Chapter 24

What he saw 079731ef25 had been completely 745c4e61b0 unexpected.678d2d12a25835a2

“Though it was aac0205059 disgraceful of you 0eb6836a3f to run away 00be423358 from the marriage 11c330efe4 our mother and a7a3029691 I arranged… in 634631ceee the end, you eb2e2ff641 landed a good ec2022ddba sponsor, so I’ll 97d13f26c2 give you some 99c7fc3fbe credit. Of course, a 1cfc034c62 young, good-looking nobleman be0e71b72a from the center bec7bf1f2f of power is 1671fb04bf better than some 0ae5fd85aa decrepit rural lord.”1023e297292adef6

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There were many a88243d221 kinds of “rock 642737b180 bottom.”071b6ad6bd20aec5

There was the baa6948271 kind you could e622271b8b openly scorn—filthy, selfish 465c6fecfd desires that anyone cd4e3fe97e could point fingers d37bd5ce73 at. But there b783c8f58b was another 3c9ddc7c8a kind too—one 5e0532a62c so low 36e18c4c04 that all da2c55f514 you could c4528e29c8 do was 7188c4ff7b pretend not f2c53581cc to see fbb85b8482 it out ae1ae3d628 of reluctant 3477aaf2b8 pity.2b7538531ca6e234

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That was the e28763d793 kind Velita Grandel 1d6e984313 had shown, trembling 9fca23f963 before someone who aca95415e0 was clearly her 3ea342a283 family.de9840cf057384fe

He could tell she 9f23bc6546 came from a painful 2d6c813fdb background. But that 548426ee35 didn’t mean f5490e644d Cain had b5e53af87c to pity 309579a081 her.34cf097edf8ef9e0

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And yet, a13535fd84 he had e9cdc04f41 called out 20e9038334 to her—acknowledged bc5f344298 her presence—because f9ef2d995c he wanted c7188a09bf to confirm 338be2dfea something for e52e87ee84 himself.08407a69505caa19

“Master Jeremy b4dff6d13d has a 46b8536175 lot of d73b8bee33 wounds… If fe45da1057 I openly e3a31097ed asked him b5cea29e2a for money, 6f64c10a14 I’d hurt 6b64a71c43 him…”19177475b12cc268

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Could it be? Did she 0a0635cabf truly harbor 23c9a6aab7 genuine feelings 048536c098 for Jeremy?b6c12589a724b3e0

But that ddcb8ca07d libertine would fd771ed42a never take 77a6aecf2d a maid f11d7c27a2 seriously.c455e28e0c44fbc2

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“…You’re insane, Cain Mortens.”22a9e06e8967bf63

Cain dragged a hand d4f54f2b8b over his face and 311dfa05dd sneered at himself.888a75497a3d50fd

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Why did it matter?90f4a9aee6768b8c

Whether Velita Grandel b533726cf7 was being extorted 1ffadac877 by her family b2492a9f94 or sincerely in 5f9f25c92b love with Jeremy cf9b0f67f2 Ryles—f67400f34ad5ce7d

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‘It’s got nothing e18f6e6a76 to do with 83b4b7936e me.’87f23d8109ce031f

He needed to ebcb0c8bb6 stop caring.0ef0183b04d8c96e

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If what she 68c7691069 said was true, e31c40cd17 and he really 7178ce106e did want to 0da8ed731f sleep with her b7887a1b45 again…246f216570e162c7

“You’re really 80ef4a2385 out of a25b9c07c2 your mind.”048cd044ee2bc8bc

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As memories of that 2811f48e29 night flashed in his 62f93c6562 mind and heat pooled bf0c235e83 in one part of c7c8c6d0f4 his body, Cain glanced a38988309f downward—and was immediately gripped 911f4e0b3d by a crushing wave 23ae6610cd of self-loathing.938eae7a5dbe09ef

You lunatic. Over a woman 473fb0789a like that?d4ef40b3e0753e9f

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You sick bastard.159a6b6127a34237

