Smack!
Mark didn't slap her, but he flung the brooch at Seren's face before it fell to the floor. "Don't you dare mention his name with those thieving lips of yours! You've gone too far, Seren. You're not just a burden—you're a criminal."
Seren knelt at Mark's feet with a pleading look. "Do you really think I'm that low, Mark? My hands may tremble, but not from stealing. I've never touched what isn't mine."
"I may be a burden in your eyes, but I'm not a criminal," she continued.
Mark roughly kicked her leg, causing Seren to lose her balance and eventually collapse onto the floor.
"Three years!" Mark paused. "Three years you've lived here, eating my money, using my resources, and this is how you repay it all?"
"Mark… I can endure your insults, but don't force me to bear a lie. I didn't steal, and I won't confess to a sin that isn't mine," Seren defended herself.
