Chapter 10 Presumption Of Innocence

• "Enough..." I said, looking at Ian. The hurt and insecurity in my voice cut through the icy air of the room like a knife. "Stop tarnishing my name," I said sadly, because my world had collapsed.
• The love I felt for Ian was so sweet, so innocent and pure... Not only could I not utter a single intimate word about him, but even mentioning his name would break my heart, and I couldn't even look him in the face out of shame. My childhood and early youth had been spent admiring him, and my youth as a young woman had been spent cherishing those pure feelings for him. And he, in an instant, had tainted the innocence of that single kiss I planted on his cheek one evening under the majestic oak tree in the mansion's garden, with that vile insinuation that made me seem like a mere prostitute in bed.
• Ian glared at me, ignoring the blood oozing from his mouth. His speech was slurred and distorted by the large gaps between his teeth, but his arrogance remained unwavering: