Stick to her lies

Ariana pursed her lips. She placed the book on the side of the bed and stepped down the bed. She knew that, as someone who had just returned to this family, Ariana did not have the right to interfere with the matters of the Ashford family.

But when Ariana still felt that it was wrong of her parents to slap Penelope just because she did not want to marry the man they chose, no matter what kind of person Penelope was—she also deserved to marry a decent man. 

'Of course, as long as it was not Nicolai,' a voice in her head snickered nastily, and Ariana squashed it right down. 

nastily,

However, as she arrived at the room that belonged to her parents, she heard Keon ask, "Nicolai... do you mean to say that the person who fanned the flames regarding the rumours that rose in the building where Ari lived?"

 Ari's feet paused, and her brows scrunched up as she slowed down.