Bianca and Grandmother were already making to get on their feet as Elsie mentioned the camera when Lily shrieked.
"Matt!"
Everyone stopped their movement and turned towards Lily. Even she didn't know what she was up to, but she had to stall the time long enough for one of her boys to wipe out that video. Ariana had not taken the credit card and she had totally forgotten about the cameras.
"What?" Matt growled.
"Did you perhaps check you room before coming to accuse the poor girl?" She said changing her tone to be somewhat sympathetic.
Elsie got up and folded her arms across her chest. "What game are you playing at Lily?"
Lily slapped a hand to her chest and turned towards Elsie, "games? You call this games?" She cried out. "The poor girl is being accused and i am trying to sort it amicably and yiu consider it to be games?"
The wheels of the whole situation was changing and Ariana wasn't sure she could keep up anymore. What exactly was going on? Was Lily really being sympathetic towards her?
"What?" Elsie looked as fed up as she sounded. She grabbed her phone and this time, she didn't wait for her father to call her back. "I am sick and tired of this drama!" She said under her breath as she walked away.
Thomas and his wife also left their positions. "I have work to finish, father," he mumbled as well. His wife also said something but Ariana was too ashamed to even register it.
Her heart was beating so loud, anyone who paid close attention could hear from a distance.
"Aunt Aria, I'll be in the garden when all this is over," Rosa said rolling her eyes as she got off her chair as well.
Ariana only nodded at the little girl yet she couldn't do a thing. Deep down, she wished she could go with her to the garden, anywhere at all, but not where the entire family had their eyes focused on her.
"So, are we going to check the camera footage or what?" Aunt Bianca asked still standing.
"It's not important," Grandfather said getting off his chair. His eyes were fixed on Ariana and his face was in a tight frown.
"What do you mean?" Matt blurted out earning a glare from his mother who was happy the man of the family had rejected the footage idea.
"It means your grandfather will handle it. Next time be careful with your things!" Lily quickly replied.
Grandmother shook her head at the turnout of event and walked away from the dinning. Bianca went after her mother and Grandfather retreated to his study.
Lily signalled to her boys to leave the dinning and her husband followed after them, leaving just her and Ariana.
Ariana hadn't even realized that she was left alone with Lily until she spoke, "did you take my son's credit card?"
"No, I would I do that?" Ariana whispered as a single tear trickled down her cheek. How could she even ask her that? The boy surely forgot where he had kept his card and now he was out for her.
"Don't ask me that question girl! You have a thousand reasons to do it!" Lily snapped and Ariana felta large lump sit in her throat. She couldn't defend herself. Everything seemed to be too much for her. Beside, how could she go about explaining how she didn't steal? She simply didn't.
"Now, I will ask you for the last time, did you take my son's credit card?" Lily asked again just to spite the younger woman. She was enjoying the way Ariana was breaking down. This was perfect.
Ariana had confusion written all over her. She was completely in the dark here and she didn't even know why she was being accused when she had not met Matt in the kitchen that morning. She was about to defend herself again when she saw the smirk on Lily's face.
Her heart dropped to her stomach.
Elsie had been right. Lily was playing some kind of game.
Ariana wiped her tears and got up from the chair slowly. She took her phone and made to leave. She'd rather ignore Lily than continue to feed on to her silly antics.
"I am talking to you young lady!" Lily spat as she saw Ariana's movements.
Ariana smiled, despite her pain. "I think you should ask your son if he came to the kitchen this morning. Excuse me, aunt," she said and walked out of the dinning Hall.
Lily felt her shoulders deflate as anger brewed within her. How dare Ariana be so confident with her? —she thought.
"Mother!"
She snapped out of her angry thoughts and turned towards the sound. It was Matt.
She quickly walked towards him and pulled him by the arm. If they were going to make the family hate Ariana, they would have to destroy the cameras but she couldn't talk to him in the corridor. They had to get to their room.
"Where is your brother?" She whispered harshly as she dragged him along.
"He should be in his room. I am not his keeper!" Matt spat out with disgust. "Where are you dragging me off to?" He asked pulling his arm away.
Lily rolled her eyes, resisting the urge to wipe some sense into his brain. "Listen, we need to talk and we can't talk here. Quit complaining and come with me!" She hissed.
This time when she resumed pulling him towards the room, he didn't hesitate. He followed quietly after his mother till they got to Noah's room. She pulled the door open and closed it gently behind them.
Noah was on his bed, as he saw them, he sat up straight and raised his brows.
"Matt, you performed well and the seed has been planted. But we need to disconnect all the cameras around the house," she told them.
Matt passed a hand over his hair and scoffed. "I have better things to do than this, where is my money?" He asked stretching out his hand to her.
Again, Lily rolled her eyes and took out a hundred bucks from her the pouch of her phone and handed it to him. "There is more where that came from Matt. Keep acting this good and I'll make you very happy!" She said with a large smile on his face.
"I don't want more money. I want the source of the money. I want Sofia!" He growled and Noah immediately burst into laughter.