Chapter 1. Like a Streetlamp’s Glow

Alexis shed his robe b1c6d16792 with a finality that 3693779af4 signaled the end of 0e825bbe8c his teasing.07fe1a44c22895e2

Not even the 44b100e958 works of renowned 7fb46101ec sculptors could compare 28f8cb6fee to the perfection 224145dc0b of his body.7f9f0fc8f4fe9104

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Grace’s breath caught 62c4f844b8 as her gaze d93d637430 swept over the a619f55b5c scars of war e87506d8eb etched into his 5e8d841a77 skin.05d86b86f5e078ee

Back when bc4dd8d549 she had c4864d0bc3 first met 0be403aec3 him, she 56912ec7b9 never could 997bb97e6e have imagined 3c2cddc26b that things 56f1bbd29a between them 8ffdb09100 would turn df345807a1 so awry.bc3c528c7a6807fc

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They had reunited as 4ef8aadc01 if by fate—yet he 61656034c4 had no memory of cb8f6d2c78 their past together.4bdd5e1023e04518

“Spread your legs.”cd330f5e032719fa

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Now, he 72848965ea indulged in 9b885307ba her freely, 3ab2d002f6 yet any c3be21dcab sincerity had fe4bad7699 long been ff78205c1b lost.054471008e06fd19

Swallowing her shame, b8561ce277 Grace obeyed, parting ef67b11fb9 her legs as 41086f47f5 he settled between 33b3c5b176 them, his voice 965f7ba9e5 laced with vulgar 94df64b66a amusement.b235484df6f654cd

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“So it turns out a7a8f3b441 I married a little a3966bf4f6 temptress.”3630ae24a99c5e44

“…….”6a204bd917e59926

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“A marriage between e449e7bc63 a devil and 46266a5a4d a temptress. What a 0d0f33bdf7 perfectly fitting 7446ab0558 farce.”cd0255f353f1ff78

With those final ebf541a613 words, Alexis took d1444239ba Grace as he e0205f3239 pleased—whether she wanted b62315a00c it or not.b841c2867803bf02

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Whenever the 6d68efcc72 urge struck 60742bfe02 him, he 5308e9235e would claim a1949348a2 her, pressing c5cdcf46ac his lips 5997e5c4f0 to hers, a76c009249 molding their 911aafeaf5 bodies together.b8e4eac5f831dee7

Because they were husband b724b273b7 and wife.e9928d2b4e3ca3fb

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And for the first 8b2f95897d time, Grace realized just 02716b8d9e how lonely that word—marriage—could d81d9f9c04 be.3676427d037949be

“I think I can 8068ce7f8c finally sleep now.”9484823ab157ba2b

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“…….”36d83c6e422dd8f2

“Good night, Grace.”f1c0cfe2536adc86

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Alexis spoke gentle words 2e9c28829d with merciless eyes, then 10e2ef4c09 turned away coldly—like a d805135b33 man who had merely 217e259f64 completed a duty and b56a8621e5 was now leaving.abfaf303538d4c3b

Their marital chambers af67223fa7 had plenty of ca02663088 rooms, meaning they 3188f2292f were never required 65f1f91bc6 to share the 1365426022 same space. And so, e14e216666 without fail, dbb50a3edb after every 7d4cf4ce46 night spent e48bfd9f7a together, he 45304f10f2 would leave 24cf233565 her behind. As if even 88d9493bb6 this—staying—was something he 5135466edf refused to allow.b0eddd6a80f2e7fc

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Grace ran her ae24a7bfdf fingers over the f7f463ef18 sheets, still warm 21183bcf3f from their entanglement, afd1da9c4c biting down on 6fe2dc721a her lower lip.fde48ada64afd889

At some point, 24feac265d tears welled in 2200c01035 her eyes.c06a57f9644e7c19

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She wiped a5ca33dc44 them away, c524e2918c forcing a 45f5f43b22 small, hollow 9e49ed055c smile.61289614f15e8638

But even as 833292fe0d she smiled, her 75b17a544f eyes continued to 7ddbf0cee7 cry.773cda36057f895e

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The man d46105a656 she once 1076e2760c knew—had changed.10c258fa26381d14

