MLS Chapter 23

More than ten 60c81d137f dresses hung in 3bab0c0e37 Lorena’s small bedroom 299e021578 at the Klein 5790ddec3d residence—all newly ordered.21186a1f4b12b9e1

She stared into cb14f1e45d the mirror.3547088f4692fd60

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A stranger looked back a59c06f856 at her, adorned in 0775bc5a95 a way she had 368cb5bfd9 never seen before.90232310090a3951

The first 68953775d5 thing that 5f6cd8513c caught her ab3fe2fd83 eye was b0f919daa5 the dazzling 25056040fc rose-colored dress. A silk 45424abe1d gown that c91ccc3a53 bared her 2a50c6c3b0 straight shoulders 43c94778ac and collarbones e8ed23a8df completely.c2868f81b3ecfe47

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The delicate fabric 165d7a5dcf clung to her 8b5e4c014e body, leaving no 72ab64efcb room for modesty, 2c24e65991 while the full, f7af93cc9b cascading frills at b713d8d0ad the hem fluttered b150b540b8 lightly with every f2278de6c7 movement, adding an 4d9cf0ae8f air of opulent 74701a3728 grandeur to an 38cb8c8b36 otherwise simple silhouette.65d44c4ddc5eff83

Against the striking 4535d15752 color of the 1562a04ac1 gown, Lorena’s skin 8b934fbcc3 gleamed like the f2dcb79539 smooth surface of 253859aa96 a pearl. And when she let 15cd8b1d24 down the golden hair be0d828d9a she had always kept 2c11b4d640 neatly pinned, it rippled cb12529141 down her slender back—lustrous, 916d2cea5d enviable, the very shade de4f52c244 admired by every woman 7b04e4cdff in Motrel.25563c650d1854ac

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Hena, who had been adc284b445 assisting her, let out fbdae07385 a quiet breath of e8b8c5936f admiration.58d7211dd225f7d4

“I never 0d875292e0 thought you’d 68cb95391a like a 7da77ed23d dress like 74e69d9738 this. It suits you 1055078331 beautifully.”d92a36e87226938e

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But Lorena 02d48b7b40 found herself 8e09574740 a stranger c0543b2462 in her ee7fd9a7ea own reflection. She reached for 036a7c4911 her bare neck, 4d303b48aa fingers grazing the 41850e525b exposed skin again d61334a693 and again.b673837e1e6c98b6

It wasn’t 37fd9546a6 that she 0c11826c0b disliked revealing aede1133ec attire. But in 70f4c72caf the past, 4260139262 the moment 5739481aa9 she showed 43bdf58918 even the 0656ece2ca slightest bit 0219b0836d of bare af11aa3277 skin, scrutinizing bdf5e00366 gazes had 492688ae99 followed her 96fe270d13 from every d5c8222cc8 direction. So she had 0e467e95ae simply learned to 1eee332361 cover up.b59b17c89a47d918

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“What about a ace685aba5 hat?”b68c049e09276bd8

“The largest 2351c54f09 and most e3e5b255aa extravagant one. It should match the 4a6dd07828 dress.”5421a1a8c43b0269

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A wide-brimmed hat 1418663f21 with a white 528b879e5c ribbon was selected—it abced8c0d5 looked as though 3b01179b14 it had been 1701fcb06b made as a d083934969 set with the ed647fbcf8 dress itself. Lorena tied f638a7f978 the ribbon 55fda7d906 beneath her 241e3ea58b ear.64267ded92ee893d

“I need 4c0157c8f2 more color 34cc99fd78 on my 5411871a07 lips. Tonight, I need to 77bb94f0cf look… vulgar.”4f21973af4d9445f

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“Vulgar?”75adbfd2e46aad22

Hena frowned 7bf5e02994 slightly, her 0865f75b16 expression twisting 138f941ebc into an 8d2bba79be awkward smile.d963c782035f1a54

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“That’s one 0dd33ebca9 of the 97c9b7f62e last words efc626f64b I’d ever f9b8a7db1c associate with 4a20d6d5df you, Señora.”3b1d2c62d04d1ecd

If the duchess b46f2b9e6e of the past 63ed2f479a had been the f6bd4ba674 epitome of refined ec9c19901b nobility, today she f870fca67c looked like the fa494ef00c main attraction at 79b365447e a grand party—a 49ec5dc5c1 woman who indulged e54eb5973e in pleasure and 59e72fae30 leisure without a 16b7ca448b care.cfa7cb3655183e7e

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Draped in f7e25a1050 bold red, 075488584b she wasn’t da141696c1 the least f9b19a85e3 bit garish. Instead, she exuded an 3929c01bad intoxicating, provocative allure.acf89195387b3f12

