TRYD Chapter 4
by Solavita“I agree.”d7261228d397b96b
She answered shortly and 7dddd2a0a9 stepped up to the e740402209 table.b76eec3d899adbab
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Edmund pulled ce2cc185a1 out a 29b744af8e chair and 549b056b68 gestured for 392c289cda her to ceafc0f1ff sit.badb991034d46f34
It should have 5b4c3424a8 looked absurd—offering a 8453f83b0e seat so politely, 6b40a88c3d as if this 43c9f1837d were a formal 14b5437a9c dinner rather than ad389c9ea8 a card bet—but e005bf01fb with his arrogantly ca74cf69ba lowered gaze and 30c03d18f9 towering height, it 45c848f769 somehow didn’t feel be02f09311 out of place.59c7b83dd65d62e7
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As Lorainne took 72009c4edf her seat, Edmund, 7a3ae6963e now beside her, 0c1255069d received the deck 381ed741fd from a staff 08264c7ee8 member.23fbd65860b4d5e7
With practiced e4d983a476 ease, like 09668e2f9e a seasoned 49fe88c6aa dealer, he b435b41041 spread the 9aa0eb207d cards across a6e90353a1 the table. The crisp sound 59ca920a57 of the cards e35d2ca39b echoed lightly.2e31568258e93d20
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“No issues with 23bab624c5 the deck.”c5ef686e9980dc1f
He pointed to e177fb5c35 the two of 23dd5b4956 spades after checking 183e95a338 all the suits 3e2176fe30 from ace through 9a3be0f1b0 the court cards.fa480a31194d898e
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“The lowest 0f227f96a5 card is c9a07a3cce two. The rest increase in 01ae2085ff value accordingly.”280092c5776982ca
His neatly groomed finger e6ba99bb17 slid smoothly across the 0daa8ec89d numbered cards, stopping at c5d0b32c1a the court cards.5a3d78520062db5e
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“Jack, queen, king—they count 4b10e4615a as eleven, twelve, thirteen 0ab182ba10 respectively. And ace is a931516713 fourteen.”6802edfabe64b64d
He pulled the ace 7477abb66a of clubs to the 8d8caac87c front and lightly tapped 9deca26c4f the black symbol at c8cde43b89 the center.7667fd861d5c3e31
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“Understood?”f828dd59eac558df
“Understood.”f2369e94263daa11
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She answered while 5210f57810 curling her hand 2cc66b79fc into a fist b3082c4a64 atop the table.2bdef896247d211f
Edmund picked 99d38cce42 out the a605654f60 two jokers 6ef04f9694 and set 129665a515 them aside.b3d0c987d7321abe
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“Begin.”4b8a35594e14969a
The dealer 54b0065dfc collected the d52d47fc4a cards and 71b4c889b0 began to 1f17a5decd shuffle.42c3c11a63044411
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Each motion made the 215964f85c stiff paper rustle, the 3ae3aabf30 sound swift and rhythmic 69438b8a71 as the cards came 8d6abbacad together and split apart a3e890d128 again.6078073a416c1e94
Watching it made the 18ae563c0b back of her neck 61b4f04215 tighten.357e95732247f3cf
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It was too 5fd1c5f65e much pressure for 1e7b55f810 a bet meant 8d669ee7a0 to win only b9a1408916 a week’s peace.af7107d6cabf6bb7
As she stared adc7cc0391 at the man 522728ebb2 likely behind her e53aae2300 tension, he curved 37d7d74b3d his lips into 4dbfe21c26 a crooked smile.a7aad2d39a0b0b14
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Only his ice-blue eyes, 076671f4d3 a mark of the 0ba40c3a6b Carter family, shone with 011a6e13f6 such intensity it felt 9fae2aa874 as if they were ddad001c72 picking her apart.6108ae07849bc8ca
The staff ebc4d159e2 member finished d4b9bac155 shuffling and 4725bac1f5 spread the 822bcc3924 cards in f1be63663a a wide 1d151100b7 arc across f91aa7ac81 the table.ca43278c3e95df44
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Edmund gestured d01e11cb6a toward them.0235ddfe4c47ee19