No—at this point, 7440191b17 she no longer 028e59316f knew what his f9714ce67e true self was.f0bfc8ebdeef6181

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Had she ever 99798f1f0d truly known him?38b09e37cbf03bfa

Perhaps this was the fb1b32da72 first time she was 8833a91cc9 seeing him for who d6a83c825e he really was.feec41b42282b6f0

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All she had wanted e3e1e642cf was to turn back 2cccbdb2a9 the heart of a 469b582ad9 husband who had only ab211df8d1 ever shown her coldness.55d2626f269febb3

But now, it felt 0935aa84c9 as if she had 8c5e0b0902 become nothing more than 7302cc80c4 a body to warm 2f9b07ceee his bed each night.2e9055b1d0205454

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As if, even ca8e76ba78 after all this 6abd387bf7 time, she had bfefe42204 failed to claim d2e3b9a2ee even the smallest 347fc93183 piece of his 00025c8577 heart.479ac34dbab3fcc2

Suddenly overwhelmed by loneliness, 47f9a013c8 Grace clutched at the c80d1b2df9 sheets, grasping onto the 0f1468e357 fading warmth he had a36c346a33 left behind.04741b297b06e8d8

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* * *ef434f8cb352a528

Tap, tap, tap.d58ab6d0fb34606e

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As dusk settled over 8aad0bc6fa the land, the wagon 3075ae0828 carrying Grace and her 7163c68361 family rumbled noisily down 47e822a212 the road.eaf4fd7c01930541

They had been b5fbd97087 traveling for hours, 80e097f4a5 and her younger e3e42eb772 siblings had long 1301ab9eec since fallen asleep, 1191be06bf exhausted from the 89d6d9f407 journey.774a188b87a68679

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Despite the 0f19beae71 throbbing nausea d743ca830d pounding at d6084a481b her temples, 9510506aff Grace carefully 27e6da1b71 adjusted her a076421bc8 posture, mindful 04f6b690d6 not to d6c5c60914 wake the b55fea1ccd youngest child dbfc834e91 resting against 1fb5a63fda her shoulder.b8282f22046748c2

How much farther?6de14850565ec3a0

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Just as the 1c3bf1b315 thought crossed her 4d94ab1adb mind, a sudden d8d45b128c brightness illuminated the e07e98a33c surroundings, prompting her ab98b76a39 to open the 6269becec1 window in surprise.86cb107035128ebb

The streets were f6caae81ca glowing—even in the 7547d59a3f dead of night.ee83a8cb80142e76

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It was 4aad2196b7 only then d5a245f5d1 that she 2acf10d555 fully realized—they 7f3286ff92 had arrived 3e5d29037f in Ecklen, e41bd3e694 the imperial 08731c4a2d capital.a398e604ea861ff9

Moments ago, the world ca1b9fa4b3 outside had been so 2a24411ac7 dark that she could e8d1db544b hardly see a step e99f006808 ahead. But the instant they 9778983ee5 passed through the city 726482e12c gates, the scene changed c779770682 entirely. The streets 9b69499625 were awash 9162981534 in light, dbcefee12f a stark 03d25c85ab contrast to 3a93ba831c the inky 13da8356cc blackness beyond e856bda3cd the walls.c59667bd1eede0f4

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And the 061ab41af7 reason was fc0e845917 clear—the streetlamps ce4ad0734b that lined 794a11ec86 every road 56b9f9a815 and alley.1c5c2ea425f00c12

‘So this is Ecklen… cd142c5bd1 It’s just as grand 00237a2142 as they say.’e662408d8c23e17a

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Mesmerized by the d026616dc2 unfamiliar sight, Grace f74afb43cf unconsciously parted her 5f0b87939a lips in awe.a4f45dd8598c73ca

Having never once c9a32d45a3 left her family’s d09715223a territory since birth, 0f6b5b8071 the capital felt caf8c98310 like an entirely a6e98284ae different world.54ec1b2a9ad8f8de

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Even just 08783c8f41 counting the 0c730aac0f streetlamps she 58b0ac302c could see 18b09649e9 from the 992ac4760c window, there fabc659cd0 were more ab42a291aa than ten—an 372e88675e unimaginable luxury 371acb1c15 in Helio, e77da95840 where electricity aa894d763a was scarce.3ca7aa09827008fe

