2157年9月9日,早上七點半,商業中心B區,咆哮飯店468Please respect copyright.PENANA4mCX3IRMqa
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尼可拉斯腦子一片空白。468Please respect copyright.PENANAG3CQzeSLPG
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葛蕾絲怎麼找到他的?468Please respect copyright.PENANAhCxIH3QAYA
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他冷靜想……戒指,沒錯,尼可拉斯看著左手的神與畜戒指。這個東西內建定位系統,他竟然忘記這麼重要的……但他明明打過電話,葛蕾絲為什麼還要跑來?難不成……派翠克被發現了?468Please respect copyright.PENANA9F13zSORpn
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不,尼可拉斯強迫自己冷靜。葛蕾絲只是來確認自己的行蹤……媽媽最愛操心了,不是嗎?別想太多。尼可拉斯重整呼吸,變回平常的厭世表情,打開門。468Please respect copyright.PENANAuEarI6aM2M
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「寶貝早安!」468Please respect copyright.PENANAdAEeWfkkDH
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葛蕾絲和平常一樣有精神。尼可拉斯裝出不耐煩的表情,「我說我需要休息。」468Please respect copyright.PENANAQADfeJEWtL
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「哎,你出去得太突然,媽媽很擔心嘛!」468Please respect copyright.PENANAxoJN8jkK4F
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葛蕾絲不請自入。尼可拉斯手心冒汗,祈禱派翠克不要突然出來,否則一切完蛋。468Please respect copyright.PENANAeNjiAo0zb9
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「看到定位時,我嚇了一跳,你哪來的錢住咆哮飯店?」葛蕾絲環視一圈,玩著客廳的擺飾。468Please respect copyright.PENANATlZgFLtvuT
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「原本是希波克拉底的醫生在住,我把他弄暈了。」尼可拉斯一半實話,「達米安.帕潘德里歐。媽對這名字有印象嗎?」468Please respect copyright.PENANAl4XgEdBZXu
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「當然,他以前常來請教你爸。」葛蕾絲想起來,「寶貝,你和你爸發生什麼事?吵架了嗎?」468Please respect copyright.PENANAeZxQ9veLE5
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尼可拉斯覺得很煩,最近話題老是扯到爸爸,「對。」468Please respect copyright.PENANAgs6peNCEU3
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「為什麼?」葛蕾絲走到面前,抬頭看他。468Please respect copyright.PENANAXOf7xEJbyn
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「妳死了,他一滴眼淚都沒掉。」468Please respect copyright.PENANAk0hScgZwiP
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葛蕾絲不意外,這讓尼可拉斯更生氣。468Please respect copyright.PENANA9dguZUN561
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「媽,我知道妳很愛他。」尼可拉斯直接說:「但我覺得他不是。」468Please respect copyright.PENANAmxQWCu75kg
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「尼可,別誤會你爸,他只是在你看不到的地方掉淚。」葛蕾絲露出複雜的笑容,「而且,他知道我會回來。」468Please respect copyright.PENANAdONZgsNCKa
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尼可拉斯不懂葛蕾絲的意思、正要追問,葛蕾絲卻走向房門,尼可拉斯擋到她面前,「不要過去!」468Please respect copyright.PENANADg9UAQyb2v
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葛蕾絲挑眉,尼可拉斯的反應讓她懷疑,「為什麼?」468Please respect copyright.PENANAXxYIIxU9YG
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「因為……」468Please respect copyright.PENANAKjkGGosKVM
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尼可拉斯想不到該撒什麼謊。身為里奧的妹妹,葛蕾絲見過的場面不比哥哥少,在某些方面的直覺也很準。她直覺尼可拉斯有事瞞著自己,臉上的笑容瞬間消失。468Please respect copyright.PENANAJyTnXA0p45
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「……。」468Please respect copyright.PENANA6AhG3W6d8N
