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Page 229

| attacked me with a knife in prison, slashing my face. That man hates me with a passion because of this and is out to ruin me." |

| "The scar," Sasha said, smoothing a hand over the long welt on his cheek, relieved to know that there was nothing in Ashton's past that was all that dark and sinister. "So that is why it is there. Becausebecause of Stanford." She tilted her head and gazed up at Ashton. "But, why, Ashton, did he do this to you? It is such a terrible thing." |

| "Sasha, there was no true cause," Ashton lied. "Sometimes hate comes naturally to such a man as Stanford who is so filled with such hate himself. It is obvious that he hates me no less now than then." |

| "Yes, I have noticed," Sasha murmured. |

| Ashton framed her face between his hands. "This is why, sweet darlin', he followed me here," he said. "To finish what had started between us while we were imprisoned together. This is why you must be careful and stay away from him at all costs." |

| Ashton looked at her guardedly, hoping that he had told her enough to satisfy her curiosity and to give her cause to do as he asked of her. He did not want to be forced to tell the true reason that Stanford had followed him to the outbackthe fortune! The damned fortune! |

| "But you allowed me to go with him on an outing," Sasha said, so relieved to finally know about his pastabout the scar. He had been imprisoned wrongly! Stanford had attacked him wrongly! |

| Ashton chuckled low. "Allowed?" he said. "Sweet darlin', if I recall correctly, a team of horses couldn't have kept you from going with him that day." He frowned down at her. "Don't you know I |

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