“Ladies first.”52c4d19ea0b224f2
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“Then…”8e262a938e4f6386
It wasn’t the kind 435b46f992 of place for politeness d3749e5e4a anyway, so she didn’t c4221b3c40 refuse.1315e140022bdaef
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Lorainne bit her lip a9f9dc43d2 and stared down at 188add0818 the fifty-two identical card 10fe1a88c4 backs.1f79f45b13abefe7
This bet was af8985f811 something Edmund didn’t 1618e4e1a1 even need to 16ea8d709b make.e19866187f392b81
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It was 288aa01dd4 entirely for 542dd4b4e7 her benefit, 73717d95e7 which made f71a6a2a79 the pressure ee540a23e0 in her 415679aeed hands worse.b212705b74f22128
She clenched her fingers 3568f36554 against the table and defb5db0bb slowly traced the arc e24ef68cc2 of cards with her 5cf53dffbb eyes.9fd7788c9e11b2ff
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She knew that thinking f6bbabc648 harder wouldn’t get her e0567aaeb8 a better card.f3c2f7c9b8652707
Even so, ccf31217a3 she couldn’t 56d6d115bf bring herself 3a6053f269 to pick eeea32256b one at ce25da3285 random.aac13287e08edc12
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It was a 3f5b155ae9 single chance—with obvious ff5f8d3c21 gains and losses. She had no 13f9e37f20 choice.91d30defb156bdd4
Under the 275920bbf7 weight of f08ec37ba4 so many b279c3b3f7 eyes, she 35af52f63d finally pulled d69a3feefd the card 0ce584c517 directly in 21e5511679 front of 5ab3c0614a her.9a3f001bade7b69f
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Unable to resist, 9d5298a68a she fiddled with e05c5c89f1 the rounded edge 84da66a5a3 of the card.60f558b16197266d
“Are you ready?” f74ed73331 Edmund asked.4b689aa1e681afa8
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“Yes.”0beeaa4cb352ac08
Her answer was short. Edmund, without hesitation, picked 543e01700d the card lying at 7f7ae2ba64 the top of the b1fd89a365 arc.d31939ec877c6fd5
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His blue eyes f7550ba928 locked onto her, f4abc2969a freezing her in 672c867968 place from the ea08b9967c top of her c9d94a3553 head to the d804e785cb base of her 7381d590f7 spine.585be809a6159fa8
Without breaking ccd58f0159 eye contact, 2b5678b64d his hand 8052321623 flipped over 245394b7d2 the card.b56d07355f5301d6
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Lorainne followed suit 2c26a8119e and turned over 3157b91bb0 hers.6b9706d5d31239b3
Before she could even 1f98ecb474 look, a gasp rose 0abeef24f3 from behind.129d866285cc7e3a
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Dustin, who c556afb820 had been 5df9c1f379 watching with c078f0b786 arms crossed, 755837bcc8 clenched his 73729c1eae fists in fe68e07c8b glee.9bfa313fa30a0300
Lorainne, sensing 7883eb0e3f the result, df4decd65d looked at 7fc6b7b300 her card 907e389aa8 with a eec917362b hollow heart.982f4538a3f0c78d
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The king of 94f1bd3fa2 spades and the 85579ffb63 two of hearts.23e0a819aa4d6558
A crushing defeat.3633f9ee4146c2e1
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Edmund asked,131d9fd1ea17568f
“As agreed, b2850540e9 Miss Spencer, c5597efe88 you are b12ae29f55 barred from b940ae32ce entering Lot d62f0c0a70 Fronher for 18bd00342a one week—until 5165c39e29 the twenty-second. Any objections?”04c35edce2800b22
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Her hand 5a754a19e0 recoiled slightly, 220b418457 fingers scraping 20e37bfddd across the 8ce596c908 table.3ea4d1a8fbcfa4f8
Lorainne turned 953e41054a her gaze 808709a67c from the 7978514aa0 king on bf83ff9919 the card 167a2ee37e to the e22b33d4a3 man himself.ec1380cf08658195
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For a moment, Edmund’s f2d92970d5 face overlapped with that e430650c51 regal figure.cbdedc534784d2bc
