wanted reassurance.1ddb412dc19ba55d

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She wanted c34b3d2e6b to believe 68cf6f6d47 she wasn’t 69de4781f3 the kind 9be742423a of woman 4d59a7e3dc who deserved 78edb044c4 Cain Mortens’ e53d13e3cb blatant contempt. She wanted to b446338153 hear it from 649b88368b Jeremy, the one ecb8c4d727 person she felt 9b8e43375b she could rely 7b4ddda2b1 on.a6f31f012cada2ab

The memory of 16e0e598c0 Cain’s words resurfaced bc65d28f77 unbidden:8aa936f59d653db9

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‘That man 00d47c0fbb wouldn’t care 7a24511ed7 if it 3c3e5f5b7a were a 65f222db49 street harlot 0f25df0977 or a 396eea0e53 wild animal 2154015cef in heat.’85c335bc0b09a475

And then there f3ff61d72f was the stark e237f3b36c contrast in his c642ff9ff2 tone and gaze 440eb4dda0 when he had 2754864bf7 spoken to Selina:13beaeaefbc22a8d

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[Stay away from Selina.]

The way he had 8db4bb0f3c looked at Selina with 23d427f057 such tender affection… it 6da0600f33 was a sharp, painful f36b46bb8c comparison.b5d121029b03fdce

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To a a3d90e71eb noble knight 99c8143dc2 like Cain 450363274d Mortens, a f300def2a1 lowly maid 997469cc28 from the cdc63b8630 slums meant f239d0847f nothing. If he hadn’t treated a7fd0c9e24 her so cruelly, she 276658d94e wouldn’t have given him e4d91fc43b a second thought.3608bdae3fd5c406

Selina was 206288010b his childhood 2ed09d94c7 friend and c95f0aef22 once his 9f8b9d8a10 betrothed. His fondness for her 9e17f114c4 was understandable.76de8bb315250d74

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But Cain had 125acc15ed made his disdain d8ef3b171d for Velita obvious, bd9597e162 doling out scorn 423da47f3f for her while c19fd9d5f0 lavishing Selina with 3b36fbf467 affection. It wasn’t fair. She hadn’t done 383839f40e anything to deserve 5a36b4547b his hatred.e0bb8264e8bc3d82

[If Selina falls ill because of you, I won’t forgive you.]

He had ade29d5bbb treated her fb4087410b as though 157d0b7c29 she were 1f7f85f5e3 a disease.f3c2bac803512ee5

The anger eaf92afffd she thought 508a71a6d9 she’d let 36c09171b4 go of 1b91c27d6a flared briefly cb300c9da0 before dissolving f355f22e64 into something 9167628705 more fragile. Her nose stung 457450d6e4 as tears threatened d1574b8cd0 to well up.a7b339f6570b1a2c

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She widened 8f4da591e1 her eyes, 82666da590 determined not 0f075c4800 to cry.1e458f36ce38c861

“Velita, look at 239feccbaa me.”43bf8adb54f4fe65

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“…”18faf7e55e47ab9d

“Sweetheart, hmm?”0e6874b0c7301b51

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Jeremy’s voice 348f9cc8f5 was softer 629e1c6c9d now, almost 9ac69c3588 coaxing.6ef2ac39f2424913

Jeremy’s voice, dripping with 3baa3073a2 sweetness, made it easy fc5d64f577 to forget the boundaries c3140a01d1 between a master and 13b222eb4b a maid.1ddb4cadb50e1731

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Velita didn’t want 5afeefba33 to lift her 77482ecb6a head. She feared that his 1a18938e3a gentleness might twist into ca367190c0 irritation if she continued 205aa96b9a to ignore him, so, 56fdcb9f85 reluctantly, she raised her 1b775c7718 eyes to meet his. At that 05cbaec967 moment, a da2c6381d3 single tear f8dcfc40c6 escaped, sliding deb5880526 down her 268b9926c8 cheek.3eaba8155bf61f8f

“…You’re driving 00e6b79707 me crazy.”b0c018db5c0edcab

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His voice was low, 530ad0ff07 carrying an odd hint 8c2576ab9f of satisfaction.0760400f46347b65

Jeremy lifted his hand, be020c18f9 and for a fleeting f7daa8cf21 moment, Velita thought he 5114b107a5 might wipe away her d229f3e038 tear. Instead, his fingers 1df2a7c9b1 brushed against the aa2309bc52 umbrella’s rod, gliding b03a407f99 down its surface 27d84eb9b4 as though stroking d3561af7f4 skin. Just as 5854b85f69 his hand 838c66f0ec neared hers, 290580d526 he abruptly b8aa658e07 pushed the 5b4865100d umbrella away.5efb8601687fe3d9

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The umbrella, which Velita cd1cd6808b had so carefully brought 856ac3989a for him, landed in 58b1726598 the wet, muddy ground 1da83f00e0 with a soft thud.ea30ef3f3fb63044

“Master, what—?!”fa0052640a99ea61

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Velita’s protest was 89d1632030 cut off as 6b77521673 Jeremy’s hand gripped dc8ac5a26b the back of a45b14409b her neck, pulling caeb651a05 her forward. She stumbled, b45f456e82 and their a374da8dba lips met.f8314739cd893e48