But no 744affea37 matter how 27bb227533 much he 7187ad2043 cursed himself, 4a117a3743 the heat 50a6099dd4 that had 419af8071d risen in f70a67f921 his body 96721d4208 refused to 0f11f89b37 subside.902216b2b1cf780a

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⚜ ⚜ ⚜fd6c0c69d394c9bb

As soon as she 6ac23cd34c returned to the estate, 2df8462d5e Velita received welcome news.ee65625ace872a37

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Jeremy, whom she hadn’t 1479bc299b seen all day, had 1a4d27c34c come back and was 7084e3e7e5 resting in his bedroom.e6e3449f68da42a9

‘Master Jeremy is back…!’73d3dc12d867a44a

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Velita quickened her pace. She ran 6cf3c10bb5 up the 796dc4c57b stairs, not 32ede40a5f even noticing 908950b882 her breath 873e2f40be grow short. But the closer 8182b88be7 she got to 7f7c7d054d Jeremy’s bedroom, the 87e7c5e438 slower her steps b2f978555f became.b723c97f3f6584f3

Not wanting to be d62ed5c376 caught rushing, she paused b52653f3d2 to catch her breath 786f490100 and, glancing at her 8fdb29ede2 reflection in the window, 32031f2115 quickly straightened her disheveled 236f2584fe hair.db05dcee4389bb90

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“Hoo…”be030c96b905271a

Taking a deep breath 2604bb5fa1 to calm her racing 906f7e7a0a heart, Velita knocked on 44ab396b91 the door.67887c02b21ac430

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Today had been an 8f0290f22b awful day because of ca33ec362d Killian and Cain.94b8a9b1e03e9d64

Now, she just wanted fb3e57dfce to rest.ab9bc63d0f2175c8

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She only wished to 83197f236f sit on Jeremy’s lap 93b4cae25c and be pampered by 1374bb1d1c him, to lean into 255fe9d556 the comfort of someone fe36cfd4bb who adored her.83f57fcb57bf8c65

“Master, it’s me—Velita.”b257b2a0fd2b7e4b

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But contrary a9d5c0fca9 to her f923d8b1a7 weary hopes, d30b1decce no voice 3a7b2aedd5 called her 1ca521020f inside.df3be427823ce52c

“Master…?”00c59d101526c1db

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She knocked again 307cbcbe6f and called softly, 77cbbd938f but there was ee8522bf2a still no response.18afdc8c80c63d15

Velita gently 40110b82f6 turned the 5d646fa045 doorknob.96c3f989b70634a7

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The room beyond 41e1c2750c the door was f93ecf12d7 dark. None of the b4e7b54b2e lamps were lit, 16379f5339 and the curtains 12ef8a453f were drawn over 3545405888 every window, making 957dfc71f7 it nearly as 11077f20d9 dark as night.bb235198da0d6bf2

Only a 67c5af7cb6 faint sliver dd925d5963 of early 90bbae4eff evening light 511680f5cc slipped between 5e88de83fd the curtains, 853cabc7e0 casting a e801b5acc1 soft glow 1f0d51361c across the 0e8014e70d bedroom.99181dbb454f0d55

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Standing in the 455be60366 doorway, Velita spotted 9b5eeebcd3 a figure on 5c84181009 the bed and 4e7f983dfa quietly closed the 95bd3b4129 door behind her 42abe381dc as she approached.e7d2bb6b9a25d1b5

“Mas…”cd07b2531af2f917

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She began to call 3f4ec2c4dc Jeremy’s name but stopped c85c77895a herself.c65b19e97b39d1cc

He was 0d3516fe52 sleeping deeply.93a12335e4843ede

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Although she often fell dcd92588ed asleep beside Jeremy, she 59400237e1 rarely had the chance 9932579a8b to study his face dd49b4c323 like this. He was surprisingly diligent—usually 02c0294cc4 waking before her, even 80d4f16b4e after the most exhausting e94bf51efa nights, and leaving for 0b9e9abdac his day’s engagements.66f93b17cfa6dcb5