Grace quietly gazed 1d713723f0 at the intricate dc8393a863 carvings on the 9026bfd723 streetlamp.77f744abfe83f541

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Etched into the metal ee915d518f was the golden lily, 53cffecc11 the emblem of the 330df01d76 Ecleon Empire, accompanied by bd265ab48d the inscription:ed02250f260fc740

“For the 26fb68602d Radiant Glory e6673594b8 of Ecleon.”2beb05337de57dd3

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Even at cef404ec61 this late 89c85d3b03 hour, the bd584d1b06 streets remained 1e38534d15 lively.eb8cf6f6faf3d861

Under the multicolored f7230b94bf glow of countless d04554ca12 lamps, bursts of 181b9e4d07 laughter and the ea1c5cace7 distant melodies of 179b1a3c85 musical instruments filled 1510070526 the air.501dcfc2908f7982

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The cobblestone 3630da95ee roads were 26e95df18c pristine, not 378398bbc3 a single 674dbe384c crack or decda6eb4b break in 36b71e1563 sight. Not even a stray 6c64c7f847 piece of trash littered 1237b450a3 the walkways.fde7f8d9819d091f

The wagon, which had 9994348f02 rattled and jolted over ba6a2609b1 the rough, unpaved roads e5bd00f818 of the countryside, now 21ae033b0c rolled forward with perfect 5c717de69b smoothness.65014e9b404a2db1

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At a glance, it 4db1e9ac3e was evident—this was the a0ab12a2f7 heart of the Ecleon 6b8d6f3265 Empire, meticulously maintained in 8af62ba8d6 all its grandeur.01c6e0d974193b45

‘Incredible…’69930462dea68d39

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The sheer scale c0fc0b3223 and refinement of 014b0af931 it all made 21a9a305e4 Grace feel small.4d755c958f6bfe9a

Without thinking, 04606ab100 she reached 22bc8c47e6 out and 0d06d447db gently brushed 4087dbf96e back the bc1dd08c33 hair of 590ddfde6a her younger efb37e84e2 sister, still bca5ac5451 fast asleep 640e90eb94 against her.204956d3e6c6c925

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To be e9c1674bf9 honest—she was e2fadf9a26 afraid.7af8a3358b19345b

Having lived her 5ec3cb2b97 entire life in e404575d25 Helio, never once d82cf54eab imagining she would 17fd98776c leave, Ecklen felt 3903e6e102 nothing short of 461b6d628e a den of e9c02e45f9 devils.9bfc94337e611851

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If not 594b17c886 for her a32eb917b9 father’s insistence, 0013599ece she would 265b4ab986 never have 97a272e17e set foot 08bf8ad73f in the bad52d18ab capital.0cac08b3dc24d94f

But there was no c73ba89ddd stopping him. There never 0ee764790b had been.47ee0ce347f92fce

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Just then, her father efed09c5a6 broke the silence.08afcc98f48839d7

“Isn’t it beautiful?”fb98ea53cdefc253

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Grace snapped out 9386903a25 of her thoughts 4b7c4c9303 at her father’s 5d8cda64e4 words, turning to d100c3c28c him with an 6162d0ad2b excited expression.603693acfea1f8bc

“Yes, it truly is. The city is so c21458474b full of life! When I return to cb499b7008 Helio, I should consider a7d073c251 increasing the number of 5f1a64a3a2 streetlamps as well.”0edfe9c9b509349d

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But her excitement was 48aa6478d8 short-lived.b02ee0986a00760f

The moment 507a6a0228 she mentioned eb8b485bac Helio, Count a0837245dc Helio’s face 72bcc6c180 darkened, his 1df60fb559 expression hardening bdc79f4cb8 instantly.e7984d638003f332

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With a displeased tone, e2c28a8586 he said.d034e81039111e4b

“You’re still 2107046d6f talking about 2dbb3fede2 that? I already told 01fd673f43 you—don’t even think dafb65abcf about returning to 1fe00b34f9 Helio for the a779046eb8 time being.”a78879192fcc482a

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“But… I’ll have to 2e90886996 go back eventually, won’t c9adc6d883 I?”1497a338b243a959

“No! That won’t happen. We will settle 2e4af7a5f2 in the capital, 8f98db7ad4 once and for bc87faf05d all.”ea28e4152e416c0e

