Despite his stern demeanor, he used to always playfully smile while teasing her, a sight she found enchanting.

Heat welled up in Melissa's eyes.

A desperate impulse surged within her, urging her to forfeit dignity and plead for his stay. She even entertained the ignoble thought of an intimate encounter with him this very night.

But she recognized her unworthiness.

As expected, Marcus uttered with indifference, "I need not be with someone who has shared herself with another."