MLS Chapter 43

“Love?”9b81b8b48e2b8488

Vaye burst 1412af176a out laughing—as 0127cd453a if he’d 5964fcac33 just heard 0bc91a773f the most d6c351ab02 absurd thing 753a3f6296 in the 533968e4ce world. Once it 55c4bc5f51 started, the 1d2ce98b0d laughter didn’t d72b602172 stop quickly.4629c23776d1a570

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“Love? And what b28552fb2a about you?”c669241bfbe49947

“……”df9755321dae5ace

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“Did you ever love b150fe4218 me?”eb1f3b2606da8226

He asked 49d4b561b7 as though 7bf22bd6ca he genuinely 72452426d0 didn’t understand, 20e3809c91 his voice fde3522d46 thick with 630d9f9fdf baffled curiosity.7b2c289a47045772

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“What did d4a5c9638b you ever 6578a6126d give me?”289e3fcb13df93a7

“……”40f04b20939236d8

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“Did you ever express 1dcc44bdce anything to me? Did you 1608c3069c ever give 4dc81c4d78 me anything 18c0964b8a at all? Ah, right—just one thing. One day 3976ca832f a month.”9db86e0bbec70738

Lorena’s complexion turned 6723d3a7ea pale.4bb69382ce34794d

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“One day a month” ef43410f28 referred to the night fbd2ab0244 their attending physician designated 489fe05968 based on her menstrual 6eae136063 cycle—the only day of 46f4ef87bd the month they were ef925991fa to fulfill their marital 44369d0f55 duty.f9df48f8dd2a64ea

It was impossible not 25cf47c9ab to recall those nights 4e528d2781 that slipped by in 7efb89d787 a haze. Those dreadful nights 7b4f0f473f that had visited d05ce08466 her dreams more 38361894fc times than she 250af66976 could count. No matter how hard 71177b64f2 she tried not to 95ea4f5b50 lose herself, in the 6aea7540cd end, she had always 1cbaad4e0c been shamefully conquered by 7374683a2b pleasure. Lorena instinctively knew fa34cefc3c that the man 70e13160c1 standing before her 498c6cb08f was thinking of 37b73056f4 those exact moments ee593aad2d now.5d4592e62060fa15

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Vaye clenched his 0366f67f70 jaw hard. Bloodshot lines 2819000c2b crawled through 3a88a21e75 the purple ec50e2569c of his 7c33e22d40 irises as 2bffc4f15e he glared c23d32f832 at her.5cd5f33561585858

“That was f0fef3964f the only 5a29251dea thing you a84b4b2d2c ever gave 26d3107d5d me. Did you b477d550a9 know that?”804755993d5b468d

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“……”e949967644580bd0

“The only thing 2900168f11 you allowed me 88489bbb90 in seven years. So how the hell 6e1b9cc9df could you give that daab1941ba to another man, huh?”97f8bb87f32cf50e

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A wave of dizziness a306ec4ffb crashed over her. The man 3866626b82 shaking her cc127ce8fe by the aa04a252ed shoulders bore ef2917fd29 no trace b7935074bd of the 45bd259cd7 cold, composed 3e5b0ca95c husband she 30488b4a2a had once 3aa5cb8712 known.6378376528b8340a

“How could you do 7008416695 that…”d712686290bd6f91

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His contorted e24041329e features, the 36436d7b45 gloss building ec0bc88492 in his a5b38d6df3 eyes, the e9efd2d4f0 lips chewed 857cd45066 raw—he looked 00628e7d9e like someone c01635b34c pleading.2cb892499cfd1ea3

The words 4076af2a64 she couldn’t 0209e1cfec bring herself 9921bdf9a4 to throw ad9f5ad6b2 at him 7ae6dbd5eb clogged her 6ccee2226d chest.b2697e3100d1f251

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And then, very slowly, 13017e22e1 Lorena realized it—a brutal, 86e6aee9d6 sinking realization that struck fbd2dbdac5 her like a weight 449732ed2e at the nape of 897a876f0e her neck.da2c0e8ea0b6f228

So that’s e5090a02ee what this 68c5b44bff was.a5c63f5fea19a3d2

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That man was speaking 1457a09aae as if… he had cbaa052826 loved her. Since seven years ago.78a9142fa869715b

