The words hit like a bomb, tearing through the ballroom's polished veneer.
For one suspended beat, the entire room froze. Every head turned. Every breath caught. The filth in her voice clung to the air, thick and vile, impossible to ignore.
Then, without warning, a loud, clean smack cut through the silence.
Marion had slapped her.
He didn't hold back. Verena's head snapped to the side, her pale cheek swelling instantly with the imprint of five red fingers. A thin trail of blood welled at the corner of her mouth.
Stunned, she clutched her face. Her wide eyes locked onto Marion's, stunned and humiliated.
"What the hell are you saying?" he growled.
His eyes were bloodshot, his chest heaving with ragged fury.
That stare pinned her where she stood, so full of violent heat it felt like h
