MLS Chapter 44

“So when I saw 8bc36da2a8 the car that usually 4504cd0a71 carries the Duke parked 536c13971d out front, I thought 4e51d127e4 the legal wife had 1ff84f49d1 come to confront the 5eb5a6a53d mistress in a proper 1548c84ced showdown.”b4702ab8ff3a599d

Miguel muttered as 9ef9fdca92 he poured wine 6997ea1791 into a glass 293a5a9452 with an exaggerated 237dff344a splash.eb3904e69e234830

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“Never imagined f0a646d5df you’d boldly 16d30e8a31 ride your 8a4bc8b1c7 husband’s car 5cf6356b4d just to 1bb9d2272e come see b0a834286f me.”a6b22b5200e59407

The moment 607c5e3de1 they arrived 4c767619e7 at the 1325b200af hotel, Lorena 2713751d85 had practically ee5fe58a36 been apprehended dbf393437b by him. He led her up 182189dd73 to the top-floor suite d3fa70728d through the emergency stairs.0c3a49498d0960d7

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It seemed someone had 498ab70e10 been here not long bdade204fa before. Several empty glasses were 8e2e945424 left scattered on the 1cd6aaefe0 table. A hotel staff member dd94575f2d entered quietly, cleared them 0fbf55feb3 away, and replaced them a82208a3a7 with fresh wine and cff835bf76 new glasses.fd08afdc3653ade0

Miguel filled two 98990317b8 glasses and handed 01f3d57fcc one to Lorena. He was smiling, fc75fdc431 but his eyes b02ac8427e didn’t soften in b2d83b9a10 the least. He didn’t bother 18e54e46e7 to hide the 2da1ad63bb discomfort flickering in 7847973bb4 his gaze.cd75636a4a64212e

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“Well then, let’s hear 84302ac0cc how you plan to bdaa50b8b2 soothe your jealous lover a75eb67e4f now, Señora of Levantes.”bbb1ba2baee12775

His tone was openly 5c6201193e sarcastic.088f57b708b922f6

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“Don’t tell me you a292982ebe think we’ve already seen ece5050cf8 all there is to ff1c82facb see. If I recall, we 1d52a1d58e still haven’t even started 8d2eb213a9 a great many things.”b38425135fe0417e

In truth, it c6fd01b33b sounded less like 6eaed0531b mockery and more 68b01ad7a0 like a sulky 29d3e1970f protest—or even a 9497ed406d challenge.ca00fa2de0575983

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When Lorena dd6680171e simply shook 6153485c2b her head 4f1ef88c6c without a 210ceb1a47 word, Miguel 2532e65614 set the e4ea2c4b10 glass down 2f4e87fd69 carelessly on 5491aa339b a nearby e1fb34b9cd surface. He folded 1067ae9487 his arms 3fe50165e3 and looked 75fb7d2b53 down at 1f68b5a07c her, as 0b16d21775 if waiting da6fd7afec for a ff66158a08 proper explanation.68acc1de523c5776

Then Lorena spoke, c23631a9d6 without meaning to.6a527e5ece550e9c

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“Help me.”a56e81a271f1ea88

“With what?”f02fbfe9f8620b37

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“You were right. I really am 4578cf0909 still trapped in 9453f80930 some memory of 78fe36d102 the past, Miguel.”6a378287d73f213a

“What kind of a1f85f6e6f memory?”0235bfaf70147ad8

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“The only ba355d9449 time I 2cba46548b ever felt 7ddf9c9db5 anything even 233ae948ed close to f9f6cd97d8 affection from 5bcf232ecc my husband… 19f949eb8b was when b8e1535f76 we were 4dd4c68541 having sex.”42a959783fef6ba3

There was a 9735ffa324 time when Lorena 6674939cc2 had truly loved 42503e70ad the face of 91c357f160 her husband, absorbed a089583c05 only in her 76fe6de801 during those moments.1cb7152f933e74e5

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Her clouded eyes, 6e1df0d9d5 the sweat that b4a1c906dd ran down his 942fef8dd1 thick neck, even 277292a81c the way his 5bcabd7b21 movements roughly pierced 77ba73d7c4 her most vulnerable c8b04794b5 places—she had loved 081e604c6d it all. There had 8fb8cd0d31 been more 67d7e8016f than a f9d25b093e few nights 522f197228 when she dbcf7d7e10 clung to 982944a677 his neck 85850c08bc more tightly, 10fb763061 not wanting 5bed8264a7 the fleeting dfe77cb895 time to 7d64ac4e33 slip away.9c9d0ba066b6ad77