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葛蕾絲的臉好像矇上一層陰影。她伸手要抓門把,尼可拉斯提前抓住她的手腕,這個舉動觸怒了葛蕾絲。468Please respect copyright.PENANAPEZaOr7NO2
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「寶貝。」468Please respect copyright.PENANAPsXqWvzGHm
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葛蕾絲沒有轉頭,只有眼珠轉到尼可拉斯的方向,問:「裡面有什麼?」468Please respect copyright.PENANAq3cZ16PuUV
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「……。」468Please respect copyright.PENANAsX78ZEPVxP
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「不能給我看的東西?」葛蕾絲又叫一次:「寶貝?」468Please respect copyright.PENANAu7CnpRMJre
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尼可拉斯的心臟快爆了。他什麼也沒想,隨便亂說:「沒有一個兒子希望一夜情後的房間,被媽媽看到。」468Please respect copyright.PENANAMT8Bds5ZMG
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這是尼可拉斯臨時想到的謊,沒想到非常有用,葛蕾絲恐怖的表情瞬間消失。468Please respect copyright.PENANAFa7dv37ijM
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「噢。」葛蕾絲恍然大悟,「裡面……很亂嗎?」468Please respect copyright.PENANArqeFloWCcK
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「對,我還沒整理。」明明不是真的,尼可拉斯卻尷尬得要死,想找面牆撞死自己。468Please respect copyright.PENANAkxK8MevX2d
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葛蕾絲瞄向房門,「對方還在裡面?」468Please respect copyright.PENANAfO1ddMWbUP
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尼可拉斯點頭。468Please respect copyright.PENANAnJZvB5XTmo
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「啊哈……啊哈哈哈!抱歉抱歉!」468Please respect copyright.PENANAPqoJm4tTox
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葛蕾絲立刻把手收回,退開三公尺。468Please respect copyright.PENANAMEHWv3C0gN
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「我沒想到是這種情況……也對,我老停留在死掉前的記憶、以為你還是小孩,你早在我不知道的時候長大了,哈哈哈。」468Please respect copyright.PENANA5VqRPTaNk8
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雖然在笑,葛蕾絲卻有點心酸,覺得自己錯過尼可拉斯好多,加上她的丈夫不會照顧人,尼可拉斯從被迫獨立到習慣孤獨,過程流過許多眼淚,沒有一個母親希望孩子這樣長大。大家說十七歲的尼可拉斯成熟,葛蕾絲不覺得是稱讚,反而像在責備她為人母親、十分失職。468Please respect copyright.PENANAJeRxCCVV5x
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「他什麼時候醒來?」葛蕾絲收起心情,用平常的口氣問尼可拉斯。468Please respect copyright.PENANA7S6sfbZ50z
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「八點。」468Please respect copyright.PENANAJJHZBg2dgs
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已經五十五分了,葛蕾絲決定閃人,畢竟她的外表實在不像媽媽,怕引起不必要的誤會。468Please respect copyright.PENANAbnnSjVs7aM
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「對了,」葛蕾絲想到什麼,邊穿鞋邊問:「他是男生嗎?」468Please respect copyright.PENANAn0OCeVOwuD
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尼可拉斯挑眉,簡直尷尬癌末期,「不然呢?」468Please respect copyright.PENANAqPrDhbRHxD
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「確認一下嘛,嘿嘿。」468Please respect copyright.PENANAED0TheLwKa
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穿完鞋,叮嚀「飯要好好吃」之類的話後,葛蕾絲便離開。尼可拉斯聽腳步聲、巡視走廊三圈,確定葛蕾絲不在後才放下心,整個人癱軟在沙發上。468Please respect copyright.PENANAFNdSgt7oDT
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太可怕了。尼可拉斯心想。他第一次看到媽媽露出那種表情。要是讓葛蕾絲看到派翠克,她會做出什麼事?直接殺了他嗎?468Please respect copyright.PENANAXgdKgrevGO
