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Chapter 109
"Rest assured that I don't plan a future in which you have no share."
The deep, solemn note in his voice stunned her. She watched unblinkingly as he dipped a hand into his pocket to extract a small velvet box. Her heart leaped at the very sight of it.
"I believe it's yours."
"What is it?"
She asked, her voice quivering a bit.
Instead of answering with words, he flipped the lid open. Ava caught her breath, for a long while, she forgot to blink.
Before her was the most breathtaking jewel she had ever seen. It wasn't extravagant or ostentatious in size or design, but it was just perfect. It was beautiful in its classic simplicity, a timeless, oval-shaped emerald ring adorned with little diamonds around it. The brilliant stone sparkled as he held it between his fingers, studying the ring with a look of reverence.
"It has belonged to my family for several generations. Ev
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The last morning before the day of departure, Ava and Ashton took a stroll along the orchard behind the castle. The weather was perfect for a long walk around the immense field. Ava gave one last look at every corner of the estate. Tomorrow she would leave it all behind, along with her old life. Consumed by the prospect of seeing her father and her mother again after a good long while, she felt a mixture of fear and longing. She wondered how her father would take this unpredictable turn of events.Will her father allow this union? He has no reason to object. But she suspects her father would prefer a lesser, more manageable candidate. From his previous choice, Ava supposed her father would like to have his son-in-law eating out of his hand, for he assumed a man of some sort would be easier to control.After going around the orchard, they turned back for home, but as they reached the edge of the orchard, he asked her to rest a while under a m
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Ava tore her mouth from Ashton's and opened her eyes abruptly when he was hauled away from her with a brutal force. The attacker swung Ashton around and the next second, a sharp, heavy thud rang out as his head spun from the force of the sudden strike."Oh God!"Ava gasped, covering her mouth with both hands. A sudden chill seized her as she caught sight of the intruder. It was Magnus, as she had never seen him before. His face was contorted with rage.A hot blush spread across her cheek, as it occurred to her what Magnus had just witnessed a moment ago. Shaking with mortification, Ava wished the ground beneath her would split open and swallowed her. She knew it was only a matter of time before Magnus found out about them, but she never imagined that he would come upon them in such an embarrassing situation.With a grunt of effort, Ashton managed to shove Magnus backward several steps. Watching Magnus with a stony
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"What I wanted?!"Magnus bawled and she flinched. Her eyes widened in anticipation of the violent outburst of his anger, but when he spoke, the anguish in his voice wrung her heart."All I want is you. I wanted to defeat him for you. For us."Magnus lurched back as tears sprang from his eyes. He withdrew his sword and tossed it aside. The metal clattered quietly as it hit the ground. He sank to his knees, his voice broke as he wailed."What happened to us, love? When did your heart go? You loved me just the other day."Ava turned to stone, suddenly choked with guilt. Magnus' face wavered and blurred as tears filled her eyes, rolling down her cheeks in a plentiful stream. She began to tremble, covering her mouth as helpless sobs shook her entire body."I'm sorry, Magnus, I..."Her voice trailed off. She never felt the way she was feeling right now. Never crossed her mind that she would be the reason of his despair. Never
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"No!" She replied with a gasp."You don't need to pretend. The truth is written all over your face."Suddenly turned mute, she stared into his eyes for a long while, her face crumpled with emotion. "Will you... Will you let me go with him if it's what I truly want?" She finally spoke.He had expected it, but still it terribly hurt to hear the words from her."I don't know." He replied honestly, wavering as his possessive compulsion warred with his conscience. "I didn't think I could ever let you go. I thought it's the only thing I couldn't stand, not having you by my side, but turned out I was wrong. That's when I realized, I don't want anything to hurt you, not even my love for you.""Don't-" She broke in suddenly, a choke suspended her sentence. "Don't say anything else. I don't want to hear that. I thought-" She paused to collect her breath. "I thought I finally found a man who will do anyt
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"No."She said, gripping his sides, her fingernails dug into his muscles."I don't want you to stop."She pressed her parted lips into his neck, his skin was hot and flushed, and she licked a pulsing vein in his throat, stealing the last drop of self control he possessed.He made it quick, leaving no time for fear and anticipation. Between one breath and the next, he made his way through pleats of flesh and tore through the tight ring of resistance. A cry tore from her throat and he held still. A faint, distant voice in his head told him to withdraw, but he couldn't leave. For a few, blissful seconds he could feel nothing but sheer satisfaction."My God..."He heard his own voice, harsh and feral, and he bit back the rest of his words. She was innocent and delicate, and he didn't want to terrify her with his talk. He stilled for control, wanting to mak
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After his mother's death, as an adolescent he was carrying around a feeling of emptiness. He sought solace and fulfillment in his passion for art. Immersing himself in his painting was the only thing he could do to fill the emptiness and forget his pain, until that day.One fine morning, he was painting in his favorite place in the estate, a secluded garden behind a long, vine-covered wall. In the privacy of the garden every midmorning was the time he could savor a few peaceful hours of solitude. Suddenly a creaking sound from the old oak door claimed his attention, and he glanced up to see a red-haired woman standing at the doorway.In an instant the sheer magnetism of her unusual beauty caught him completely off guard. He came to a standstill, like when he caught a glimpse of a majestic nature and felt its beauty take his breath away.The woman wasn't classically beautif
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He'd wished that memories of her would fade into blurred, scattered fragments as the past receded, but it wouldn't let him send it away.Underneath the darkened sky, he wandered aimlessly, roaming the quaint streets of the little town. Before long, his fingers had gone numb from the cold air, if only his heart could be deprived of feeling too.It was long past dinnertime when he returned to the hotel several hours later. A muffled sound of music and laughters came from the taproom, claiming his attention there. He stopped and glanced at the warm, inviting light from the taproom door. It seemed like he could use some whiskey.*****Ashton retired to his room near midnight, sober and still restless. He took several shots to help soothing his nerves, and left when he was still in a lucid state of mind. No matter how bad things got, he never drank himself
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