“But by the 1941da4260 time morning came, a2e31ca506 I always fell 3bd2f34fc1 into despair. Every time I 55e88304a3 had to face c880c962e6 again that he e5f64cdb99 still had no 6def7d61e3 intention of having 841e762c9a a child with 283dabe12d me.”022604193bcf3c8d

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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.ab1f1ef733829224

“That’s probably 898bc329a0 why that f35e293617 memory is aabd2688ee still carved 3c51454eff inside me.”9765925898dd63c8

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“……”242309a89434d3af

“Can you erase 0745cf173c it for me?”f08bb60030a9486f

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Miguel chewed over her 7810257be1 request silently, then suddenly 163ce2b478 burst into laughter.c25103bce6a67d40

“Ah, so 9aefe5769a you’re going cf3d8944d4 to treat 987f6a6014 me as 4b0ac69aa7 a substitute d13b47ba76 now?”e0666339ca49d1ba

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“You were 1555d53dc4 the one 22643a0a6b who suggested 6aadf4541d this method 9bd49702aa to me.”5d862cf09ad6f973

“Don’t pin the 9f5a98ecde blame on me.”cd767376d38dc445

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Never in his life d9fdb50638 had a woman treated 06b77a8553 him like this. It was certainly refreshing. Provocative, too. And to think the 4f2b1478a7 one saying such outrageous 48fdc6bf98 things was none other 5d7c65bd89 than Lorena herself.97fd3b8e2d3a98dd

Wasn’t she f59c020cce the one d3fa65d24a who couldn’t 3179febd18 even fully 89e7a59882 accept the aae0481f57 title of 26e0cfd411 mistress? She must have 4e69016289 had a reason, 8768d3fd66 then, for throwing 7f99385276 away her upright 51b59bda08 and noble nature e6f4ee478e and coming to ddd4c81ad5 this hotel.4c3324ac362fadb6

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“This is 72829bcfa3 a kind 2cc5f53bc9 of contract 9066c45b61 too, isn’t 4b2f8919cc it? A transaction based on ba2e5d7b07 trust.”18bdab0c6c1d90d8

“So, what? You want to find 26c19acbde out if I’m better f73f63b301 in bed than your a4de9903f2 husband?”26a31c5edc28781a

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“No.”2f87bfce92650fda

“Then, is it 0baf93d213 that you want 9f6b942129 a baby?”c28367a4ee230a18

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This time, no 64e8069ce7 answer came quickly. Miguel gave a 39493f4a08 dry, exasperated laugh f23bb480b0 through his nose. This woman would drive c13a0a9522 a man mad.434cd5670ebdfba3

“So now you’re 4082f5a75a trying to control 84321c838d me, Señora, even 583c04b5af in areas I 474fa4a582 never agreed to.”25970ce3dc7192cb

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He definitely felt beeecdec07 a carnal desire 1b93f3ec6c for Lorena Levantes. Even now, with 36654ba942 her request devoid e5cbe6576e of the slightest 9b5d848176 hint of lust, c3b0415154 blood rushed pointlessly d9d317a762 downward.308c8f245b1a9bf1

But the fact 57df72f6af that he was 438b6feb5b aroused by her 827be0e0d0 didn’t mean it 25ac7c2040 was a weapon f37cff8a8c she could wield. He had 7574c671aa no intention 9150f9abe8 of letting fcacce788c himself be 4cbb3159cc manipulated that 62a1211381 way. His voice grew sharper.5a1b48797c1f2d4e

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“Think carefully and say c2eff15cab it again. I’m not 38749308c9 like someone a39bfc18e7 else you bb576dc928 know—I don’t df3662b0eb believe in c941f6cf57 contraception.”778e5c76819e33a4

“That… doesn’t matter.”f7599f30cd24c86a

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Lorena shook her 07146b810d head again. The sway 917a43aa36 of her 7ad0bb86eb golden hair 4fd1c76a3f was limp 5c2fce9212 and drained bb3eb43772 of strength.3eec329e031a7cfa

