MLS Chapter 44

“So when I saw 99192a5de2 the car that usually 8a07f3666d carries the Duke parked 386d2a8f65 out front, I thought 999448be71 the legal wife had f6e147b70d come to confront the 917f0bfa29 mistress in a proper 48a86942ec showdown.”33de89cfd51708b6

Miguel muttered as ee95be9b2a he poured wine 2b81449dd7 into a glass 868cd11eb6 with an exaggerated 308993d7d1 splash.0073b8d65b4eca25

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“Never imagined you’d 53d734899e boldly ride your e4b2ef56d5 husband’s car just a40aee6b1a to come see 12e12d3c66 me.”fbad646f609076b1

The moment they 0349ab00d9 arrived at the 3d8b98a3ea hotel, Lorena had fb02604be5 practically been apprehended ab5fba211f by him. He led c66e131b62 her up aecf3e9779 to the 1fe2693ba3 top-floor suite 56428f0d65 through the 6ec86b48d9 emergency stairs.a87d17769c69fe6f

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It seemed someone 76af067be9 had been here 636d37c74b not long before. Several empty glasses were 49553295ba left scattered on the 7e73726e50 table. A hotel staff member 3eaa0876c7 entered quietly, cleared them 41f2e69024 away, and replaced them b027e698a3 with fresh wine and 4cc3d95987 new glasses.466daf9e5831eecb

Miguel filled two 73e07be9d4 glasses and handed 8b7d0e3432 one to Lorena. He was b7201fff2c smiling, but 64a037266c his eyes 781886d29a didn’t soften 7498161f44 in the 7b5f166943 least. He didn’t bother abfabf6d43 to hide the 6d67fdaf50 discomfort flickering in 1919631f9c his gaze.60df62b9ca582dde

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“Well then, 07cbe6d0b4 let’s hear 37d13bf9ef how you b8448b9db1 plan to c44ace65e1 soothe your 2730f358dc jealous lover 45b7e9bc3e now, Señora 143f11efa9 of Levantes.”eb4bc1c88a1841f8

His tone was a4ad9fe3e5 openly sarcastic.426675982658a0a3

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“Don’t tell me you 0e273f5341 think we’ve already seen 7c447d7e7e all there is to 3d76853cac see. If I 2fcc64fd08 recall, we a0e2c31618 still haven’t 83cf21fff9 even started 650e7cab89 a great b502926ef8 many things.”6cddefe8a3c9b2c5

In truth, 8ec7830fac it sounded 3bf17cce3c less like 370c1d033b mockery and d6572477b3 more like 4f3f21920c a sulky 7bf5077de4 protest—or even 7d97fa810a a challenge.d02c0ee0a69e3f9e

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When Lorena simply shook bb1bff3c0c her head without a 605f71ecad word, Miguel set the b46e772e19 glass down carelessly on 52642aa9e4 a nearby surface. He folded 53b528aad9 his arms c9069fd352 and looked b35a6a387c down at 051a6a3df1 her, as 03f794c8d7 if waiting 5eb3b3f927 for a 71b9b9a5eb proper explanation.d84448630079cf5d

Then Lorena spoke, without 7914ad47ba meaning to.d0c6d98afea1cd5a

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“Help me.”dc521627d6edc1e8

“With what?”2b90812050e73471

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“You were right. I really e28c8f5497 am still 7f7cc6669d trapped in 7605b1b959 some memory 14d921f84c of the e6042ab506 past, Miguel.”bc9bd1739aa3fbba

“What kind of 60907a83ac memory?”628b00a724a7ccc1

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“The only time I aae27e8e0b ever felt anything even 8aac692554 close to affection from 97d953faa2 my husband… was when 40da2732fd we were having sex.”b2e1da2f5520a33c

There was 6eb6aebb46 a time 5f26663194 when Lorena 342d489573 had truly c5f6e435c3 loved the 7af990bf12 face of bf5affa0b3 her husband, 0b66cf4770 absorbed only 1c1ac93047 in her 07670c3011 during those 1a4499e7ff moments.f4a6c98ef80b4fd6

