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Victoria stood bent over in the moonlit lawn, one hand braced against the rough bark of a tree as she emptied her stomach into the bushes. Her body heaved violently, nothing left but bitter bile. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, chest burning, and muttered curses under her breath.
“Why the hell am I in this mess?” she hissed, pressing a palm to her aching chest. “Why did they even call me here? This damn nausea is killing me…”
She continued her quiet rant, shoulders shaking, completely unaware that someone had been watching her for several minutes.
Alexander stood a short distance away, hands in his pockets, his gaze fixed on her slim back as she doubled over again. The elegant line of her spine, the way her poofy dress shifted with every heave — it stirred something
