Ruelle's breath caught in her throat and her body refused to move from the fear that had been instilled since she was young. Her father stood over her with the cane in his hand.
"Please," she pleaded, her voice barely audible. "I didn't do anything wrong."
"How dare you lie after being caught?" Mr. Belmont snapped, his face twisting with fury. "Have you no shame left? Or has it left you after serving those blood-sucking vampires?"
Ruelle flinched at his words, forcing herself to explain to resolve the misunderstanding. She said shakily, "You were the one w—who sent me there. I never asked for it."
Mr. Belmont's eyes widened in disbelief and questioned, "Are you talking back to me…?"
"I wasn't," Ruelle answered quickly. "I—I only meant—Father, I truly don't earn any money there. I—I have been studying hard–I—"
"The lies. You did always associated with the wrong people," he spat.
Her chest tightened and she uttered before she could stop them, "Father, if you hadn't gambled—"