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Her clouded eyes, 01bd4270b6 the sweat that 1473d24c80 ran down his b4664de095 thick neck, even 9fa98cf617 the way his b122458633 movements roughly pierced ad6e262928 her most vulnerable c432403906 places—she had loved bfdc12946f it all. There had e71bddfdea been more fb22302ab8 than a 834842ee34 few nights 0ecb838d93 when she 40c64f3a51 clung to 8f71152f2e his neck ed6a898ddc more tightly, 5482b12320 not wanting d8918b8066 the fleeting dfd4321892 time to 7d02a65ccc slip away.9b868c3446277473

“But by the time 3ebdbaae88 morning came, I always f19d714e45 fell into despair. Every time 4791dfd892 I had 9142b9e5ba to face 7f25708d46 again that 5a90d5319e he still 4aa6de69ac had no 0bb0d0adbf intention of c830627eee having a dd711537c0 child with 994bed953d me.”7e0c5a0130112225

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Whenever she gently suggested that maybe they could stop using contraception, all Vaye ever offered in return was a vague excuse: “I’m still thinking about it.” Once, she had even summoned all the courage she could muster and seduced him first. But the result was always the same. Lorena’s heart was left impoverished and miserable.208110e4cdceec7d

“That’s probably ab25b798d4 why that 1450d7aca2 memory is 0db620053e still carved 244c755dad inside me.”4141e63ad3491f19

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“……”6499f197abc361e8

“Can you erase ff7ce782a4 it for me?”b4f7d4b292fe2280

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Miguel chewed over her 149bfccae7 request silently, then suddenly 764639182c burst into laughter.37fb3bd2f2d51875

“Ah, so you’re going 8e860cbb08 to treat me as 747b6ab00d a substitute now?”78c3b6ae0457d62b

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“You were the 1713d62399 one who suggested bf57d3ef39 this method to 3c3247882d me.”f62fb361e3e3ddc0

“Don’t pin the blame 52051155a8 on me.”6f380ba9103f93ca

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Never in his life b99420bcf9 had a woman treated 77e77777bc him like this. It was certainly refreshing. Provocative, too. And to think the 666b7f0cd3 one saying such outrageous 3d234c1400 things was none other fb1d0b1109 than Lorena herself.f101cac66e1f4bb0

Wasn’t she the eabf81c8e9 one who couldn’t 545ad0e9b1 even fully accept 4326dcd87f the title of ca711798f6 mistress? She must have had 83e39306ee a reason, then, for a374c5d0c7 throwing away her upright 6a20cc2086 and noble nature and f33b5946d4 coming to this hotel.cb864a3336408b12

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“This is e3ee3dba38 a kind a54659ec02 of contract eeab7283b7 too, isn’t 925d355743 it? A transaction 3c107e8b8d based on 2109b49a87 trust.”c02b937a035edcc8

“So, what? You want to e91b356cb2 find out if aa540e2794 I’m better in 7781a29505 bed than your e0e66b994d husband?”507c909ce88cd2d3

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“No.”e8508c3dfa997de1

“Then, is f93f88dec3 it that 25c2f8c1dd you want 7458d9992b a baby?”2b874794d56433b9

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This time, no answer 1fc3eb17fe came quickly. Miguel gave a dry, ad7c4e0279 exasperated laugh through his dc70c5f50c nose. This woman would drive d6c9ac4fb9 a man mad.9e9e1c143e00c96c

“So now c2d262290a you’re trying b9d53ee53b to control f6644708fa me, Señora, ba08d8a983 even in dc011aa037 areas I 7e5fd601ef never agreed c254b9ffb3 to.”476f744aff7c83ba

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He definitely 42652150ef felt a c0d9a911a4 carnal desire 30fa1630b6 for Lorena 17e7d7adb0 Levantes. Even now, with her 2b187d7469 request devoid of the 521da4495b slightest hint of lust, 273869afe8 blood rushed pointlessly downward.13b11ffb4d1c92f4

But the fact that c6b3018384 he was aroused by 93b69ba27b her didn’t mean it a79996d7e9 was a weapon she ba2cf7458e could wield. He had no 98e9057996 intention of letting 3e8b2981d0 himself be manipulated 894d13df7a that way. His voice grew sharper.6c525350e6b9fd44

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“Think carefully 6ffdc67ffa and say e0acc423c9 it again. I’m not like someone 83ee903119 else you know—I don’t dab97a9711 believe in contraception.”7e56ea44660d07f1

“That… doesn’t matter.”ed7fd4c081338eb3

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Lorena shook her 8d46790c14 head again. The sway 4a63741b6c of her 2bbf705ad0 golden hair f8c104ff1c was limp 9a3064ba9d and drained 9fb0a081bc of strength.a1caf500143f1b5a

