Chapter 63

ARIANA'S POV

I couldn't believe the audacity of Robert. Accusing me of being callous and cheating with Joshua? How dare he! The sting of his words still lingered, like an open wound. I slapped him hard, the sound echoing through the silent room like a crack of thunder. Margaret and Richard gasped, shocked by my outburst, their eyes wide with concern. My father had been stopped in his tracks on his way up the stairs and was looking down at me with eyes of disapproval.

"How dare you, Robert!" I spat, my anger boiling over like a pot about to overflow. "You have no right to question me after what you've done!"

The words tumbled out of my mouth like a torrent, each