The rumors suggested that Ariana had first tried and failed to charm Jasper, only to marry his brother in a bid for wealth. They spoke of her entering the Anderson household in the unconventional role of a surrogate without the blessings of a proper wedding.

Furthermore, she was labeled a widow-maker; her husband's tragic death in a car crash barely a year after their union fueled such gossip. A tidal wave of online users chimed in, claiming previous reports had said Ariana was at the accident scene, fully unharmed. To their shock, the narrative claimed she had left her injured husband behind, leading to his unfortunate demise due to delayed rescue.

In an instant, the comments streamed in.

"I had a feeling she looked familiar! So, she made headlines five years ago, too?"

"Absolutely, I recall now. Not only the surrogacy tale, but she also tried to snatch her own sister's love interest. No line she won't cross, huh?"

"I remember the surrogate story getting out. But it seemed like the Andersons managed to hush it down. Sadly, no photographic proof remains."

With a keen interest in the past, many delved into the Anderson family's history, discussing Ariana as the lone surviving Anderson.

Theories, dark and speculative, began to blossom.

At the venue, post-show, reporters, hungry for a scoop, flocked around Ariana, mics thrust forward, eager for her statement on the fresh storm surrounding her.

"Miss Edwards, what compelled you to become the mistress in the relationship?”

"Miss Edwards, did you feel any remorse or guilt upon knowing your sister died because of you?"

Ariana was nearly blinded by the flashing lights. Still, she was prepared to face the media's invasive questions head-on with her set of meticulous and methodical answers.

"Every relationship I've entered was ordinary. Prior to entering this relationship, the other party didn't have a girlfriend. I was never a mistress. Brielle never suffered from depression and never died because of me. The police publicly released all results of their thorough investigation as well at that time. You can refer to the official reports and news broadcasts as you please," Ariana calmly answered the media's questions with little to no errors, and her emotions were stable throughout.

Out of nowhere, someone declared loudly, "There are multiple online speculations that you intentionally left Theodore Anderson at the scene of the crime as revenge against his family. Can you explain why you ran away from the scene alone? Was it premeditated?"

Ariana visibly stiffened at the question, her face losing its color.

This question had clearly struck a nerve, the memory of Theodore's lifeless, blood-soaked body popping up in her mind. She was immediately transported back to the scene of the accident.

This had always been her trauma, a hurdle that she had yet to fully overcome.

Ariana trembled violently, her lips quivering and her voice trembling as she tried her best to explain. "No, I didn't...The...The phone signal at the time was unavailable, and I needed to find help on the road immediately. I...I wanted to save him. I never wanted him to die."

She began to choke, her voice almost incoherent. Tears began to well up and glisten in the corners of her eyes.

At that moment, Ariana's team rushed forward to protect her. Jim supported her as they retreated while others formed a protective barrier to keep the ravenous reporters at bay.