“I just want 40191adf4f you to treat cc47400a2d me better than 01d314e0fe he did.”ff02b36d3fb2d205

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“……”1a775f503e98f042

“I don’t 0ba88dc919 care about 3773b44631 real pleasure ae77a2024b or intense 2c70009cef stimulation. I just want f351a127e6 something different from e9327dd0b1 my husband. I don’t 6aaf522e80 want to 1814df56ee think about 501d8cd6b7 anything anymore…”cbf4e5be82a51172

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Her lifeless eyes were f41087af74 hollow.ad29a13a361a5e6c

Miguel suddenly noticed 3beace0c66 just how thin b7a694c6c0 she had become.0f9735eac572d0ba

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Though Lorena wasn’t short, 8069d5fa5b her shoulders were delicate, aa52d7d9aa her waist slender. Maybe it was 3b45d699c2 just his imagination, 8677bf8b85 but she seemed 9569d33c0d far more frail bb6ae6daef than when he 2c1ceb7a4a had caught her ee9424b216 staggering at St. Vergos Cathedral. Her pale 3e4ec3aee9 face looked b0b8a60f67 like it ac0da4ee68 could fit 723678a92b entirely in c064f5e04d one of a73787e76f his hands.95450c778793e8c8

A woman completely emptied 5e00ffa2c7 out.a64e811c857a1d09

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He’d always sensed something 980e18766c fragile about Lorena, but aa2be3739d never had that feeling 52e60883e9 hit so strongly as 194d281d30 it did today. Miguel abandoned the scathing 15b7153844 words he’d been about f1e72710c4 to deliver.27823e96c27476b5

“Come here.”21db43814ab66810

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As he ac832b097f unfolded his 87a9661576 arms and 4f36a72713 held them 8d39bdd6bf open, she ee6b72c33d stepped in 20ef0eed14 quietly and d3981cd3e8 rested her f6e6c700b7 forehead against 3d847915ad his chest. Even the 605c412338 touch of d8cec109b2 her head beaef161c9 against him 87adf46d0d was so fceb1d5546 faint, it ff00e3d032 barely registered.f8e7a69b0d061098

Like a small 5099cbbf6a bird with broken 04d451e3e5 wings. Someone utterly exhausted.4749ec9cb6a9191f

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A woman 92a70b036b clinging to 218491a9e4 life with ed72651bbb nothing but ecb761016c rage and f6502f86f3 hatred.c7e1765d9408dc5c

His heart ached. Miguel slowly a53e731153 began to ab5616be21 understand that 97114659cf whatever time f8dfc22a54 she’d just 098ebdf86c spent with ec9a380a5f her husband, 2a68d0f0a8 it hadn’t 6ee768ced7 gone anything 98e8fb9b6a like the 8e16b47a9a worst-case scenario 12742bda5e he’d imagined.301857af7cf54da7

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He’d thought perhaps 65a1c36614 seeing Vaye again ffa7c70a79 had stirred up 9e19738b3d old feelings… but f2349f94f4 he was wrong. He moved his stiff 46615666d5 lips.ea386a4a5b308c9d

“Today must’ve been 1a15d9ae6d hard.”7fd05f5e8f6e8167

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Lorena didn’t cry. She simply let out 5937d0e6a0 a breath that was 0a7b522de2 almost like a laugh, 4dd95f8072 caught in her throat. Either she no d08092f6ea longer had the b1f9924d51 strength to cry… 0d7ee06d97 or she had 32b696469c no tears left e982b6b5ca to shed.340beac2f89c8bb3

Miguel held her fb6a3c0c32 tightly—this woman who 6d985f2dea barely filled even 74b3549a38 half his arms. After gently stroking her 686ab8c10e small head for a 68508e4f89 while, he whispered quietly,e0b5a969a18c174d

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“Shall we 9a57c8523d go to 8135d9fd90 the bedroom?”db1b7c889f6aebd1

The nod she f35b7d9c57 gave in response 850fb163c8 was light as 8d2e38abc1 a feather.ec03b05fa3f98636