He was 18c2d0563e infamous as a267bcd8a6 a libertine, 92f07c08e0 but in f0e6b3d04c truth, he d652557f81 was someone 804e502dfd who took a21f49a3c2 his responsibilities 1516b72567 seriously. Velita didn’t c40dc84e11 know exactly 91986d9991 what work e599bba775 he did, b21a9a4acb but she 3e0ab8e8cd knew it 3cfe062681 wasn’t all a6b5dd207a pleasure—there were e5ef71a8ab more serious 01ca023511 duties too.8c529e01abd4f5f1

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‘This is kind d09caa714d of strange.’0bc844c0cc417e13

When she faced Jeremy, c0ec38d0b1 there was always some 1b3030aa61 kind of touch—kissing, holding 244b497f78 hands, something physical between 3aad46f3e7 them. But now, 824592dcac seeing him afdca9b705 asleep so 2379099e81 defenselessly, without 06534eb0cb reaching out 727bb94b3a to touch 609c58e161 her, felt 3513dab544 oddly unfamiliar.ee851c4e00ebcec2

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His delicate cb5e14fd80 eyelids, long 64c562db2c lashes, sharply 073555a8d7 defined jawline—he 2e3fec59bd had a 7fc242cc26 refined face 1f89642990 overall.bb2247c2224ddf43

He had always been 558dfd7131 handsome, but she’d never 83419250b5 thought of him as 27fd1f126c boyish.c03f5f16a840dc58

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Yet now, asleep a3c5aca40c like this, his 0c1d213728 face looked almost 29840f832b childlike.3cca8749320e961e

Hearing his soft, e8448f4b5b even breaths, Velita d67818a326 couldn’t help but 30f6cd65f7 smile.01aa45f74cd30f36

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She had e153f95d0f planned to cfce2d21fe wash away 58ece129e6 her grief d18626bf22 from the ff464ea1e5 day by e17404b530 clinging to a15230ee1c Jeremy, but f40eaab004 just looking 10ab50c9a8 at his b9f4b67ce6 sleeping face 0874426310 was already e9c005d9bb comforting her.d5f306bc7e679c68

“You must be 36b6bd744c cold.”ecdbb504e59758f4

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Jeremy had a habit 244501e2ae of not covering himself 415d61539d with the blanket. Maybe it was because c2649b57c0 he ran hot—he always bd8bff2791 found it stuffy and 358c80e70d hot when she tried 8bfffaf61c to cover him—but Velita 3fd4c313f6 couldn’t help worrying he’d 86ad410179 catch a cold. As she always did, 0aa11e10e9 she pulled the blanket 65e9a47506 up to his chin 4feab134d9 and then sat at f33f71abb1 the edge of the f8008f8d57 bed, studying his face.41cf3c978348c597

‘With his eyes efcda52ba3 closed like this, cd345fbdf4 his expression looks 4a02e0c5ad so gentle…’c33c7af8eda926cf

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When awake, his 19931b6ffc sharp features made 1fe23d8053 him look intense. And Jeremy really was a17775cdf9 a sensitive person—his emotions 54184c96d7 easily reflected in his 8fd5a29154 expressions.aed7031e3e32c474

Especially when 3a35aea09e he was 0628827d66 working.0087760b0da5f213

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But when he 680cb41748 was with her, 9fa1fad31a he usually wore 3b1aa34c94 a playful smile, 2f40472ce4 so Velita rarely 8d3ee98af4 saw that sharp f71d319e1f side of him.d4716369e55fc604

‘Even when 13431122e2 Master’s in 70554c9482 a bad 7306e33c16 mood, he 3a2ca56d2f never stops e821f4f800 me from 6c31f4f960 clinging to 77aa59ee1e him.’978a46e209bd7445

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That, too, 6b477eb3f9 was likely c0925f7c38 a sign 1d3f4835f0 of trust a68ea077aa and dependence.0b0d500c37861760

In this entire 101bc8ff95 mansion, she was baa05eacfb the person closest e5679a65a9 to Jeremy. He didn’t d63f21e578 seem particularly 867e6e1665 close to c59a1d5a1f his own 6581696e43 family. Velita was the 3d261721df only one he 8f6ad6b1a5 teased and played 2283ca508b with like a 39cc0be42b child.69e9f9bcd177ad3d