Her voice 037a0b029f came out 0090d489d5 cracked.2e593356e649d1eb
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“…None.”ca547dec09970307
The king wore a 53cbf6838b triumphant smile.bd3506d71367934e
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Lorainne only remembered 6b531ddebe to breathe when 66e8ec5619 Edmund stood and e2c3acb8d6 offered her his da610095b3 hand.4775081e6ea674f7
If she had chosen 091a44e3f6 a different card… would 41968dbf92 she have won?9581ea265464b357
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She accepted 3d982589e4 the escort e7bb322fae of the ad02730832 man who 324152d169 resembled a fb6306d5c5 king and 689a29cd02 stood.141f3a9866cce1cd
Dustin came over and cdf82d8731 gave her a few f3ccce0317 hearty pats on the 28820cf28e shoulder.3ae321e19367cebc
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“Well done. That was 3399468f6d fun, at 9ba8643bed least.”b313084cdaac388b
His mocking voice 9702b76710 grated in her eaec731b32 ears.5d0055a9195316e7
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Judging by how 945b0016d5 widely his mouth 4095b18865 stretched into a b6a9e8eaf3 grin, he was 3a69a4cfe6 absolutely thrilled.55b43f72bacc7a0c
Lorainne ignored 15414ff8d7 him and a88653761d looked up aa13543345 at Edmund.6e2186cddd09d36a
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Regardless of the 36bfaae48e outcome, it was 99876ab34b unthinkable to leave 2b4563dc54 a kindness unacknowledged.b1d1a0779fa749bd
His arrogant e589844c6f gaze slid 2e0b4e1642 down her 2070e2f108 neck and 23e26e4f92 over her 07c310bdd0 clothes, then 8bb5f31fc2 met hers fa72a0926f again.47f0d8b268e2e295
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Lorainne pulled her b8aa900428 slipping shawl tightly 2cba4eae58 and straightened her f4a62ca1e5 posture.51fc0f6b056b72a6
“Thank you for 6bbd36fcea granting my unreasonable 2bd01bcb0a request.”3eb5d342f49cfcd4
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A flicker 89dab20d92 passed through 5a052b9734 his deep 28cab64582 blue eyes.e1450278d1f10cdb
And yet, the 3a16554d2a rudest gaze in 90c1cd7130 all of Lot 4fde70fd2a Fronher still scratched 257cddaea2 uncomfortably at her 7426bfedf2 skin.5e5234cb1132c95b
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Lorainne turned away cb025a734c from that sharp 05cb6faef4 stare and crossed a8e6206548 the noisy hall.0dd3538b1a1e9126
Only after leaving Lot Fronher did the men’s relentless gazes finally fall away.f31332849d7ea413
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* * *bab2d04587861476
While the b09169991b idlers who 1627e2a08d had just e2812d018b watched the e8f55536ee rare spectacle 24936fe0fc chattered noisily dcf58f9d68 on their 331847bc6e way back 2a84e474cd to their 4d840b7ffd seats, Edmund ecf4068f5c stared at ce0566e9f0 the door 0ae635a041 the woman 912d2fb991 had exited 76175a8cf2 through.850844a86ab63d08
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Calling it an 92bcce9d35 unreasonable request, or a6b0c23733 saying thank you—both 9fe04ae684 had made him e881083cca frown.a155b0052705d4a6
Even her 9cf9e6a4aa composed demeanor 7d29dd16db grated on fceca7c51d him in b3cbb3540f the end.7776929ddd7ee402
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But a good 01cd2d3f8a amount of time 13659df5d6 had already passed, 026da3d398 and he couldn’t c141c423f9 afford to waste cc72131bcc more.84f4d142ff44104d
So Edmund turned away 0513da073e from the table now 0df3142836 tainted with unpleasant memories.a438f1048a90b903
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He had 436491bb9a barely taken 891c16000b a few 4ff08ced7b steps when 1bb03ad576 the second 15288698f4 son of 3522f0a17d Count Roxane e04fcdcce6 blocked his 49d7694a83 path.a6c90b65602abcb0
