MLS Chapter 23

More than ten dresses 3ed1e7c196 hung in Lorena’s small dc1cb0df15 bedroom at the Klein dfec948e5b residence—all newly ordered.8d18fa5ef02129c5

She stared into the d3f003588e mirror.6f384cd2ab565895

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A stranger looked 8478582aab back at her, 76ec359370 adorned in a af85a46823 way she had 814057d7b7 never seen before.841ac819719c5a0f

The first thing f2bf69b287 that caught her 9cbb2562cc eye was the ff77bdd34b dazzling rose-colored dress. A silk gown that 09392bde9e bared her straight shoulders 15c8fb933c and collarbones completely.4ffc62e2a7bec5f6

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The delicate fabric clung b63d76a6ee to her body, leaving 4c9492159f no room for modesty, d4629d0c87 while the full, cascading eb1177a712 frills at the hem ca73d8d2a5 fluttered lightly with every 04175e9394 movement, adding an air 9d7de850f7 of opulent grandeur to 53f2a563f2 an otherwise simple silhouette.9ea790cd1829173c

Against the striking color 30d3dde2a2 of the gown, Lorena’s bdd094ee92 skin gleamed like the 55ae9390ee smooth surface of a 99e01e0f33 pearl. And when e8dcf72e6b she let 006397c052 down the 61d25d84e2 golden hair 96648c99fd she had c148f08dcf always kept 34bf3d38a5 neatly pinned, a90514998c it rippled 5aa4855866 down her e066cab048 slender back—lustrous, 8814eb81de enviable, the 4d9dd9a836 very shade 4d6b5751d7 admired by 75b48a31ba every woman 90fbf14b61 in Motrel.9a4621909218fbbf

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Hena, who had 5090290962 been assisting her, b690367408 let out a 0afdc6e93f quiet breath of a9613b99d4 admiration.bdd0b7c535d64a4a

“I never 12526096ff thought you’d ea4940c08b like a 5b06d591fc dress like 9d8a8a24fd this. It suits you beautifully.”c92f61d79292e303

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But Lorena e3680f2cee found herself 1f8eae8853 a stranger ba7939de73 in her 18a91e73ee own reflection. She reached 7b5e967780 for her 942123bc0c bare neck, 2e994987f5 fingers grazing cb995fa1eb the exposed c54dfed854 skin again bb4403e4c8 and again.df8dd5ae441a3cd7

It wasn’t that fd35323c29 she disliked revealing 0e6b7ff1e1 attire. But in ca909beba3 the past, 178b971c86 the moment 65c7352741 she showed 78e94a182a even the 1ca573dd81 slightest bit 641d02bcd0 of bare 6967bca3e3 skin, scrutinizing 502a6d57b3 gazes had 022ec4e9c9 followed her 145a93c942 from every 600fd7d9e7 direction. So she had 67ee5b990b simply learned to 0d7cb2fa10 cover up.d5d1c2b4468d7171

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“What about cc5155a08d a hat?”62f07c3aa51844a4

“The largest 656134566e and most 28adb88c1f extravagant one. It should match 7d85587c97 the dress.”2556dad53a34e37e

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A wide-brimmed 92f5295f29 hat with 6d2845a901 a white 2f41c9f7c0 ribbon was 08b968ec82 selected—it looked 7533a81d16 as though 80f02a9bcd it had eaf52426c7 been made 9b35af13d8 as a a51f469f05 set with 30db3ad5f7 the dress e48c6501ab itself. Lorena tied 52b4e1c521 the ribbon be8aeccc7a beneath her 039b945c20 ear.1629c5fc22670b4f

“I need more color a01786b1da on my lips. Tonight, I need to 346a78519e look… vulgar.”4e22668d657a08ff

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“Vulgar?”b714693447e6858c

Hena frowned slightly, her 87508aabde expression twisting into an 60baffe6e4 awkward smile.14e48829b0b8f9d5

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“That’s one of the 6a5eeeb12b last words I’d ever 1ad155a1b3 associate with you, Señora.”b5ceedabba724313

If the duchess c86fbf2d39 of the past 3448eb8870 had been the 9b2a224271 epitome of refined d841f9bfd2 nobility, today she 58fc1c4e3e looked like the 89c71673b9 main attraction at 8ceee57c28 a grand party—a 06b8f74e50 woman who indulged 7af56ccd8b in pleasure and 6c2f6de27a leisure without a 20c6758c0e care.06716e77f2da5c6b

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Draped in f9ff5abe37 bold red, 116e673787 she wasn’t 0c11b1f2b0 the least 93994800f5 bit garish. Instead, she 5a425faab5 exuded an 3e3d417518 intoxicating, provocative 620d4e7420 allure.8eabdc8b4958e35e