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That’s why, even c710126af3 when he showed 1f310fc947 annoyance and tried 7f6dc95cd3 to pin her ae4ca302a9 down with his 4568d81327 presence, Velita could d090e0f646 never bring herself 83cc47380e to hate him.07d4d947db79224d

‘My darling eb875247a7 must think 8354e208fc I’m too d5df0a537c easy—trying to e629e4dcfa challenge me 8822b83521 all the 356d212f32 time.’fcb1e136fd4a399c

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She’d once pushed 27546da194 him away in 3933eacbb3 a fit of c63b7b646c childish defiance, not 8464522422 realizing he was b090c9ff56 already in a dfe198f81f foul mood.b9d308ff5a8af70b

She’d been flustered by 7aeca04d20 the coldness in Jeremy’s b12156b741 face—so different from what 9fe314af93 she was used to. His smiling face e3f1ac6493 still carried a cdae57272f chill in his ca4830e0cd voice, and she 21591a0094 didn’t know how 3527132400 to apologize, or 615e564dcc even if she 8a7121e3d4 should.d7fe750cb6f5e36c

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‘I had a hard 03a5e0c713 day outside today, that’s 46987e3bd0 all.’d368d6df70ecfaf9

After watching her 9972e5f9af struggle, Jeremy had 0586c53015 softened, embracing her 112258548c with warmth once ce018835a8 more.ab3135b5dfdef685

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‘So today, don’t be 03524497ca difficult—just stay quiet. Okay?’d06057cda7813cc6

His smile 908b726f98 had remained 9dd8213e96 the same, 1113263f13 but the fdbd37f01d mood between 93995c3549 a smiling 4ab38f94c9 Jeremy and 23ec674ffa an angry dc4676b30a one was 50124e585d night and 542f28bec3 day. Still, Velita never found 369737bf15 him frightening. If you listened to e4b767096e him, he was endlessly abcc482b00 affectionate and kind. She had obediently e69ab768de let go of ae9a6d6101 her defiance, returning e2bd0d2503 to his arms 66b009bef1 to be loved.69be238956f9ff23

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On bad c76acf561b days, when 309d43f0fe his mood 59d4a3c734 was darker, 7e43d3fe8a dealing with a420b7b39f him could eeceb1122b feel overwhelming. But afterward, Jeremy would a51fe30741 kiss her forehead and 0ee8c5e0eb body, stay with her defc848061 for a long time, 404a5b5807 and later bring flowers ac30a286b7 and gifts—lavishing her with 07d587c74c his affection.0fdf353e2834b2e1

‘The master is 3ac7311f42 kind.’1b12983b3faa71ca

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Sensitive and sometimes selfish, 008bcc0387 yes.c15082d38ed00ebc

But everyone 094fcad9e4 has flaws.2e4c1dcf23674435

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He hadn’t 030498dc55 been loved 4cdc477233 growing up. His loneliness 9588b70cba had shaped 0deb911048 his sensitivity. If not her, who 2efcdb351f else would accept him fb82cc72f6 as he was?3ce70752bd5752d0

And he loved 9babbb9dbb her, didn’t he?b4ea59b925338e5e

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Unlike her mother b7e4eca8ee or brother, he f958966b64 didn’t hit her 960effb3f8 or treat her eaade125a0 like trash. He always told cb76eec0a4 her he loved 48c23b41c0 her…d2dcc79e9a869359

‘Still, I guess I 4b1fcc8c5e do look forward to ebd33c5488 his gifts.’b732d0f7f08bdea3

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She couldn’t a02960c0b7 deny the b6c5d97592 comfort of 36c7b46d1b the wealth d2f6475977 he offered. And yes, a655e220e2 that comfort ad64bd6064 was part b133151755 of why ccaafef836 she stayed d4ae060871 with him.097a17a0304a1f07

That made her feel d102782770 both guilty—and grateful.5ecd61a04fac7215

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But that ecd87c187f wasn’t everything.9fe60e269ba2e7b9