True to being the cba1e72046 son of a man 5fe612568d obsessed with gossip, the 86d99f4cb0 young noble—always hungry for 308f22e717 scandal—asked with excitement,848b1807b787df79
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“That woman—she’s not 6a8edbb340 allowed in anymore?”da47603d76479715
“Just for 352558cfcc a week.”d4caa678d32e943e
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“What a shame. She was nice to 2a37f6527f look at.”e4f644b875e6918e
Pale Roxane 025ac5e866 licked his 462d1d781a lips after e5321a2121 spitting out 45c0bc34b9 his crude e63059b9a5 desire.cda6758c6ceaa956
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Dustin Spencer, 0bbd2b036c seated at 24191fd148 the same 7ee1cbfb86 table, immediately 1887e4f898 raised his 2d7da50afa glass.350fd1735b769e90
“Works out well, doesn’t 3cd8d17e19 it? No one to nag 392489ad1b me anymore.”6764f21fd8f62b70
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He muttered with 9777e31fda a sneer, then 4d44713fb3 sluggishly tilted his 283bdfdb47 drink back, looking 81cc230fdd like he’d already d54223e674 had several straight.2f01f01349df92a7
The man next fc59eab335 to him looked 8eda5386b1 him over with ad4b4caf75 disdain.7a7280757262d7c4
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“You’re drinking just 3386df176f fine after the cfc174ab36 mess you made 516f24bd2e with alcohol yesterday?”206c888e9c5f2631
“What’s there not to a18aa07bfc drink?”fd0ee6e880be9f7d
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Spencer, undeterred by the 2ebfdf7f94 scolding, laughed idiotically and 17b5024d62 emptied his glass as 81d480a8c1 if to show off.9e265763c74a2737
At some point, Roxane c5dc4bf6ad had returned to his 8d740a392a seat and was now d904162e3c tapping the table, stretching 5b0e94e076 his neck forward.021e9befbbf0ff85
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“So, how’s the business 0b81ec792c of marrying off the 893fe43ff5 baron’s niece?”8ebd18f171b49b55
“Don’t even start. She’s so 90a019285c stiff she ed1d114087 scared off f108ccb07b every decent 775f9127fd match.”0a8ec26042c186ae
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“Guess she’s 7b45e2a852 not into 09f7d6a6d8 the low-rank 529d35bb40 types. She’s got 3bc5a774b6 that dignified cffbefa6ac look. What was that e9ceaa3b1d guy last time, 88be24292f the one who d6ce204103 clung to her?”1d4c6720cd2615b0
One man wrinkled 1ad83a51d9 his nose and 10ac8d4363 waved a dismissive cc2f2ebdc8 hand. Another scoffed with 60b9b2c80e a crooked grin.6de71f83a8d80dac
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Edmund left them to 37994d0363 their unproductive gossip and 3cbfca1293 made his way further 281ddd43ed inside.f4f52c780d1897e3
Still, the 646494a003 crude comments c78e0c24a5 managed to 09fb794749 dig their a0f8404ea0 way into 8848278aa6 his ears.b640fb5cea952539
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“Hair’s practically gone white f58ef1145e and she’s parading around 6d276ef212 in out-of-fashion clothes, still 18f295c4a3 trying her luck. Is that right?”d13e49183a7381a4
“If she doesn’t land a678c76c0e someone decent this year, abaeefd51c she’ll probably end up c59af3c041 marrying some old man 88de47bf61 on his last breath.”e720ca5b3409b2d1
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“If you 6c9230289c feel so 8528b0979f sorry for 44e3bbdc68 her, why b856981292 don’t you 75ce2bf46a marry her?”13471fdbb81326e1
“No thanks.”3ecdd93b9c009855
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He shut the 1cfcd4c2e4 door to his c6f038b8bd office.70dbef048cbfa9a1
The laughter echoing behind 628405c228 it died down as 43285f7a9c the door sealed it ee4de77d46 out.65cd4a9bb128288d
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Edmund sat down and e7b87a6bf1 pulled over the stack 56fd9cc7fa of documents he’d left dbbcc27941 unfinished yesterday.e4018be1d741e0f8