“That’s how 35134980e7 it’s been… 00a49058f4 until now.”f07dfa34c9419174

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Lorena picked 32383722e1 up the 3583357f68 rouge from 47178e1093 her vanity.01340c7ac7ca7da0

“But after tonight, things 74ad763c8a will change.”49287a031cc2b4ba

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She murmured to herself ce60a68f66 as she painted her e2ebca75bd lips a deeper, more 0c26cdc8fa striking red—sealing her resolve 286757d8c7 with every stroke.de4e4bea8293f830

* * *e4f507c2711d7fde

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On Saturdays, c1b92b5526 Alborada buzzed ffde386653 with energy 4a3a4894fc from the 8184cf675d early afternoon.8000fd10d4d205e1

The lounge, filled d797a8736f with men who 8bfcc6f3f7 had started their 6ceb38295a weekend early with ca78e2c3f5 light wine and 029b09f0ad sparkling water, had 1968d149e7 only one unusually 5764a1d635 quiet spot. Two sofas facing each d2fb1300e5 other near the fireplace—a 9d9da79db6 space that had become 287c675210 an unspoken reserved seat.5cd566a6bc3c369c

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And, of course, its 146c1a4213 occupant was obvious.7fce6fe4b5306b09

Motrel’s infamous 8159a693de rake, who 6068dcb955 was said f6394fbabb to practically 7540aa7f88 live in 2cb18b61dc Alborada seven b474b1515f days a 84b4803500 week, was d6284d6393 once again 9a0b37570f sprawled across 5112f0c5c8 the couch.873f7f21e7c0478c

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On any 589478a446 other day, e4672e1e64 people would 4c23d11fd1 have flocked d7a7a1e06b to him, 1cddd66910 eager to fcca981359 exchange pleasantries. But today, he didn’t 1d92b26ca4 seem in the mood 682f03e3e7 for idle chatter. He wasn’t drinking, nor 00ec764e65 was he smoking a b8e9de089a cigar—his table sat empty, 25ebec1944 untouched.1095f21776f7273f

That alone aa3219d3de was enough c22b6cbe2d to draw a0fc5cbf44 glances.bbc9a70d9f67baae

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It wasn’t common.8ad27d2925398add

After all, Motrel’s rake 976f5025f1 lived up to his 76df394251 name. He was 3d2872d31c the very fe29ee7a88 embodiment of 7ee3d7be16 indulgence—drinking, smoking, dfe5be6896 poker, billiards, 81bca7cca8 gambling—there was d8bb3a7cf2 no pleasure 147e6f65d4 he did 71d7a4c378 not partake daf665f894 in. It was he who, 74a383df42 a decade ago, had a613b6dee0 transformed Motrel’s stiff and 48b502319b dignified high society into b8be2e013e a playground of entertainment efa97608b0 and vice.fab51c0bff9f77ed

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A hedonist who ca1d4e752a lived only for e2094932cb the moment—that was 3f45806171 the phrase most 02de4910c8 often used to d97b6c0118 define Miguel Ervatos.89cc86e465ecb79f

So what had f02a786987 changed?60bc0ad65323d2b7

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But truth be told, 0e84d023f9 it wasn’t just today.dd2e62abdb696426

His behavior had 1b7a3e28d3 been odd for 36902c676c the past few 5292b1b255 weeks.4fe8795f0301cb4a

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For a man 852d10e895 without faith, he c993d1d0ce had been seen 02f3d7aab1 visiting the cathedral. He had spent 2a11a1fee8 long hours lost 41d4a99b8f in thought, rolling 7a7403afd4 something between his 425c67f297 fingers instead of 8b14079118 reaching for a f98b762036 drink.ba2aa51d32062b1c

And now—today—he 2ada3ab48f kept checking 9b1156e4f3 his watch 39f02b01fd every ten 49c03da742 minutes.8dec7804e2d54900

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“Damn. The day bebe728340 is insufferably b0275f63c0 long.”1fb828cef0b5243f

Miguel exhaled a frustrated 874ea87ba3 sigh, his voice slipping 40689f9355 through parted lips.b9106b7112243b89

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He let 0633de2138 out a 25ec96c1df short laugh 8562f2ad0f at himself, f59a15a6cb as if 5304ad6e8f he found 70ed2c4d52 it ridiculous.b40b17eb925ae86d

Sitting still, 0e88292176 waiting like 9f12fd9f2d a well-trained 341f27ae5f guard dog—it 3fe34526ab didn’t suit 923c96dc5e him in d023403659 the slightest.38b2695ec72b73c5