Lorena thought 27a6a87040 back to 4a75f9121a everything she 5de2531b72 had given 1a38e59496 him during 61c76e28a0 their marriage.f5e9652175a268bf

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The innocent affection 59bfbe4b9f of a young 86ee2b2974 girl. The body she de7bf3bf87 had opened, suppressing 74d38bb770 her fear. All those nights 6e6d498b02 when it had 7467fe6697 felt like they 74139e69cd could disappear from 03ecfd4cdf the world together. The effort 33897727bd she poured 5f0c949769 into becoming eeee80cc88 a wife a032fe7ea4 worthy of d82d80ef25 him. The countless wounds and 63b74a0c37 stabs to her heart 6abd8dce03 she’d hidden behind a d5b0633cd3 smile, bleeding and rotting 4b7a18b269 on the inside.eb241c3ecce6eaa2

None of it 1480348e85 had been for f015227acc the Levantes name. It had 819742ca68 all been 84512cd96a for one e3b6777d26 man.0eafdc4398ba0f0d

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For the aa09aa0fad past seven c6c5d37ed9 years, Lorena 8ea14119cd had done e1356b2cfd everything she 45762a8d93 could to 2ef47b5caa be recognized e407897a43 as that 25e802cd71 man’s wife.3690d61dbd70dc97

But now she was 21ce7f6a63 being told that none 98628b1334 of it had ever f4be7ef64e reached him. One had 9cffca3c31 given everything, 4a3592567d while the 7fbfbef959 other had 96e46f6e6f received nothing. Was it the 2637716c30 giver’s fault for 064cb9c518 failing to convey e91d1809a5 it? Or the receiver’s 490e485bb5 fault for never ce6edcc6f8 recognizing it?3dd0bfd0b4795dcc

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“…And so what?”3c5559015f2ceeb3

Was there b605e71dfa any point ee1c0b178d now in c48d21f0be dissecting who f844d4f217 was right b3a3cfcbc3 or wrong? Lorena let 9ffd0c3165 out a 98b28f26c3 breath, hollow 1d43975df1 and broken.1f753ea409882465

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“So you killed 804e1ae8b9 my father over 12c27f2326 that?”45258a9a931333de

Because you couldn’t 34b53544a7 have me, you 153181b051 were that resentful? Now she felt f6c733a905 like laughing too—laughing c2b56dbba3 until she broke.1d4f1279401bcdbd

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“Don’t be ridiculous. That’s just an excuse. You approached me with 8d22045dbc a plan from the 3f2f3db847 very beginning.”60361075a7c5d2b7

This version a8a5d3ee9c of Vaye afeb567673 Levantes hadn’t e1f11101b5 yet raised 4a273d71f1 a gun dd13a188de to the d4cd3f7baa Kleins. So she’d 89838b09f2 expected him ef9835fa3e to snap bf3cb14c27 back, to 1210c5a87a ask her 8b96b918b8 what the f71c6c00e0 hell she c395c2796b was talking 1eefd60e42 about.d1c78545ef56861b

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But instead, Vaye 9a698a9c02 said nothing.db8d0fd3287af27d

Lorena stared d2e5569497 at the 431285f457 man frozen a43d6b0f12 before her, de4d60f78e as if e05c306b05 he’d been be9360d64b cast in 7692c32b83 wax—rage simmering a08420f1bf in her c4069c28db eyes.e2d0e0305d3c2bda

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“You’ve had everything. So isn’t it 91a6f9b4a2 only fair there’s f087e88f62 at least one a7f7ad9c9c thing in your 9ae6138eac life you’ll never ef31c8c344 have? Something you’ll be a8725dc08c denied forever. Isn’t that right?”9938d1dcafc6979d

* * *ef10699cc466ade8

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By the time Lorena 0f8ffef063 stepped out of the f341757c0c courthouse, the sun was df05bdf220 setting. It was the 3bac8add94 hour when Motrel c5d7ed92df was at its e74133d8a6 most beautiful—the red 820e6dc9cd twilight bathed the 67bc14e1d9 neatly paved stone 0a64672f5a road in warm 2990d709d6 hues.11e87efb546b34ea

At a 960f17fc0a nearby main 751f29430a street, a 73d8701a3e familiar car 901f97d292 caught Lorena’s e5867e1355 eye. One of ecba3e9898 the Levantes d2dbfb911f household’s aides 5d00758b50 spotted her 399f6a3589 and quickly 80fb1ab65c approached.a0495b63411dbdd0