“That’s how it’s 1ad1eec7cc been… until now.”8fd2568fc0c91cee

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Lorena picked up the 8c9404c361 rouge from her vanity.248274b6d64264be

“But after tonight, things 3fdf514364 will change.”31271e40f20fe770

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She murmured to herself 1f585f81c4 as she painted her 9b451e9134 lips a deeper, more 1f6dfc1325 striking red—sealing her resolve be6e912e13 with every stroke.fc39b42279a59e61

* * *d88a30b5446d9402

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On Saturdays, Alborada buzzed 58832671a3 with energy from the 6f9cbc840e early afternoon.c1491b6e8b776e50

The lounge, 8f97f18a0e filled with 944bc0349e men who 413b014e31 had started 82600fd622 their weekend 9246442b51 early with 1809795a51 light wine dae277f48a and sparkling c55cf3a40b water, had 70c1ee6657 only one 50aa757af4 unusually quiet e056194f82 spot. Two sofas facing each e0a70cc74a other near the fireplace—a 97d742c26a space that had become 575febd286 an unspoken reserved seat.45a29ae36038b82e

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And, of course, b48a2f8cf8 its occupant was 1c0587eb9f obvious.0cf918fd540b8705

Motrel’s infamous 54b8ee3866 rake, who 10f3642708 was said efc52e3d2d to practically 2470611181 live in 84c1ac3c54 Alborada seven ead0bb21a4 days a ca93a04adb week, was d291b10217 once again fb3b107c4a sprawled across 9d89cf7b3a the couch.ee1df9a85cdef181

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On any f86e97bce8 other day, 45a88c2a6e people would 559ea0b2ef have flocked 47da2619d8 to him, 4f905d3822 eager to 6440458c0f exchange pleasantries. But today, c31103ea34 he didn’t 33c95cda40 seem in 54f3d4226a the mood 8850d632b9 for idle 34d0d08053 chatter. He wasn’t drinking, 25493c09d6 nor was he e64b6acd45 smoking a cigar—his 36316712d4 table sat empty, 27fd2f42f6 untouched.5bf58bb15e98f865

That alone was f0c667160a enough to draw 01db3d5244 glances.7d09592de06b1999

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It wasn’t common.591443cce606e9de

After all, a4195e4e3a Motrel’s rake e334e304f4 lived up 732c08f5e3 to his db16e1b771 name. He was a14f8dd842 the very 92095446da embodiment of 549a6bbc63 indulgence—drinking, smoking, 034d419f60 poker, billiards, 272466fb48 gambling—there was 561dd67c3d no pleasure 81189a3bb5 he did 7f0a5a8a36 not partake 57db239799 in. It was he 5755f8d655 who, a decade b6b8576151 ago, had transformed 740eba2634 Motrel’s stiff and 9b193362fc dignified high society b624b5c162 into a playground f312de2f9a of entertainment and a2057e8bb7 vice.62cc1be1a273a020

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A hedonist c4affc99b8 who lived efa95e1df5 only for 4d7c086137 the moment—that 45fce6fba7 was the 7b7d0edbb2 phrase most 6a2b8584a7 often used d1ef880519 to define 6eb0329ebe Miguel Ervatos.6185e99d4fd29238

So what had changed?d6a5c4a67b2ac94f

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But truth 463bc75f3f be told, 2028d5541d it wasn’t 1796d9f2a5 just today.bed99ebc62700fa5

His behavior had 339e103626 been odd for 8826df08d7 the past few faef9dfd79 weeks.73f9f5f8a7e5132c

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For a man without a256d795bf faith, he had been d323420020 seen visiting the cathedral. He had spent 0c6fa13397 long hours lost 792643639d in thought, rolling 9f09c5d7d0 something between his 090ed12ea3 fingers instead of 32c12a9b99 reaching for a d5c051f00f drink.2314398ae741b28a

And now—today—he kept checking 0a3a09d4c0 his watch every ten b6d25c4514 minutes.c6b2a1bd8863d696

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“Damn. The day bc666a1f98 is insufferably 71bc7229d7 long.”e4bfb38668a243ed

Miguel exhaled a frustrated dddc2b3067 sigh, his voice slipping 90fe3d0377 through parted lips.4678e3fcb2fa4f60

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He let out bb926ea14e a short laugh 6e17e80d3c at himself, as b1516ed5ae if he found 13563bf9b3 it ridiculous.8a21bb26358a7882