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尼可拉斯以為葛蕾絲很溫柔,直到剛剛。人們容易被她開朗的個性迷惑,卻忘記她是里奧的妹妹、流著懷特的血脈。里奧為了高宇維不擇手段,葛蕾絲何嘗不是如此?468Please respect copyright.PENANA7jsfp06kJr
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葛蕾絲復活,和尼可拉斯的關係混雜了神與畜、高宇維、艾莉絲體系,母子倆的身分已不如從前單純。儘管他不願意,尼可拉斯得重新評估媽媽與自己的立場,之後要小心行事。468Please respect copyright.PENANAGnOfyuONia
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「尼可。」468Please respect copyright.PENANAUQWSIGPFKj
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思考到一半,派翠克突然從房間走出來。他穿著一件開襟的寬鬆襯衫,頭髮沒綁,任憑那一綹一綹藍色披散在胸前,畫面好看到尼可拉斯以為是夢。468Please respect copyright.PENANAp5FT2DLavV
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「快去換衣服。」尼可拉斯假裝什麼也沒發生,一本正經說:「差不多要出發了。」468Please respect copyright.PENANAORRZkoEICC
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派翠克站在原地。尼可拉斯正要重複剛才的話,派翠克就說:「我全部看到了。」468Please respect copyright.PENANAkoEG8bcZdN
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「……!」468Please respect copyright.PENANARBK8zB2cmL
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他說看,不是聽。468Please respect copyright.PENANAjw6vnSMT1D
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「以免奇怪的人闖進來,我在客廳裝了監視器。」派翠克亮出手機,螢幕顯示監視鏡頭,「剛才那是里奧.懷特的妹妹,是嗎?」468Please respect copyright.PENANAI8iqbn7M81
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尼可拉斯正要解釋,派翠克卻打斷他,說:468Please respect copyright.PENANAf5cqtCPVRx
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「我想,你不只是希波克拉底的醫生,也是神與畜吧?」468Please respect copyright.PENANAicQDHDQkNK
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「畢竟你是葛蕾絲.懷特與凱薩.克里斯托多羅普洛斯(Caesar Christodoulopoulos)的兒子。」468Please respect copyright.PENANA0gAQw73j5F
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「……!?」468Please respect copyright.PENANAW1JihQNlkf
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為什麼派翠克知道父親的名字?尼可拉斯不明白,最壞的情形正在發生,派翠克發現他是神與畜了。468Please respect copyright.PENANAArhr8vu5DE
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「所以,」尼可拉斯沒在怕,直接問:「你要殺我,用你的毒?」468Please respect copyright.PENANAXgV5Cotu1G
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派翠克搖頭,「你是神與畜,卻沒有讓葛蕾絲.懷特開門,證明你是站在我這邊的。」468Please respect copyright.PENANAcZOTwsz6S7
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派翠克的心情很平靜,確實,尼可拉斯也沒感覺到敵意。468Please respect copyright.PENANAgrPfUVrAjq
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「剛才的對話讓我確定,高宇維什麼都沒告訴你。」派翠克說:「這出乎我預料,沒想到高宇維連自己人都不相信。」468Please respect copyright.PENANADMZixU2w9i
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這話戳中尼可拉斯內心。對於高宇維、神與畜、自己的天賦,他腦中有太多疑問,派翠克又能替他解答,尼可拉斯索性問了:「你聽過『共鳴』嗎?」468Please respect copyright.PENANAujVUbUDypj
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派翠克點頭。尼可拉斯直言:「我向來不主動親近人,也不把外人的事當自己的事,但我的潛意識非常相信你,也非常想保護你,你應該是我的共鳴對象──儘管這一切十分荒謬。」468Please respect copyright.PENANATUG3HqVjPG
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尼可拉斯的理性與感覺在打架。他不相信科學無法解釋的事物,卻無法否認它們造成的影響。他反問派翠克:「你也是這樣嗎?」468Please respect copyright.PENANAaGuAA8WaNw
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「嗯。」派翠克表示:「我也相信你。」468Please respect copyright.PENANAdJZautm4wt
