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Mary could barely believe it was her own voice she was hearing. Her whole childhood, she had learned to never raise her voice because it would only earn her another beating from her stepfather.
And so she had never cried out.
Never.
Or at least not since that night...
Memories that she had done her best to suppress resurfaced in a blink, and another cry escaped Mary when she was suddenly reminded of the despicable feel of her stepfather's body weighing her down.
No, no, no!
More memories came flooding back, a shudder rocked her body.
No, oh God, no!
The duke hauled Mary into his arms the moment he saw her pale. "What's wrong?"
"I f-forgot what he made me do," she cried out.
Rathe's soul went cold at the words.
"He t-touched me. F-fondled me. M-Made me s-suck—-"
His arms tightened around her, and she started to weep.
"It's the past, Mary—-"
"N-No w-wonder you c-can't l-love me back," she sobbed.
The duke's powerful body jerked upon hearing her words.
"You were right to throw me away. I'm too dirty. Too broken. I'm t-trash—-"
He cupped her chin and made her look into his eyes. "You love me?" he asked hoarsely.
Her eyes widened as if she hadn't realized that she had uttered such words, and his chest tightened.
"Why in God's name would you fall in love with someone like me?
"H-How can I not," she choked out, "when everything you do gives me a reason to live?"
Rathe did not want to hope...but the way she was looking at him made it hard not to.
"There are still people who think I'm the son of a pedophile."
"You're not."
"Others think of my mother as a gold-digger and a whore."
"She's not that either."
"If you choose to be with me," he warned stiffly, "some people will tell you that I'm everything they accused my father of being—-"
"I don't care," Mary whispered. "All I want is to be with you." Tears fell faster down her face as she clasped his beautiful face with shaking hands. "So p-please...c-can I b-be your m-mistress again?"
Her heart banged against her chest as she waited for his answer.
And when he finally spoke...his answer was not at all what she expected.