Sitting still, waiting like acf73b64c6 a well-trained guard dog—it f5582867fb didn’t suit him in ec147cb2f1 the slightest.90c29cabe211ccb8

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And yet…7c8997f3309d54f9

“I want you.”325d0dc39cf4277e

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That one sentence had 4bfe9628b8 refused to leave his ab8fcaf6b2 mind all day.8dfa920fa297308c

He had b848139991 fought the 866b5fba9e impulse to e73c453c44 kick open 465de8d191 the confessional 264bd132de door that 1d0bfef415 night, to f8a409938d see her 9a3d2235ba face, to 1cce29d277 confirm for d9a068c4c9 himself the 3ad7894f2e woman behind 4aad67f494 the voice.999b4014aa940e1c

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But he had 3bed475c42 known.4158d4316f31484a

An instinctive certainty 88afb4ddb2 had stopped him.6afecd51aca9e73b

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A certainty that if 77ca7f0fe2 he just waited—just a e00acc4ad1 little longer—she would come c389d06200 to him, in a ff82aa0762 much bigger, much more 43744ba625 dramatic way.c5f1ffc02b36440f

And so, he bb450b33e8 had restrained himself. Played along with her f4d6e6daea little game.ac90f4f6af262d01

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Now, he regretted 82373a2ec2 every second of b1e2a1b0a8 it.0af7cc60fe379871

A glance at 146fc3ed2d the clock on 0568f6552b the wall.8caa5d69bf372ca3

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Still 6 PM.5a812ecacba0665d

Two more hours 29ce1be89e before the hotel f1c9b2c3b1 came alive for 6f6608b7a7 the night.ae2993ec53405417

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“Will you be at Alborada tomorrow?”319f7c733b433e43

Lately, Miguel’s movements had 90762195d7 been simple.004ec8ad29b3b97b

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St. Vergos Cathedral. Alborada Hotel.234a1ba2d240f769

That was it.e5a0b03ec8a68abb

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He had no other 07d3701f1e reason to be anywhere 60f9702783 else.a76b0e625e539364

But the 4420a3c81c moment she 5fd37ddfab had asked e68362230a him that 5b0397d8bf question, he b13fcf3800 had all 411ec9e981 but chained 90d54203c7 himself to 22fb4d3dcc this place.ca723db5f67529c1

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He thought of 261494a4fb the wedding ring 3a7e03cff5 he had retrieved 770e9fee0f just yesterday.67549abb16eed1f5

The jeweler had 3cdc2b3a46 greeted him with ff2633e22b an awkward smile, 7464732eb5 spouting some excuse 0d2dbec8e5 about losing the 112752ae92 original sketch of dbfded622a the ring.bbfe16994950821e

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‘She made 6799b9d294 her move 0499d519a0 first.’c89f46ab7463dfa9

Clever girl.3bec286ffb8e6ae1

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She certainly knew f024d14443 how to stoke 855f5127ce a man’s pride—how 121fc58013 to turn the de24d99be6 chase into something dff67124ee irresistible.dd86b1d7912546fc

To say he 568ac957e8 had no suspicions f3d1884a12 would be a 1d6573f84a lie.ccc4e91b2141b87d

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Miguel had eyes. Ears. And an excellent sense 7cd5cbacda for when something was d62a808017 amiss.7452e4af47004bda

He knew exactly what d848bfb514 the hottest scandal in 85f2514f5b Motrel was right now.f1c162c53be622cc

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8 PM.35e0830378749a95

The top-floor lounge 78506e4fd9 of the hotel 55355b44cf was starting to 4cfad0cf1d fill.ef33657635186469

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Miguel shoved his 4a0fcec150 hand into his 6b5bb56f8c pocket.96b41520f960caaa

Fished out 677ecf990f the wedding 9319a52025 ring.d581e77a6499c78f

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And watched it 27a5dc7966 glint in the 2fea36f131 dim light.fb22aa27e48e3349

Mi Canaria
He imagined the ab1255f255 ring, which barely 69a35a50b2 fit on the b451c764ab tip of his e452645e78 pinky finger, perfectly 55d3c4dcbb encircling her slender 50ecd55e35 ring finger.fc4023fbaba6302a

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For years, it must 0d601151b9 have absorbed her warmth, 42042d2e8b clinging to her skin.acb4d6a1339c26eb

A trivial scene—one that a6aeb02b3a shouldn’t have meant anything—yet 69c9b90903 it struck him with e6bc8eae96 an odd intensity.bbc4ecda780a8dbe