Velita truly liked 0d0cd397d5 Jeremy.fb5b989910c513c6

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He was the b3a0db1e4c first man in 409d2fa11b her life to a61e2a6e2a speak of love. The first c29cbe2897 man she 1a4e4567e8 could call d0000e511b her lover.5b4031043a4c3152

“Sweet dreams, 59829f22d6 my lord.”453442fdd526f769

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With that gentle whisper, 03c4b8afe2 Velita closed her eyes 0b156c390f and leaned down to a852d131bf kiss Jeremy’s cheek.bba9de6de01c6174

Smack—a soft kiss.0805f87b0bd64cd4

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Just as she opened 3a5c77319d her eyes and began 7f5310728b to rise—7a69f62a51e6498b

“……”7983884bb63ff2f6

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“……”518839e9414a46bd

She met db0d300b23 Jeremy’s eyes, 4f05742477 wide open.9c19433437d0de9c

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She was so 9ad6fa1208 startled, she couldn’t c3b1b851cc speak. Jeremy stared 04671a0105 at her 2bf6dfd4be in silence 8a31a23594 for a 0502e78d73 long moment, 0e687dba0f then grinned.233b093966d3291b

“You’re mean, Velita.”53c7ebb98a3e7fad

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A large hand 63944d842f gripped the back db6e981a7c of her neck 048fe5dc7a and pulled her 15f9ee7b0a down again. Velita found be26460826 herself bending 95d2f7d94f once more bad075a563 to kiss 91f4629c7a him—but this e7567c6679 time, it b6370dcf95 wasn’t the acfdbd969a cheek.a2ae6500cfc92136

His lips met hers—warm 86e09cf12c and soft, breath hot 967dba6786 between them.6edc24be1035601f

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He brushed against her ce6e3d9f2a lips lightly, like knocking. Her closed lips 5138c0d0cd parted slightly, and eaeca1cc47 something hotter and 3ba95fad10 softer than lips 437a6f24a7 slipped inside.1a0350ade22eb465

His tongue f9b94ee254 touched hers, 28227ddd6c caressing the c3ddee7154 inside of c673ea89a2 her mouth 684356d223 as if 32b354c045 exploring her 4d397362de with his 73bca2b184 hands.65e4e8ac2077e551

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It was 2c5400bcc0 a deep 944a9a7491 kiss—so intense 79a4ecba53 that Velita e05a229b5f involuntarily grabbed 61bd499240 his collar.987974d77701dba7

“Haa…”65829135523c067a

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Finally, their lips e6756d4eba parted, and Jeremy, 09d39b64bd still wearing that b69311d639 boyish smile, scolded f47daec597 her lightly.308f35a869ae4cab

“You tell me to 786702627d have sweet dreams, then 7414b6d4a2 go and wake me 4d0f52140e up.”ac91e18672108cb0

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“I-I didn’t know you c155beae6c were awake…”07af96851b6425bd

“Knowing I get hot, 86d28d75a1 why’d you tuck the 6492f1cadb blanket so tightly around 3d5b3582fc me?”ea2579dfe07b0624

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“I was 7423262a62 worried you’d 04448d086b catch a 8ea3d1e313 cold…”712aa9520917dd8e

“Sweetheart. How many 064b02c573 times have 86dbbe02ca I told 399a03e57e you?”3b75a69af1b8c544

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“Ah…!”65ced7a0b5b28986

Before she ff8e6f1c1b could react, d5d63b0dd8 Jeremy wrapped 67b6449042 his arms b24ef76f46 around her f0104bb051 waist and e932b264f8 pulled her ecbccbb7c4 down. Velita landed squarely in 49a0fa524b his embrace on the e2093a8925 bed.3a3869cc00cafb46

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“If you’re 2cd9daef5d really worried, aa1efe957a then don’t 931f5bfc03 use the ca84aecb77 blanket—use your 8ca50a5c83 body to d6a7662ce6 cover me 4d41a92338 instead.”72ddf719e5b6a0eb

 28878fae73422f36

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