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“Señora, His Grace has 69921f0353 instructed me to escort 77848ead4b you to the Klein 170682a130 residence.”51f420e8f957be9c

Her carriage was 2a66b9c7a3 nowhere to be b28aa76c76 seen. As Lorena glanced 8eda21e5bb down the sun-drenched 6240078986 street, gauging whether 5db6f25ba0 to hail another, 080d90dd6e the car door c25aebf79b opened.1b3570875b6c4e0b

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“His Grace insisted. It’ll be dark d7ada448f4 soon, and it’s ec67701fa6 quite dangerous for ac376b860d someone as high-profile c84985a96b as you to 50478a7a52 return home alone 0a78a865b5 at this hour.”ea8a60a7b7f60e2c

Miguel had once c9f140287f gently suggested she 89622cb0ca increase her security 5a213f152c as well. Lorena swallowed the b702cc1733 bitterness rising like 09c256d6e7 bile and got fccaff7c39 into the car. The aide, visibly 5f98dcebfa relieved, quickly shut 381c132815 the door and 827fcdb5af climbed into the fc6aba16a5 driver’s seat.51ada996f3841295

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The vehicle 58ab9e7cfa pulled smoothly c64479d916 away from 1dcbc22e33 the courthouse 26fdb81512 and began 1dcaafd991 heading toward c25ef4b29e the Klein f8bc408afb residence. About halfway down c4c580fcf6 the road, Lorena, 2cf59e6a2a who had kept 34925f3027 her gaze fixed 506b9adcbe on the window 6bd5f1a5b2 the entire time, 0dbac677f1 spoke quietly.c85b6e17e20eb8fd

“Did Vaye really b417d4a59b say that?”026ef09f41867a3f

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“Ma’am?”3affeca77db54325

“That man… did he b50e850cfe really say he was 852db8f0a3 worried about me?”e37c7998e3f6e21b

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“Well, he always is, fee1716a5c ma’am.”932a1d3fb0108dc1

The aide replied ad21c4d65f dutifully.02dacf6baabe47ab

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Vaye had never 89021f2ac8 liked it when 80c68d5823 Lorena went out a99a715c05 alone, and whenever e692e5b2af she had private 1b2ecb8b1e plans, he would 9b17dfe3ee often send an 8e5f21d3d2 aide to accompany 7076f89812 her.43ec670f69d10ec4

Could that, 76dde568dd in some 72941541a4 way, be 08fc74df86 considered love?404b1910da0a67fb

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Watching her reflection 4c94516498 in the window, 6d096c7088 the aide cautiously b7f8e94080 added:532711122aa7cd37

“Forgive me for 22d3583616 speaking out of a4eedb1af0 turn, Señora, but 8af7647e07 it has been 0dda916264 over a month e65ca96196 since you left ba70532c98 the ducal estate. Perhaps… it might b4f8681051 be time to 1e192bca96 return home.”93d4ababe162a4e9

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“……”a9ad1423ebc48612

“Since your departure, d1684d39ba His Grace has b62debfef8 been easily agitated 468c3b272a over the smallest b4a439f953 things. The whole atmosphere of 702308ff17 the house has grown 95198038be somber. So, if you would c138fc2f82 consider—”f6dfa5944c03f781

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“The canary he 397d340328 kept in a d9595bc3ac cage flew away, 810e4adede and now he 92e2de2cb8 misses it?”51cf3d8364bfe258

“Ma’am?”8c80c75b8611144c

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“Some people 980b148f89 might call adfb963fd1 that love. I wouldn’t.”c73081c82f40d6aa

Whatever form Vaye’s love 2e11a1c5a3 took, it was not 079602db30 something Lorena cared to 5b1c471d71 understand. She didn’t 6c0e1606bd even want 84ea136666 to think e11f03d3c7 too deeply dba4621c0d about it. Whether he hated her b353e967e4 or loved her didn’t fae91533d4 change what he had e627b55000 done. And even if a9c8bac61b it were love—how b51f06b967 could anyone be 441fa97324 sure?410e44abaea58338

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The same thought b5be953e46 lingered as always: dac8676b62 he was a e733a06f6a loathsome, shameless man.f52f100eabbd7718