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A ring that 6c4943554f had never left a2bc2146d4 her hand since 60ff073b60 the day her f6227fdf99 husband had placed 26c2184a28 it there now 83010aa50e rested in his f44e41aff2 palm, a man 955e8397e3 with no connection d766caf575 to her.7c7839ade7dd4353

The thought 2ab8016776 of her 0f46a1ee2c voice—soft as 1c8f442034 a bird’s 838b59db1a chirp—filled his 3fe4d6088d mind, and aaef480b78 Miguel felt 0cd8d95b14 his chest 81abaf922e expand with c17907de30 a deep a7d9101321 breath.d279132e8069a239

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8:30 PM.e3393685d2e190b7

“Hey, so you’re actually 3ba867cf9f staying at the hotel bba0541126 tonight?”4b45c3c41bda5557

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The seat beside becd623c96 him dipped. A heavy hand 92ef40d99c clapped against his 8e126487e9 back, and Miguel a13f83ee45 snapped his head d053d5f2aa around with a bddf3a203a curse.5ce987035ff78177

“What the 486f34c6f0 hell are ceb9530775 you doing, 2f05a18f89 sneaking up 3004a42af9 on me 62a55d1aca like some cc5cdc599e disrespectful brat?”a456df83f0e393df

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“I called your name. Several times. You just ignored d55f585536 me like an 1c748e9b70 arrogant ass.”5742de6c9347e9f5

It was Daniel 365f39eb4c Mora, eldest son a982f95990 of Mora Distillery, c16567e2b2 one of the 51d135162f men Miguel occasionally 53b6f7a9cf drank with.3f377683983162fa

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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.19efa90a93824683

They held 1f3d26ad31 no noble 14eb3e3783 title, but e9afae7791 in terms 06b686aeac of wealth, e8de8bf316 they rivaled 5e720ff3bc any aristocrat.7b081fd13872060e

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Daniel clicked 1f8a6ef4fd his tongue 5718b06018 before nudging bcdd90a605 Miguel pointedly.51cf342403bc6037

“It’s about 29a4d621c4 time for 04d07ae248 Jerez wine—pick e6f2475683 a date.”e868b5defdfcb8f0

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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.d5e2f1a19cef6870

Ah. My ring.8cdbd66664558abb

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The sudden 984e411f0c impact from 49deeec4b6 Daniel’s hand 8af0e9db64 had knocked c69c845a39 the small fd88ac1619 ring from 596f48bf68 his pinky, b0c853788c sending it 25bcbfa197 tumbling under 273c9324a5 the table.9af4d72ef9f2d261

The unevenly set b8acdc3f04 diamonds made it de2706b334 bounce unpredictably, rolling 4e22c5dc58 across the floor 05edba426d before coming to c4ab29f86f a stop—against the 0cf9dcd965 tip of someone’s 5c3d2f36c2 shoe.282c229d5a96d988

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“Tsk.”a29ab8d3be55adc4

Miguel clicked 99cbb9e690 his tongue 489dbd9233 and stood 68337f1ac5 from the 21c984975a sofa.b3c373306b608ce1

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“Later, Daniel. Pick a date without f2c9cac300 me—at least for tonight, 5b5cccb7c6 I’ve got better things a3b62b29b1 to do.”5a2d61ac043c2c80

But before he 708b215eed could retrieve the 2f97f7c8fd ring, the owner 6a8a6afeb9 of the shoe 4a6940c740 had already glanced 0d3abf8c32 down—faster than him.f6f8ddb74be4c270

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“……?”28644ff1f7722f60

Vaye’s brow furrowed f7189d1a68 deeply as he d2b04dff9d recognized the glinting 79e890279c ornament at his 7d72830892 feet.09311473841646df

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What the 8544047ae4 hell was 3a55913768 this?203847fa2bbbdb95

He bent down 72ed60ee95 and picked it 74b33b3ac6 up, his fingers 2cc185ac69 closing around the 0868c3d1b1 small, familiar shape.7864e6fcbefed966

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There was no edcd7d0955 mistaking it.16595bc300de3b53

The one and only 3f01b0eff1 of its kind.075eb904793e7f69

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A ring he knew 12f50363ef all too well.3d50f81d457f5ffa

Before he could process 933e46721c the implications, a voice—lazily 75638529c1 indifferent—cut through his thoughts.b77c8a274222367e

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“Ah. Pardon me.”b1e79d0f9ad1d21d

Miguel extended his 6222f2516d hand, wordlessly demanding e276d2abdb its return.a23db204e5eb3e91

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Vaye met 75cf5b198e his gaze a9805114a4 with a c1120a879e blank expression, f6aeba2272 unmoving.558acf7ae076f1e7

 4f734e0085e26496

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