“I just want you 4cf7f03e9d to treat me better da4a22d2eb than he did.”e45f82bb37230c35

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“……”b58e901279f24d59

“I don’t care f0779dcaed about real pleasure 0dc6c0d66e or intense stimulation. I just want f56c944073 something different from 9c0da4e696 my husband. I don’t want to 7dcb80cd8b think about anything anymore…”c3a57ce777db2003

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Her lifeless eyes c7addcf47e were hollow.567886df0cb0c7db

Miguel suddenly noticed 7bc47a3368 just how thin 3ed8962b3f she had become.b71ba8f1f94f1e14

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Though Lorena wasn’t 95b882706e short, her shoulders 4bec42a69c were delicate, her b565098a4f waist slender. Maybe it was b4ca27f27e just his imagination, ac4cbe0d4c but she seemed 9375975b8b far more frail b7edba20b0 than when he b2231d809d had caught her f79262ac23 staggering at St. Vergos Cathedral. Her pale face looked c486416d64 like it could fit 8333460cdc entirely in one of 33165b712e his hands.3520e85151988dbe

A woman completely emptied 16e89c9bc8 out.24fbadf63b7bc798

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He’d always sensed e2e4c25596 something fragile about c6529607bc Lorena, but never 8f01e5730f had that feeling 891a8ff960 hit so strongly 3690b5f389 as it did 7059d66538 today. Miguel abandoned the 94db4a4b90 scathing words he’d 70bd721566 been about to 0287edd008 deliver.0e1ce95771a1f2ac

“Come here.”e000f1753197a4ff

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As he unfolded 1ef80979f0 his arms and 48428f6237 held them open, 4d75544a09 she stepped in 6246ad977f quietly and rested a17524594f her forehead against ac95e1bcd6 his chest. Even the touch of b3c35ab804 her head against him c3a022c34d was so faint, it 06607b8e0e barely registered.cc2c8c635f342640

Like a small bird d8821a0be8 with broken wings. Someone utterly exhausted.0b00d0eda6eff6d7

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A woman clinging to 56b7e67f1b life with nothing but f4c8fc6429 rage and hatred.fa317a188bb475d9

His heart ached. Miguel slowly began to 31c620f336 understand that whatever time b6db69068e she’d just spent with 25ef33fc6a her husband, it hadn’t 4ccc78dd47 gone anything like the f43433e38a worst-case scenario he’d imagined.aaa4138f657b0594

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He’d thought perhaps 1db8ab67a1 seeing Vaye again ea097282e2 had stirred up 0afd6ea995 old feelings… but 11cc92906d he was wrong. He moved his 65067624e8 stiff lips.b5cff90e496566ea

“Today must’ve 567bd82623 been hard.”b09447cf063ac0e8

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Lorena didn’t cry. She simply a3d595a19e let out b6e235440d a breath 6f6885c56b that was baa57b267d almost like 5be59c59da a laugh, 87d1239d1d caught in b5be34f392 her throat. Either she no 3ac70b0dd9 longer had the 9bbef516de strength to cry… 9bcd5b9225 or she had 060cca4f0c no tears left 121a867b6f to shed.834acdaaa5b95103

Miguel held her 17fda7e3bd tightly—this woman who f53bbbc349 barely filled even 8ed7ad9219 half his arms. After gently stroking her 291aebf75b small head for a a70b4801db while, he whispered quietly,38cb10aa863b3983

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“Shall we b3904e0881 go to 6246d00cdf the bedroom?”ba7ce77d81a98f60

The nod 324dc06625 she gave f574508726 in response fbf4e8756a was light 9442e51b30 as a 3888b40e51 feather.40ebc19e525c50d0

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* * *259f8356ce7deafe

It was a 6ba54ebe49 memory too embarrassing 96772402d7 to confess to de0485c72e anyone, but to bff77453c8 tell the truth—Lorena 479d5ae0fd hadn’t been able cbba824006 to fall asleep 1f7ae1f0b8 on her own a7d66d5504 until she was 897021f010 twelve years old.ca9186d46f67fff5