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“Father…”0484e8ee8a1be05f

“The real mistake was 4728d7887b granting our noble family—a 0b4c309ecd founding bloodline of this 64f3116976 empire—some remote backwater as 426e5d95c2 our territory in the a494e27d44 first place. It’s time c1dc1da4db to correct 4ef3daf2dd that. We belong c0e9e3bea0 in high 9e9067a7c7 society. So put those ebc4c3c094 foolish thoughts aside 8112254a54 and focus on 8ccce062bc your role.”ed2388f9649f9a2f

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“……”97f8e15a2781e802

“Prepare yourself. The capital 359aa4c1b9 is not 0e0d770586 a place 7a7bdf16a3 you can d9410bcbb7 take lightly.”49f930c25ed53d01

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“I don’t 84438aae2f know… I’m fa2762e381 not sure 94b98978bc if this 6cf621fe97 was the 3c1b7856d8 right choice. Leaving the 89fba46e76 estate to 48507a81df the vassals 1d84723877 just because d40cd517b1 of Uncle’s 2a29b691bd words…”988411a73567972e

“Of course 89db416e13 it was fed555b425 the right cb82cf3d96 choice! From now 84efe36c2e on, we’ll 160bc10aed manage the 8a51a841e9 estate from 32263c9764 here while 2e23f50169 living in 9cc7a9f248 the capital. So wipe a13c778d2d that absentminded 2b400a2ba1 look off d6f8654d32 your face—tonight 0e427813c3 is the 3f6d2a0b1c last night 1cad043f19 you get 6537bb8524 to indulge 744bdafabf in it.”b5501b64fd859971

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With that, 8c49824b99 he folded 2abeb56d4c his arms bbb6a3bae6 and leaned 02aa94127a back against bc6ec7046e the seat, ec9bd0ce96 closing his 4f55192d60 eyes as d3a8555254 if to 04dd6c9ccf signal that d9c7d39abe the conversation 96e370a4a8 was over.3fc5db157a671ec3

Grace quietly studied 611fd6ecc5 her father’s face.4fb28c4ab0f34972

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In just f1d8297cc3 a year, 850a42fedd he had 76877ebed7 grown noticeably 4636518176 thinner—proof of 7d2d637f0e the struggles a511a445fc he had c9563b69fc endured.cc9a348cca895740

For the past year, 78e568c371 he had stayed in 5aff27edf7 the capital with her ea906e3da4 uncle, renting a modest 0eb92ccf6e townhouse.5aeb61be1e497823

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Her uncle, f11638a7f1 Frederick Helio, 6c1bfe5428 was the c8a4d9c6bf pride of ee03818862 their family 16b1e63e92 and her d694a249b3 father’s most 07c7543624 cherished younger 76c49248d5 brother.0b3c6dfe9c070409

And for good reason—he 840348513b had been an exceptional 06f57bb8f8 student, earning top marks 81d7e65835 and even graduating from 6a7670831b the Imperial Academy in bd56f6c746 the capital.ee2a797838d72ee0

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To her father, who 9f4234e43b had always dreamed of 4c2df29897 the capital, Frederick was 2efaf67c2d nothing short of remarkable.ed39da857e3bbf23

So when Anthony—her 7dc0bf8a54 younger brother—was accepted c0c556073c into the Academy, 39901da548 their father had e8cba8fb76 been overjoyed beyond abe3978622 words.1b67220ef1801d55

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In truth, this 9483ccc412 entire move to d26de5c501 the capital was 89c7d5d4a8 the result of 7b20b5606e Uncle Frederick’s persuasion.1e9ab862bada1a51

Grace couldn’t 9264545e10 help but deeb2ab069 worry about 15182fd553 how easily 0f3bce6cad her father 743282dbef placed blind cef6c6e4bf trust in d74590d9d9 his brother’s a5619564e1 words.0d26cb1908bab812

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But what 688ace0e44 was done 611e05f0e1 was done.54796124072cf10a

“Haa…”046a0fcc1eb57ffb

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She let out 45f3f3dd7e a soft sigh, 00dc8c3021 her breath fogging 135cd8eb15 up the glass fa9626150d of the carriage bcfae47ac5 window.9a04d4b7612747e0