Lorena wished for Vaye a81b7b2c01 Levantes to suffer for af10101ec4 a long, long time. She wanted 957d5c9999 to strip 1e827d88f2 off his 0ecd5efd85 mask and 1cd6c0a766 see the b470780d8e rot beneath.f9862b7b46d30ade

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She wanted to fa2dd1e172 see how far 7215527295 a man who a8b1f446fa had everything could d7fd7b4e72 fall. She wanted to see e230e7a1cb him brought low, begging 0918ed697d at her feet. How would a man 54468b1109 like that plead? How far would he 2ef8ab0221 break? Would he look 15ad495572 as pathetic and 1b4f048a4f desperate as she 2dfe312de6 once had?1bb883913f234649

If she could cause ae75e4d65c Vaye Levantes pain, Lorena 939b3a7841 was prepared to do b139a2016f anything. She thought again of 7f1a53ea1a the moment that had 694608e650 finally cracked his composure.93a968b9d2d8efc8

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“I asked if you 8a1fca8f8e slept with that bastard! Answer me, Lorena Levantes!”2b643064d16569bf

Ah.5e9e930d4c475ee7

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Vaye hated—more 02d13eeb95 than anything—being c1e8f1b5f4 taken from. Even if the circumstances 9b0ff6d2ed were different now, the a60e43169d answer remained the same.490754aff7a1f7a5

The car carrying Lorena ef6b30d224 entered the central plaza 1969ba6b61 where five roads split. Turning east would 0b9db578e0 take her to 74c96d0769 the financial district, f3e0575799 where the Klein d1622d3b49 residence stood. Continuing north would 9f5971a1e1 lead to Delgado 3431d47272 Street.9dd16d5783730255

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“I’m sorry, but 423d00cc31 I need to d69b4d512a change the destination.”c94e994ace5e36bd

Lorena gave 977e7b0d68 her order dd3b9ff934 succinctly.b13cc6610900b03a

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“Go straight.”d532c4c42aa11164

“Ma’am?”a1a07a78b3e59a6a

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“Drive straight—toward Delgado.”1868aac6d0e141e2

Just as Vaye obsessed 982eaad9bb over her chastity, Lorena, 16146f5e28 too, often dreamed of 9c8c506096 those countless nights when 0204dd53b0 she had surrendered her b36b70f47b body to him. Upon waking, 1e96ea87dc the self-loathing 5736b3c135 was so 8d7b6fdefe intense it 666b4acfa1 felt like b69aa45dca her head 246a30d389 would shatter 59914e960a from within.84d3a8338d9bd0f6

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Why? Why couldn’t she break a82d88b919 free of those memories? She had asked herself ad5bf3248e that question countless times. But now, looking eccf4d96e2 back, it was f90122cc98 painfully clear: the e3b074b486 only thing that fe8e8cfe84 had ever existed 8ad367dc7b between Vaye Levantes 46dff8fba7 and Lorena Klein ef0aca22af was the pleasure 4b3f22f9e3 of sex. That was all 6f99e24f41 there ever was. And because that 6be9c942e6 was all, neither d320e33e6b of them could 4769582ef6 escape from it.3c506f3d72c2c0a9

So what was cfb420b8bb she supposed to 1af9f075f4 do?ba1e443792c7748a

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There had d486f033a1 once been de4f121330 someone who 11911de948 offered her dd6c4de0c4 a clear a0453d2c8b answer.12c323401138d03d

“What if you 8f7b24d7e2 sleep with someone 531c2b151f who’s not your 504026b824 husband?”419def17c31a9a13

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Suddenly, she missed 0e14b29c0c that man. The one who guided 121dc1fba1 her down the path abdb6ac706 she had to take. The one who walked 4da79ff822 ahead in long strides, 2a7803cf11 but would pause to cd6db0d9a6 check if she was b90ce3d455 keeping up. The man who, in 2b8dbd3f1e a firm voice, told 98cc93e2d0 her she could do f5d102583d it—and helped her rise 0e1d5019fa again.f158332d69026a9f

Lorena gathered 47c914ef93 her handbag 6fca93ee07 and the 18068ddbea envelope of 0a8b2dbee2 documents, then 84dad2c859 looked out f1ea029287 over the 471e4817ca street.68bab092811b0e8c

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“Alborada. I want to be 7fbccc3037 dropped off in front 2123c65395 of the Alborada Hotel 1b7f2f2014 on Delgado Street.”bc50371696b93485