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「那,我們之間就不需要隱瞞。」尼可拉斯說:「你已經知道我的真實身分,也依然願意相信我;同理,你被宇維少爺追殺的原因,我也希望你坦白,這樣我才能說服自己,去相信這個『共鳴』。」468Please respect copyright.PENANAi394B3Znjw
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尼可拉斯第一次這麼心平氣和地說話,他對派翠克的耐心,真是前所未見。468Please respect copyright.PENANALvjhmBHDRq
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派翠克被尼可拉斯說服了。他的腦袋沒有尼可拉斯複雜,既定的事實已經擺在面前、他就是相信尼可拉斯,不會去思考為什麼,相信就是相信。468Please respect copyright.PENANAz6RkkTb2sr
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「接著。」468Please respect copyright.PENANA9ysNcTVZsg
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下一秒,派翠克把手機扔給尼可拉斯。手機顯示一張照片,一名黑色長髮、戴著眼鏡、長著雀斑、臉頰圓潤的女人對著鏡頭靦腆地笑,看起來乖乖的,沒什麼令人印象深刻的地方,很不起眼。468Please respect copyright.PENANACMxCUGCuu3
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「上面的人是我。」468Please respect copyright.PENANAuUZkGAJp3M
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派翠克的話讓尼可拉斯嚇一大跳。468Please respect copyright.PENANA7pwN8kd067
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「我以前的名字是派翠西亞(Patricia)。」派翠克坐到尼可拉斯旁邊,「是雷蒙一家,最不起眼的孩子。」468Please respect copyright.PENANAgMmiryfNDr
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尼可拉斯無法相信,現在的派翠克和以前的派翠西亞,兩者的差異無法用變性、整容之類的手術形容,根本是「變了個人」。468Please respect copyright.PENANAS8c3aChjfG
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為什麼會這樣?尼可拉斯看著派翠克那張與紅鶴一模一樣的臉,回想之前的對話,「莫非……!」468Please respect copyright.PENANAnmuB0oB2u5
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「沒錯,就是白絃姊。」468Please respect copyright.PENANAgQJiQDYmmz
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派翠克摸著自己的臉。雖然帶來不少麻煩,但派翠克很喜歡這張臉,他對自己現在的外表很滿意。468Please respect copyright.PENANA4q1Z4ALU2h
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「我跟她說我要變成男孩──一個非常漂亮的男孩。白絃姊對『漂亮男孩』的印象,似乎只有她弟弟紅鶴,就把我變成這個樣子了。」468Please respect copyright.PENANAi1kqyaFwrR
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派翠克微笑,「另外,我以前是普通人,『蜜液』──公爵夫人的水果塔,也是白絃姊給我的。」468Please respect copyright.PENANAx8o6uPl0Dt
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尼可拉斯愣住。派翠克剛剛的動詞是什麼?「給」?468Please respect copyright.PENANASjLZ5eofHH
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「我不明白。」尼可拉斯扶著額頭,「獅鷲的水果塔是改變人的長相?你的水果塔又是她給的,什麼意思?」468Please respect copyright.PENANA5IeUyKyGQF
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「字面上的意思。」派翠克說:「她同時幫我改頭換面,又給了我水果塔。」468Please respect copyright.PENANAWofG71k3zb
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「這不可能!」尼可拉斯大喊:「如果真是那樣,獅鷲簡直是神啊!」468Please respect copyright.PENANAIJtzR032Xu
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「沒錯,她是神。」468Please respect copyright.PENANAmqAwg963BY
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尼可拉斯傻住。派翠克絕對沒有說謊,因為他親眼看過。468Please respect copyright.PENANAfq4CrQmKgR
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「『白絃是艾莉絲體系的神。』」468Please respect copyright.PENANACGAPhZAbQV
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「這就是,高宇維在隱瞞的真相。」