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* * *cc6d05c90e8d7952

It was bae27d1e4f a memory bea58ed2d4 too embarrassing b9f2174fd6 to confess b9dc21312c to anyone, 7a5d96ec24 but to 9bcc0ae547 tell the 5ab60d6528 truth—Lorena hadn’t 3cbbd90a62 been able f7b83d038e to fall dab336ffc1 asleep on afd280f2e7 her own 9e249da4ac until she 05aa767135 was twelve 9ec864d32c years old.7c66552a4b560746

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She had always c6351955f0 been unusually fearful 0f2ba0d7d7 from a young 211a4c91b8 age. Her father, Vicenzo, and 1203b94303 her older brother, Alfonso, a22b4ac29b used to call her 568ca471dc the cowardly little princess. But neither of 81d8bb365c them ever scolded f7a22e73ee or made fun c6a222f902 of her for cf326b02c5 it. Part of that was d9b73ba73a because she was the 3a7194be7c youngest, of course—but more f65c015c5e than that, it was d3a548bec0 because of an accident da429ba5b9 she had suffered in 2c8b1f60b0 her early childhood.d409f664b5343dc2

It happened on ee9a49012d a main road 560966791d not far from af7214a699 the Klein family f38e65a6f3 estate in Ingerd. Lorena, barely f49a29db59 old enough a8d7ff3e61 to walk, 4b5991ac3f had simply e621d49888 been strolling 3da3108747 down the cc25dcc06a street hand-in-hand 142167f8aa with her 9920bd86c3 mother when, 91ed9851a1 out of f5bb11c553 nowhere, two 51576d4f43 horses pulling f1a6369b7e a cargo 4fd50bfa96 wagon went c30972ea0c wild and 4a0b41a8e1 charged straight 8798541f7b into them.c3868c6aec6c34ea

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By a stroke 95d3a19595 of miraculous luck, fa8bb1f074 Lorena survived unharmed. But her mother, 5a9fc32fa8 who had thrown d0d85899e4 herself over her 34c3c880fd young daughter to 300ce763a9 protect her, did f9c5bdfcc6 not. One of 5c5b4fd0d0 the horses’ 0fab1a1318 hooves struck a7ac49ce80 her ribs, 7afe4bfae8 which fractured 125aac08e8 and pierced 3fc533ab8f her internal 5747b9e3d9 organs, giving 2f36ed1832 the doctors 081214d5e9 no time 2237400c4a to act.98c13ccf3b7ce806

She died before they 1c123a93b9 even reached the hospital. By the time bec97460a1 Vicenzo arrived, all 9d66a0e71a he could do a8426a4512 was gather up e2443c0f3e his daughter, who 24df1efecd was soaked in 0f4595b46f her mother’s blood 154e28f315 and screaming her 410dc2cb7a throat raw.ba33b216826e2a4c

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Like most people, Lorena 812ca42b43 had no memory of d87dc318bd the accident that happened d87ef0d3f2 when she was a 06313ef3d1 baby. But she 0db547807d grew up ffe04cbe8f terrified of 37d7b1e834 animals that 63f4dd6581 charged at 7d6c587b14 her without ab091d09ae warning and 12c51c7e45 suffered nightmares a41f13f0b5 whenever she 979b4ae09f had to 5668cf8fa2 fall asleep c7ddecee4c alone.5d69e2162d6babfe

At a therapist’s suggestion, 93e86e29f4 she began practicing sleeping c69920a0f0 through the night without 0f76e547e4 her father or brother b51aba3745 at age twelve. She didn’t b2ad73b2d4 fully succeed d6c6bb0c34 until she a4c254e93d was fifteen. Two years 19127a966e later, at 47a01f0c5e seventeen, she c69e3c3d44 came to c6fcbcdf1c the Kingdom 5c5fb7fdd2 of Bessen 9831a75902 for summer c9e441faa3 vacation with 310dae043e her father—and 6344635c24 suddenly found 1c5ee96a28 herself engaged. A year and ceb32baa48 a half later, 9febc2108e she married the 7834fb0d90 moment she came d83d4ede04 of age.007be2e22a4e165b

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Looking back now, even e5b9913128 on the day she d37f774f10 received that sudden proposal 3887a7342b and engagement ring, and e5373382c6 right up to the 97ba518bbf day she walked down 0b42b69b5b the aisle—Lorena had still 804b4d78f8 been an unripe girl.805520b91c71cd6d