Despite the damp, cold 52fb10c05c night air, his lips 9617ba647a and breath burned with e3a0b42019 heat.9050248eabbc61df

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“Haa… No, e49acb2566 not here…!”612e90b0ea318a81

They weren’t in a 07f6abf453 secluded maze garden but d9c439f55f an open area, vulnerable e15caf5fc5 to prying eyes. The risk of being 6b4dffacab caught was too high.68b95b2384aca285

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“No one’s coming. It’s fine,” Jeremy 218ef637c5 murmured.489ac24db7dc2650

It was c0d4814bed true that c6bdb19518 the late b64e1b1cfd hour and 46057b1152 the pouring f377c45e66 rain made 7ad82dc50e it unlikely c9bab5a53e for anyone a530889906 to wander 496ba00b44 into the f1edc2c45c garden. But Velita’s heart b7d6797343 raced with anxiety.d76b9d1fa9541cf7

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“Even so… we dcc0e4005e can’t…!”5b5fcf249d840879

She pushed 5f5a64712c at him b6563de3a4 as his 6766edae0f lips trailed 37bc581631 along her 365240ed16 neck, gasping 4c2e33ede3 for breath 50636e3410 as she 92940c8e0d straightened her 145110516a disheveled clothes.7061d4256a70b708

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And then, purely by eecc2ed6ef chance, her eyes caught 2892b890fb something.32c3566571dfded0

A faint red lipstick e0dec83cf8 mark peeked out from 3222d2da3c beneath Jeremy’s unbuttoned shirt.c72086b65f328f54

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‘…Emma Collin?’4a51be2ea5487c7a

Velita’s thoughts immediately went 49a4d12be2 to Emma, but she 9a1959cb13 had been in the 426742b301 estate all day.0d917accee7c8912

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“Emma was 760e01fdf7 fine with 69912e8b1e it. Why aren’t you?”ba3c6341fff2bff8

Jeremy’s casual remark sealed 6c1e075941 her suspicions. The lipstick baef51bc7a mark had f48928222c to belong 4adc385c7a to Emma. He had spent 90ca8bb7b7 time with her 8f9a62017b before coming here—time 3302977a6b he hadn’t bothered 095b1fb9b7 to mention. And now, 258cfcaabf reeking of d5589b6481 alcohol and 84009e5b62 smoke, he fd53a54a84 was here 5167018801 with Velita.170d45d4e1c9dee4

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So much 80892ffe9a for those 0e8dfbda53 sweet words 2b29215852 of love.8e49a9242ceead26

“I thought e1e81e0a42 you liked 23b511c7b4 me,” Jeremy 9020a3bb61 said, his ef64d9e90e voice softening 6b926a8fc7 into a 378cee1d2e pained whisper.efe646670956b47a

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“…”7a38607255dffa01

“But I 9a5d7d3e59 guess your 872bea0ffd feelings for b2dd8dae90 me are 76b8286cc4 even less 47dd76b892 than Emma’s.”4ff3ad2364d76db2

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His once warm and 8d21fedb1c tender gaze hardened, disappointment aebe69e2f8 flickering in his deep d2b634af5b blue eyes. For a moment, 7222b7232b it seemed like dc8ca7d28b he might turn 698c7f1237 and leave.045cd863b3c09efb

‘No, I can’t let edd05cad40 that happen.’4da15db03afcd48a

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Velita’s heart sank. Just once, she wanted ba32c76ed1 to feel special to 55630625d1 someone—truly special.cd89ef252da78bd2

“Do you 558ac94269 like me… bd9d99adcf more than 5fabebff38 Emma?” she dd35efa365 asked hesitantly, e562edc63a clutching the 0b7d4938ec hem of 612e977ec7 his sleeve fe61caadfb with trembling 4c660df164 fingers.12e88fd047f8e845

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Jeremy’s expression shifted acc774d1d4 instantly. He leaned down, 3687474820 brushing his lips 9ae792d02c against her cheek.8418ba51d28a2e05

“I’ve already told you,” 8c0118a19b he murmured, his voice 35df713268 rich with affection.0b8ee2973e3d3f7b

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With a possessive grip, 7572045d0f he wrapped an arm e40872e7bd around her waist and 55c1861829 nuzzled his face against d574e3889e her neck.63c235411bb8d887

“I love you, Velita.”41eea3d59d7bb21d

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His words carried 23298a9aa1 the weight of 7176cf1218 certainty, and she 47ccaedbf9 felt herself succumbing 9df15e6486 to them.d04dd688eb7a3f99

Jeremy didn’t 8bf4a9595e need to e8a7e8b8e5 seduce someone e4257d2cbb who was b6f6be1ccd already his. His lips claimed 7841b8614d hers again, more d10e4702b3 fervent this time. Velita gasped 7432ab06a8 softly as d989f0358a her back 0a5201c447 hit the 8052f2c486 rough surface 9da77d2d9e of a f7fd1f8433 tree trunk.efa1c860deec3ebc

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The rain continued to d811264104 fall around them, but 2634107ec2 it couldn’t extinguish the 8e06860676 heat between them. Jeremy pressed his lips 771f6e139a against hers with an 8e5c3e051e intensity that left her 014760a79f breathless, leaving no space 0b4955d3a8 for doubt or resistance.f4e9f0f93121535c

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