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She had always been 7d4a84de85 unusually fearful from a 3f0e5450b1 young age. Her father, 607ae04cd7 Vicenzo, and 5ca9cd7338 her older f74f8da121 brother, Alfonso, 41850b8f39 used to 9a8b5234bf call her fe85c917fa the cowardly 7b768af137 little princess. But neither of 7318100714 them ever scolded bf0e289700 or made fun d29f136912 of her for 2ed2ef88c1 it. Part of that 4214244820 was because she 2e1ae0c434 was the youngest, c007cc1973 of course—but more 294d874747 than that, it ea8ae3a392 was because of c00f05ab3b an accident she abd9a27b67 had suffered in bdacce64de her early childhood.d62b27e9b8d86087

It happened 6e65c78ab6 on a e0cded7d9a main road 151bee601d not far 9784fc2921 from the 6233085185 Klein family bcf710f965 estate in f29ee6469a Ingerd. Lorena, barely 63f9ce9da7 old enough 2dde5ce41e to walk, ad1728435e had simply cbf99209b3 been strolling 8c0654a529 down the 3d835c0ffb street hand-in-hand 6a1a8cb674 with her a6cffd1e85 mother when, 8988abc6ec out of 729b158330 nowhere, two a81928b492 horses pulling 6f15528d66 a cargo db4e08a707 wagon went 23e0d5bdf1 wild and c98592ec35 charged straight d498fd0746 into them.4549929bbe100111

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By a 654fc3d5cd stroke of b1dbdd7a23 miraculous luck, d4fcb8bf65 Lorena survived 971b97d0b3 unharmed. But her d0ba463622 mother, who 7fd0d3deec had thrown cb923bbcd2 herself over 49eafc61d7 her young 8fd4cc8782 daughter to 5c3f09d5f9 protect her, 1698de8ffa did not. One of the horses’ 2f7b3525f1 hooves struck her ribs, 63df874387 which fractured and pierced 4b6e168551 her internal organs, giving f628b16d6b the doctors no time 7feaa9faba to act.0f04012bd3e7d224

She died before 6de036ba19 they even reached f74c38342e the hospital. By the time Vicenzo 2171d654c6 arrived, all he could 6dbdbc6285 do was gather up 1668d08487 his daughter, who was 657baea30f soaked in her mother’s 9500a2f71b blood and screaming her 6b0b7a5a43 throat raw.c39f3278ae49ae60

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Like most people, b1fb8f47ac Lorena had no 08da148b4b memory of the cdc2cb27f2 accident that happened f7ce54b0be when she was f32cef0fd4 a baby. But she grew ee399311d1 up terrified of b56ae24286 animals that charged a5f2afdd44 at her without a0e379457f warning and suffered 2e1b671ac9 nightmares whenever she 7d3401217d had to fall 8c0078015c asleep alone.a6aa834d97afd450

At a therapist’s 67fbb2f9ee suggestion, she began 1746a9e270 practicing sleeping through 341876c2e0 the night without 870c2208be her father or f3e6ccb374 brother at age 7d9336791a twelve. She didn’t fca2242779 fully succeed 830b90b77f until she 36e3b4b7c6 was fifteen. Two years later, at 93db38f509 seventeen, she came to 1c1490f38e the Kingdom of Bessen 8258538f55 for summer vacation with ec0bba8acd her father—and suddenly found 95c794c529 herself engaged. A year baedfb7780 and a 4be9c2db08 half later, 5a7ea88daf she married 03c5a56ae5 the moment abbe522686 she came b42b884e96 of age.ebb33aff91b8cbc2

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Looking back 4c84599f2a now, even 566527f76d on the 704ded557e day she a5359e1f2e received that a5c21e830a sudden proposal 0cffebfb12 and engagement 8330315c63 ring, and 204fbe8bad right up 10d61f9ab6 to the 8019223910 day she 9862ff8bbb walked down a6874a1fe2 the aisle—Lorena 9fd987740a had still 032becf17f been an 07f6715365 unripe girl.3cede5d3c2dea9a7

What had she told 92f3c55699 Vicenzo, who had been 7fe9a11e3c endlessly worried about sending 3e5cee4606 his daughter off to 0f3122a509 marry a nobleman in df168abac6 a foreign country—especially a f095615f51 duke? She’d said, “There’s cd9f7e0437 nothing to worry efe54e77ff about, Father. I can sleep alone 7eb7230108 just fine now.” She’d e43692341b smiled brightly as she db4f0f2238 reassured him.8ec0ac3d0e96b1ee