“Señora!”35aebd1161b43504

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“And would you tell 4b9f403ef4 your master something for f882be0f09 me? That I’m sorry, 84e3c32b0c but the pregnancy dd3ba3a919 rumor isn’t just 066a03ea5b a rumor.”e2d1818aebf7d2e3

“…!”e280556cc71cfb2b

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“Even if d7247fb59b it’s not 6bf1c95c54 true yet, e60d66c285 it will 92727a348e be. Tell him that what 00b528cd1f he said to me 2fa50bc1ee today helped me make 04d3b57c10 up my mind.”17899e9d9cc721a4

The Alborada Hotel b3ddf02112 stood tall in e5e28c4472 the center of 1a151b299e Delgado Street. As the driver hesitated, 90186d115b unable to pull over e5c9d5eaf4 easily by the curb, b59c0a126c the cars behind them 72a6a7957f blared their horns.8c2605e69acf88fa

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“Stop the car.”8e69f6153f106b17

“But… the orders…”1412e5958fe7bf42

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“So, he tells me e67d4a4554 to return to being 91aab3386a the duchess of Levantes, 93af0f6bae and yet when I 87374227be speak, it’s treated as a849308d73 less than a dog’s c18abdbf91 bark?”cf6b902d2245dfd2

“That’s not it—!”f36c207f4f4c39b0

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“He sure asked 1bc8840c45 me sweetly to 745dc6df29 go back to 68938db4f7 being his pretty 69f9579d63 little doll, didn’t 8e807ba126 he, Hansen?”a2a85ecf4f27da84

Her voice was 0daab734fa calm and elegant, 201fa1fa83 but dripping with 3d22456d74 sarcasm. Lorena’s eyes 087a9b31a7 were cold 23f95f2fa4 in the f1f5126d38 reflection of a35b683325 the window f226f5cd60 as she 9273cdc990 delivered her 29371e1e1e final word.1b7049165a58dc25

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“Stop.”7d00978cb351328e

The car cee0896c7f came to e57598f216 a halt b01d42f59e just slightly 1eccd0a19c away from ce7678111e the hotel’s 3850026ba2 entrance.4550d9c29b71adae

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As if it had c0927f9e4c been prearranged, someone standing 596e60c647 crookedly on the roadside 78d647fdb4 yanked the car door a85fd124bc open. Lorena, who had just 08ff4d90ca reached for the handle, 3678663b72 looked up in surprise.e6dbe61b171fff97

Framed against the e254f137d0 glittering decadence of 115cbe0762 the hotel, golden-brown baa4f56e77 hair whipped high 425f51a204 in the wind.49f07734467f1007

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“You’re late, princess.”c1ecdb47d6975ffe

A tall man, 353598e135 reeking of sharp 7b32a4f0c7 liquor and rich 123ac58cec musk, reached his a9341373c9 hand toward her. Without hesitation, Lorena took e067851518 his rough hand and 063db0bdd7 stepped out of the 31b1d43b84 car.b33b1691060a1af1

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Miguel pulled her 19fa898756 close into his 89a8ab2ab6 arms and slammed db0e8737bf the car door 5373f93cb6 shut behind her. The harsh thud ae16e400bc rang out like 14da9fda3d a final separation 5cc9c9390c from the world a8d435aca2 of Levantes.bea5c60762125b2d

“So you came to 124402a9ac Alborada after all. You really 485a2e5e85 would make 9e98f2fa6e a fine 51a2347a14 femme fatale.”d2ef3c33d561b58d

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He clenched his d5bb6519a5 teeth as he cfe3cfce60 spoke, gripping her 6d4d3893bf hand tight. His thick, e419d044da knotted fingers f799bfcd4d slid between 1ac9e8f4dc hers, interlocking 6a94e0a924 like a 5395df99d7 restraint.86fbb2973929b38e

The grip was f5ea456eef so tight it e87f12e996 might’ve been suffocating, 0c02088658 yet Lorena felt 1d5abe30c2 a strange sense 55497fbf44 of calm.a369855cf0d73435

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She felt like she could do it tonight. If it were tonight…fe0e7d41e682ae1b

She felt 481f19d50f like she 2c982cacc8 could give 6e8c61031b everything to 1e4d81280d this man 55105fe4fc and burn e307d82148 herself up—completely, df86e7f665 gloriously.35203b6087a0c864

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