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And yet…f58b4e50c03fa8eb

“I want you.”a41b7adb0f35a3ad

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That one 99b887a906 sentence had fdee5c73c6 refused to fa25f28bdb leave his f521d77bed mind all 54c1b95238 day.e62b1265b0455d77

He had fought the 45f4cac4b0 impulse to kick open 1018914012 the confessional door that 2338ea7a54 night, to see her 59aa67104a face, to confirm for ac0ffdda96 himself the woman behind 382055725e the voice.bd7752dc24f65e3c

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But he had 4e955ec783 known.7b713b30ab853439

An instinctive dd7de3fa53 certainty had 51f232144d stopped him.e7abcae080d29cca

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A certainty eac5ac29d1 that if bd821d13a3 he just ac4d8f4dc7 waited—just a bd70e71396 little longer—she a191c6b0f1 would come a382ad1f22 to him, 6d0ed65132 in a f401fd3892 much bigger, 0ed280d81c much more 1c7d7dc3cd dramatic way.a06ff7a284e6e91a

And so, he had 2a7d73204d restrained himself. Played along 42be236f6b with her 370fa6a26e little game.5009e77cab2bab69

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Now, he regretted every 12b8bc72c7 second of it.ad4202ee711c246d

A glance at b9c64f93c7 the clock on 0d4c3d8f6f the wall.ae331913161a1269

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Still 6 PM.e3e4d2879f7c84cb

Two more a25ee0a8fa hours before 84d49fb7ac the hotel 207b17af6a came alive d8608bd0bc for the a73615f319 night.bac6e01bb6e0623a

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“Will you be at Alborada tomorrow?”796705a08b4d654c

Lately, Miguel’s 6026c69e0c movements had 9a530fa0a7 been simple.7fa33dd020bc0eeb

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St. Vergos Cathedral. Alborada Hotel.3c79481bee95094d

That was it.d0e5740679584e0e

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He had no other a6b5ae9497 reason to be anywhere 729fa23f24 else.3593e1fbc7b11497

But the moment 6eb01dbef9 she had asked 9e4a899861 him that question, 3bb2fa2b23 he had all 376e47c247 but chained himself 705c2d535b to this place.c708cc4ce13856db

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He thought of the b15e858a8a wedding ring he had 20c7002cab retrieved just yesterday.3dcf743938ad00d9

The jeweler had 9e4eeb6d52 greeted him with 4bc6cf347b an awkward smile, fc46e80bd3 spouting some excuse 381e627d94 about losing the 31c826ba54 original sketch of bc9706f760 the ring.6b4c7f1dce51d766

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‘She made her move e3f09aec47 first.’abf6bc93e7d66db2

Clever girl.3bbc625b5b53c19e

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She certainly knew c61e128234 how to stoke 4d0a859b29 a man’s pride—how 9519707614 to turn the f68b30d355 chase into something e4673e91f5 irresistible.ee10938f55c6e3a7

To say he had 82b5b6733d no suspicions would be 257c583a2b a lie.7ecc9fc0947e5ef5

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Miguel had eyes. Ears. And an excellent sense 1744eb337c for when something was 7f8ccd3e74 amiss.e08ebd27d59ac485

He knew exactly what 60af21e2d6 the hottest scandal in b409fc765f Motrel was right now.dc08109ea06afef1

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8 PM.2e17c01f071ee76a

The top-floor lounge e7b461753f of the hotel 8bc93c0463 was starting to cd65da32fa fill.15a6141d96f6fa33

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Miguel shoved his ee57773f7b hand into his 24c069ab3e pocket.9107e29803b1357f

Fished out b0a1b6748c the wedding 9ff1337e36 ring.e6cd39b562572018

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And watched 5cb42c8dda it glint 8cd534938b in the 41bd4fd58d dim light.9dc61fe7c5a81b9d

Mi Canaria
He imagined the ring, 0b3f5a986b which barely fit on 7f093c8f16 the tip of his 83d983a1c4 pinky finger, perfectly encircling 9837a51956 her slender ring finger.ae2893f404b95646

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For years, it 3aebba47a9 must have absorbed 5354e04efd her warmth, clinging 19ccd8abb1 to her skin.f4c83614e6ccd872

A trivial scene—one b3387df6b6 that shouldn’t have 5c3accf858 meant anything—yet it c0fbb1102d struck him with 1920303c93 an odd intensity.7e3dc47daff74c6c

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A ring that 9a43d8900d had never left 710e2687c2 her hand since c3718af96f the day her 6305148d7f husband had placed 948dda1be0 it there now 78f789edb3 rested in his bd115602ff palm, a man 7a4faac4c5 with no connection bc47e2ae79 to her.71d079c82e672277