What had she told 3e733f1fdd Vicenzo, who had been a89e2f6e55 endlessly worried about sending c464c93e7b his daughter off to 63de1e8904 marry a nobleman in 9261727227 a foreign country—especially a e5298d148e duke? She’d said, eaa1413d70 “There’s nothing f175da4034 to worry 5505eb0884 about, Father. I can 39b70ed2a0 sleep alone c18a989514 just fine fa3b2138bd now.” She’d a39cf153b5 smiled brightly 16483392e4 as she 4a23f727f8 reassured him.68ef38b7d1d49b96

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For the e875dc8175 next seven 99b0d556d7 years, she 7b66cf7609 kept repeating b9a22a51eb the same f93fc37a2f lie. She couldn’t c4753db0f8 even confess 12002d58eb that on 9b2cea7e61 nights when 8999929965 the weight 9a6d079c2d of the 8572a62e19 world’s judgment 1b94052f22 felt especially 393d57570f heavy, she 9300222968 had a e280701621 habit of 7f88bdba7b crying quietly 54d9c1d716 under the 27fd65def6 covers until dc77e6bf44 dawn, all a55d28db29 by herself.d875ff5c65a0633e

Even on the 82ad358600 nights they shared f74d9cb422 a bed, Vaye d7a99d829e never actually slept 84cdd7807a beside her. When Lorena regained her 92994414f8 senses, he had either 26d2479c1d already left—or was just 7a2a21aa08 about to. It was always one dd4b81706c of the two.0dafadbd63d7a359

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So it had been b6b6894f9e fourteen years since she 9a23c3ea95 last lay in bed 4047bf9123 with someone, resting her 1496c3bb4a head on their arm. Not since she was d91d00746d twelve.9c2586406a8321ab

The man in front fe81dbf0a7 of her moved his a89acf86d7 throat slightly. With his eyes 5eec0dd05a gently closed, he a0eeb90a2d murmured softly.ddc39f58f8cbbb0e

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“Just bear with 643a8a06e0 the awkwardness. I’m doing 633f8f01fa the same.”5ca8b6af75bb5803

His tone was a cb2455b77f little sulky. It was honestly 143676a6aa fascinating—how a voice 95bb4e80ee so boyishly petulant fdb2f13a79 could sound so 2110b2875e masculine at the 30490b764c same time.dcb8778393acfb5e

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Lorena held her 452e168c76 breath for a a0c866a043 moment. The man 0c2926d8c6 who had 03309ba534 swept her 4124dfc657 up and b936bc980e carried her a1991dbd31 off at 8fea1b55bb the suggestion d44a506999 of going a18d4b745b to the 17ec599782 bedroom had 1b6fc0f124 exited into 2a668a4cb0 the hallway 0a393956be and taken acf1b85f1a her to 3d89d5ceab a different b6fa96a5f1 suite. That room was clean 8b13278e1e and stylish, like a 724c9d2357 typical luxury suite.0c3b3fd31744427e

But instead of the 2c93cb7c70 bed, Miguel had placed 5b59d276fd her in the bathroom. Somehow knowing she hadn’t b465e2463a bathed yet, he tossed 8c757024c2 a bathrobe inside. When she came out 01041c96ed wrapped in the robe, e922db26e3 he scooped her up 295e4b07f7 again and laid her 260e8993f0 on the bed, cradling 88bcd130b8 her like a child 7d65ab0daa into his arms.00bc6ca07686781c

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Throughout it all, Miguel’s b6ed1a2a82 appearance remained completely composed. A shirt with 06362593e8 just the top 698e6f06cb two buttons undone, d4654f0a7c black trousers belted e965569084 at the waist. He showed 2521bcbdb3 no intention 6c907ccb3d of touching 903dc6b9cd a single 0db25c151f button or 786d93d66c buckle.de263b4528ea6880

Lorena let her 813149c735 gaze fall to 9ed8584b02 the steady rise 8abd14f529 and fall of 802884f32c his broad chest. A heady musk seeped 79ce2271cc through the open collar 51c61d9a2c of his shirt. She tried hard not 13bda40554 to let her eyes 21f8e8b45a be drawn to the e77960109f muscles barely visible beneath a87abf23c0 the fabric.d61dbfb5e509f348

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“Aren’t we going to 85617f478a do it?” she asked.b01c2350bbc15f69

 93b5c4f59e2b3e24

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 2ffc284214a022ea

 99b7816a09b99c85

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