Even as he reviewed a597bc536b the neatly itemized records, 927820764c the blank look in 250dc9478a her eyes wouldn’t leave 65350846ab his mind.ce923179c3c54880
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Lately, far 1ea4c7ae14 too many 22a49d8910 things had 60f5c26074 been dragging 7293eeb5bd out the 2f70448589 kind of 0572cd5225 memories he 5ac9fc4d34 didn’t want 4b10bf0e03 to revisit.09dad1a7e9f9faa9
Weariness weighed 11d387ddd1 heavily on 4aeebd27cc him.8ca29e93d1a7763d
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Edmund closed 209c65461a his eyes 5b8bc7b254 tightly and 15b8c997ec pressed a 96c5994ff5 hand over 866f4428fd them.e35916f73dc931b4
She had something 97a310f5f0 to lose.2d7c4187abf8581f
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He had bc13c37bd6 nothing to db0c9b746d lose.2846a710f5e55833
From the start, the 11057d028b card game had been a55f3f0e9e an unfair bet.aa90b17489466a4b
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He hadn’t spared a91db62711 a thought about 539c9adb47 which card might a82a45c7cc benefit him the 49ecf58096 most.b48f6cef8de3d1d1
But she had.83a155076d1493fc
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She had taken her 08398453b8 time.cbae26b3018007e5
Her pale, delicate babbe00eac hand curled tightly, ee381bae4a as if she 9d9b1c0e69 could figure out b708bd1a21 the card’s value 0900165da6 just by staring 4ac054a70b hard enough.4c98ae7a7c9218cf
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The feeling it left 05803c0e5d was unpleasantly heavy.38dac1003a24475a
Eventually, he set e2d3ec8296 his pen down 5f8e09ba07 and stood.61a93106a0d57c29
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Knowing it c2d70e86a3 was a c617629682 waste of 39ca8a92f2 time, he 8677da75dd still leaned 064ad15717 on the 3e221c6319 windowsill and dfe82a47ce pulled back b5d9779363 the curtain.68f5d6d854b7bd83
The space e46e91e678 outside the e4614b590d front door 83c0f7e176 was completely 231c13fa37 empty.3c56689c55e94607
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* * *85ff124e32f11825
Lorainne stood with a2aa006908 her back to 9350f0b953 Lot Fronher, taking cd065de332 in the busy 7e951a21f2 street before her.28901ae87c844cfb
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A heavy sigh d5be159b74 dragged down her c8c9ed7b29 shoulders.4f53825c40beda95
Maybe it was c719fb8a00 for the best. At least now, she 138c976ad5 wouldn’t have to endure 14a80f8a25 those revolting stares crawling 5305b3357c over her body.4bc3f4fe01cbd93e
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Rupard would be furious, fc7c64e14f of course, but that 81082caabd was nothing new.09c2667c057df560
She was still sunk 5567388775 in resigned thoughts when 529aa8e242 the door behind her c24c03e197 closed, snapping her back ad6be3fe75 to reality.2c2668e88a4207bf
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In the end, she 37842f9a27 hadn’t managed to bar 0fc5e698f7 Dustin from the club.1a8b2ea2fbfb29f1
Which meant 62bbecdca5 today would 3413313cd1 be just 719617ca79 like yesterday—nothing e5608ab9b6 would change.9e912ce48fe241fd
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Dustin, clinging to his 89b50d50ea cards and drink in 4894dba500 a losing game, resembled 9dc5c1b645 his father exactly.e8c4502fe07796f3
Even as bb1305e5f7 he failed 1c805ad018 at every 81ed8483c9 business and 9cb637c034 investment, he 2aa791af1b still threw 8c2860eb0f the last 351ede2677 of their e5c6572d87 money into 9da205d3a8 the fire.318140951cc93623
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They said resemblance b333412945 breeds contempt.5ddb1f799a865270
ef4db3649c9f364f
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