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For the next seven dcb5bbb232 years, she kept repeating 617322299b the same lie. She couldn’t 3c90d2cad7 even confess 726d1168eb that on 5b953adf55 nights when 63358bfbe0 the weight 21dbf30e8b of the cb41a67a5b world’s judgment dee314116a felt especially eaa82493f4 heavy, she 9455afd0f7 had a 1c00cd320d habit of 3ffd906116 crying quietly 92bf6de2ad under the 428efe4c0b covers until b421ca1bae dawn, all 61a3a97899 by herself.af1eeceabb9b0212

Even on the nights 7e65f63aeb they shared a bed, 050cfe032c Vaye never actually slept 473cefe29d beside her. When Lorena regained 18508e05cb her senses, he e17dd19094 had either already 1d2cb4f096 left—or was just 5f3de14e88 about to. It was always one 0e8a48b93d of the two.d370fa59598c9f52

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So it had been 12fccd192f fourteen years since she 5f2603f9a9 last lay in bed d9ddab6854 with someone, resting her 9cec9096fc head on their arm. Not since 31624dd20d she was 407e55de2d twelve.8499a7447905d4ac

The man in front f08dd98f9e of her moved his 9699e052fb throat slightly. With his eyes gently f14b92bf47 closed, he murmured softly.7874a1e2ef6af53f

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“Just bear with 953155587e the awkwardness. I’m doing the 0957e1a77b same.”fb475df31ec3d98a

His tone f2aceabc80 was a 29fd3e7a41 little sulky. It was honestly deb03a6b29 fascinating—how a voice f9a646728b so boyishly petulant 0e920ce0aa could sound so 3cda6e8add masculine at the b213e1f340 same time.d7bb244a8bf3a5cd

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Lorena held 2a7e78f709 her breath 024e845589 for a 2043c7982b moment. The man who e8289bf5ab had swept her 5b6516babb up and carried af1330658f her off at 4529e3b663 the suggestion of 4e8ca7db87 going to the 1667364588 bedroom had exited a98b2cb7a3 into the hallway b06f34f900 and taken her f3b0617288 to a different 32f912b7a6 suite. That room was clean 6b8e016a0c and stylish, like a e515a1b5cb typical luxury suite.e9d8028a01f8802d

But instead of 1b1701aa0a the bed, Miguel 1d804890e5 had placed her cdd92922a5 in the bathroom. Somehow knowing 624361878e she hadn’t d5b2155605 bathed yet, 10af5d81f5 he tossed 85c55faa67 a bathrobe a84961d4e9 inside. When she came out e9e86c2ae5 wrapped in the robe, b86b27c4d6 he scooped her up 76aef45c95 again and laid her 2c6e180590 on the bed, cradling b948bf376d her like a child cf3af25921 into his arms.00f21d280180654e

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Throughout it all, 5110f59cf9 Miguel’s appearance remained 9e1054fde5 completely composed. A shirt with just 6a5d73c53d the top two buttons 206f5ae633 undone, black trousers belted 3e003c93b2 at the waist. He showed 4af45e1aa6 no intention 16e0f0c1e0 of touching d1d2b02c7d a single f799f5f98e button or 39b40331a3 buckle.6098ac455b459170

Lorena let 8cbcaa5f98 her gaze e63f75ebd1 fall to 1c96723b82 the steady 4e7f9122e2 rise and 897120136f fall of 06db418863 his broad 2764ce864d chest. A heady 8d2ce52179 musk seeped 44a0b3ae39 through the 010c07cd70 open collar d2ad33a154 of his 3816d84264 shirt. She tried hard 2825159b4c not to let 64858aa017 her eyes be 8baf4efeb0 drawn to the f52ce7fc8d muscles barely visible 12ce40ad3c beneath the fabric.5de28d5e0d8e7da4

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“Aren’t we 4bea2e328b going to 4d4e989698 do it?” a902df6034 she asked.edd0251791996df9

 a7eafb2e2ce25a2e

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 e160f142dd3a7a4a

 0b1ae178ee224f41

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 30a001301483584d

 ac8a6b8244662abf

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