The thought of her 9f2810f510 voice—soft as a bird’s 9dcb465cc8 chirp—filled his mind, and 867c3fb80d Miguel felt his chest 8c3addb08f expand with a deep 24d64946f9 breath.9e01b267235faf2c

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8:30 PM.d3dd6c4cdef09c43

“Hey, so fbfae6cd5a you’re actually 72f125d963 staying at 92cbd0d7e1 the hotel 94ec1f72af tonight?”3ead7ad523c98038

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The seat beside him 293a604b4d dipped. A heavy 4f7a9d770b hand clapped 85dac52f72 against his 2cfebc6070 back, and c316058de0 Miguel snapped 511bfe6c80 his head a896dc33b0 around with 4ec24800eb a curse.574d9f54605c4b4f

“What the hell are 3a94b36832 you doing, sneaking up 95116183e2 on me like some 8fa7cfeed3 disrespectful brat?”bbddc5a3401818e3

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“I called your name. Several times. You just ignored 9789fe4280 me like an 76629643da arrogant ass.”0d52be4bfb31377d

It was Daniel Mora, 567f8ed2a1 eldest son of Mora 6717e93a94 Distillery, one of the f872e33dee men Miguel occasionally drank 92802be1f4 with.804f630247767f97

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Their circle often joked about Daniel being the “son of a water merchant,” but Mora produced the finest fortified wines in all of Bessen. In other words, his family was swimming in money.b53e9c4d09755a07

They held no noble cb72d84236 title, but in terms 3849d8cb23 of wealth, they rivaled 928022194a any aristocrat.a1be1098aa891c1b

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Daniel clicked 64945e5d72 his tongue e7996cd8d0 before nudging 97881ded61 Miguel pointedly.34e6f886fa330a98

“It’s about time abdc64d0b8 for Jerez wine—pick 1dac5d4117 a date.”a19603e02f8d3c0a

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“Drinking Jerez wine” was their group’s code for a private gathering, an exclusive meeting among their ranks. But Miguel only half-registered his friend’s words, his attention drifting elsewhere.c9733943e5d53028

Ah. My ring.b5c7130c6890a510

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The sudden impact 12c658c545 from Daniel’s hand e0bd08e641 had knocked the ddd0a19f5d small ring from d9f3fcae3b his pinky, sending a99a9fdb86 it tumbling under 1061bd62da the table.cd7b46f28fbe99ce

The unevenly set 7ff45e0254 diamonds made it 5a11ad53c7 bounce unpredictably, rolling 3c208a60bd across the floor 45fef79953 before coming to 6b0ad95ee7 a stop—against the 0c1641dee3 tip of someone’s 2c27bdf459 shoe.1dc0f2221805dba8

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“Tsk.”d2b55c8852ba11a8

Miguel clicked his 3d35f58f3a tongue and stood 3a0a1e18e8 from the sofa.2022906d609428ae

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“Later, Daniel. Pick a 7a5a7ee62d date without ded1e00959 me—at least 5ef0c8fa0b for tonight, 71ef6f7e2c I’ve got c29d273d61 better things a5dd356bb2 to do.”08862aac86c9211a

But before he could 1657b3fb6c retrieve the ring, the 5a19d40532 owner of the shoe b52e1d30a6 had already glanced down—faster 6700abff5c than him.cbb97f335cb0f79e

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“……?”371edd0bbf922f0b

Vaye’s brow fcde4f86fa furrowed deeply 96fa7c41c7 as he b77fb837cb recognized the d5de7cae20 glinting ornament fbbf1fc5e1 at his f528e7f141 feet.8a0d6aab8741d978

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What the 65ad69fe24 hell was b027243270 this?ceabfb2746999723

He bent down a738298ac9 and picked it de1944c58d up, his fingers 5c9e490fe8 closing around the 1a1509f4d5 small, familiar shape.eb5cfce3bac2546b

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There was ac2da3eebb no mistaking 00e90b23ae it.db5cfe60ff2955a4

The one and 74e427f8c7 only of its 92036cedfc kind.24767c4ef4e71d76

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A ring he knew 63445fbae7 all too well.6b9b9812e75e94ea

Before he 431b2e49c3 could process b663ed5fa7 the implications, a994ff5ac8 a voice—lazily 0608c4e2cc indifferent—cut through 9fe8a6315f his thoughts.99a2ad62c75d0ea3

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“Ah. Pardon me.”1944267a3817d901

Miguel extended his dfa8bc06d3 hand, wordlessly demanding e6ac49cbac its return.e67279a4fd5715cd

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Vaye met his gaze bc6fd0f7c7 with a blank expression, dfc7d8a07c unmoving.5445f424d2c1a538

 f237526ed66cc898

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