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One more time

See what you can get aith

Laugh to Tell him his manipulations fell flat

Be the puppet s

Call it payback

Cry later for the s

“I don’t—” want to I want him but I don’t hat this means

“Yes, , you do” He pulls back, his expression as blank and as expressionless as a mask “You’ve told anyone who’ll listen you’re with hihtens his cuffs “Who’s to deny it? Well, apart from me?”

Whoever said Alexander, the 13th Duke of Dalforth, was a stand-up guy, not one of the long line of the debauched, rong

And I don’t quite kno to feel about that

45

Alexander

I’d thought it strange how, as I entered the large room I’d been allocated, I noticed the fire in the lance told me the effect was achieved by a flick of a switch Old-world charany furniture to gleaht The bed linens have been turned down as though this were a hotel, the navy drapes and counterpane giving the roos between a long pair of here I pull open one of the panelled shutters and stare out into the darkness as noise of the revelry downstairs is carried on the air

I shrug offh my head

Blood will out

I refuse to feel damned or tainted By hi when I feel so expectant? The effervescent anticipation of what’s to co inside me

She’ll come I know she will

Better still, I know blackmail isn’t the reason she will

She’ll come because she wants me Not because of my empty threats Not because of Griffin

If she doesn’t coht, then she’s not invested in her lie And if she’s not invested, then I ths to keep me away in the first place She has no interest in my brother She’d used him only as a shield A shield to keep me awayand because she can’t trust herself

My wry smile is reflected back at me in the darkenedFor teeks, I’ve turned ether, despite telling myself none of it could be true That she could prefer hiht that I’d used to torture myself