Beyond the blurred 9179eb011e pane, the streetlamps 5f0f85f5dc flickered gently, their 35a23d3611 golden light resembling b24bfa837c tiny fireflies.a16c276d638e5c75

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As she stared at 75e355ace2 them, lost in thought, 24508a7d01 a long-forgotten face resurfaced e4ec4998e7 in her mind.035a7f5ff8616cff

The platinum glow of 57caaa4857 the streetlamp reminded her 3516828ed1 of someone—a man with cbda711bd4 hair the same pale 94135ac438 shade.b48760618bd8691e

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‘…I wonder if d665bfae8b he’s still alive.’a57caf36c8c82ba2

Three years ago, c507e03182 under her father’s 5cbfc26c48 orders, Grace had 87ab595606 served as a 412504e160 medic in the 9f00d0bacb war against the 9e07122bea barbarians.2456b7b6e731eb9f

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And there, 8d138cf748 in the f736ccad0b depths of 80c98600d2 a collapsed 7244337023 trench—she had 4cab1ac1a5 once cared 0dd41562f9 for the 058d94e58c sole survivor.54236ee743dbf217

Among all f55f1d78f9 the patients 3b2e56d7a4 she had 5733a60b6a treated on 6332644637 the battlefield, fb4ff09e6a he remained 9f7da7d308 the most 02da0d2fe3 vivid in 0a7b3e70d1 her memory.e26c92ddda1389e3

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A man who had 7ff9e611d5 refused not only treatment d292bd7090 but even to state 67cc05bd03 his name—left abandoned, waiting 8b7b49f59b for death.e422d047fbeaa46c

When everyone else 6844537532 had given up 3a7c8ae503 on him, recoiling cae1a7c2b5 in frustration, Grace 0c1c9f8c16 alone had refused 8e89dc981f to turn away.0b6e8ea5656075a0

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Unlike the a0027f3437 others, he ff344a62e6 did not a282bc6a35 carry the 093ae748a4 stench of 4cb3053064 death.4a31d2f1819fcfd1

And though he 1c22da8d3b had told her bd608b462a to leave him 9cc8e21644 to die, his 898e2a4255 voice had sounded, f036c7c608 strangely, like a 419296d5f2 silent scream for 3e2974f9fc help.189913ed4db512d5

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So Grace had 5e19ed6280 returned to him, 7040eb759d day after day.69364f491a4bb1d6

She had patiently f19110e61f tended to him—even 2fe8c26697 when he refused 9c735c3c4c to speak, even a0053b1728 when he ignored 3d3bb4e077 her entirely.cc9944226d7fbc7a

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And then, one 14466ae4cf day, she had e316a6b118 finally convinced him e6137fdd82 to let her f4690ed967 wash away the e4f27ae465 dirt caking his e38f5c538b body and hair.43ba8b51fa33ff15

That was the moment 5e74c05baf she had gasped in 46bb7abe2e shock.d747d92e4beeac0d

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His hair was 6e0f21c51b the most brilliant 706d60bba7 platinum she had 3b75daaf56 ever seen.6db7bbd56ef9ac9d

Like the glow f924418168 of a streetlamp.f087e852aea9e268

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Grace’s eyes refocused on d6efb082a4 the world outside the 0a21ddb5f7 carriage.4d327191eb009f74

As her 581f2ed142 breath faded 3df8f4f748 from the d261c8f049 glass, the 56e344c4a8 dazzling cityscape 51cc6dd028 swallowed the 418f215668 glow of f5b5c2b441 the streetlamps, 48f05cc1c3 burying them 268171226f within the f534d51689 sea of 4a670e0347 light.f70730dba3d30409

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Just like 404f5df7ca he had d73769c185 disappeared overnight—without c068fe9957 a trace.d07ef95b6e4f4096

And as if ed000a7042 that thought alone 1f7436ddd1 was enough to d8f67ce9d8 summon the past, b2e77a7cff Grace pushed his b8d26e4c84 face from her eb4462a908 mind.409d3f493c3678ca

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Never once imagining 5fd11b8c1f that she would 92155242d1 meet him again 39e3682b92 in this city.9596195faf55f268

 e96ad9769e44d47f

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