Rebirth Revenge Is Everything (Ariana) novel Chapter 697

Carson's return was something Hugh and his wife had anticipated.

After all, they knew all too well how unruly their grandson could be. He never stayed in one place for long. If Lambert had been home, things might have been manageable—but without him around, no one could keep the boy in check.

The kid had inherited every single one of Lambert's worst traits.

Stubborn and rebellious.

At first, Jolene had been worried—what if Carson acted up and angered Lambert?

Lambert wasn’t a patient man, and when pushed too far, his temper was no joke.

But Hugh had reassured her, saying the boy would probably come crawling back in a few days. Surprisingly, though, Carson had lasted much longer than expected without causing trouble. They’d almost thought he’d turned over a new leaf. Now, hearing their eldest grandson’s call, the couple exchanged resigned looks.

Just as predicted.

Maybe they’d set their expectations too high for Carson. Well, if he was back, so be it. With their granddaughter in her current state and Ariana still in the hospital, at least Carson’s absence had spared them some headaches.

Yet, Jolene couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Carson seemed... deflated, more so than usual.

Worried, she asked, "Carson, what’s wrong? Are you upset?" According to Lucian’s call, the boy had been adamant about coming back—so why did he look so down now?

Sheryl, who had followed Carson back, quickly chimed in, "It might be because the young madam hasn’t returned. She only called the villa once, and the young master missed it. He’s been upset ever since." Sheryl had volunteered to accompany him, claiming she’d take care of him.

Lucian had never been fond of Sheryl, but he’d agreed anyway.

Jolene raised a brow.

Unable to resist, she poked her little grandson's forehead and chuckled, "Oh, is that all? Alright then, Carson. If you want to talk to your mom, Grandma will call her later, and you can chat as long as you like."

Carson jerked his head away, pouting with a huff. "I don't want to."

Jolene simply dismissed it as childish sulking and didn’t dwell on it.

That evening, Jolene naturally took Carson to see Old Mr. Stone and the old madam. The elderly couple had always been fond of Carson—especially the old madam. She thought the boy bore an uncanny resemblance to Lambert in his younger days. Back then, she had mistakenly believed Lambert wasn’t her grandson, and in her sorrow and regret, she hadn’t paid him much attention. It was a lingering regret.

Now, seeing Carson was like seeing a young Lambert all over again.

So, between the twins, the old madam had always favored Carson a little more.

Pouting, Carson quietly approached the old madam. The old master, for some reason, had summoned his three sons into the study for a discussion, leaving Khloe and Aster present as well.

The moment the old madam spotted her beloved great-grandson, she eagerly beckoned, "Come here, dear."

Carson shuffled over reluctantly.

Noticing his sullen expression, the old madam frowned in concern. "What’s the matter? You went to Lambert’s place just fine—why do you look so down now? Did your father scold you for misbehaving? Hmm?" It wasn’t an unreasonable assumption—Carson was notoriously mischievous.

More than once, he had driven Old Mr. Stone to the brink of fury.

That alone spoke volumes about how much of a troublemaker he was.

Narrowing her eyes at Jolene, she demanded, "Who’s been filling his head with such nonsense? Who’s been looking after Carson?" Someone must have poisoned the boy’s mind—no child his age would think this way unprompted. Did they not realize how pure-hearted her grandson truly was?

Jolene flustered. "I—I don’t know... I’ll look into it when I get back."

The old lady frowned, her eyes brimming with displeasure, as if to say, *How could you not know even this?*

Jolene's face instantly paled.

Beside her, Aster and Khloe exchanged glances, barely suppressing their gleeful smirks at the scene.

Carson, oblivious to the tension among the adults, was in no state to hear anything about his father, mother, or younger sister—any mention would set him off. Biting his lip, he burst out in a voice trembling with indignation, "I came up with this myself! Mom doesn’t love me at all! I hate her! And I hate my sister!"

The old lady froze for a split second before her expression darkened. *"Nonsense!"* she snapped.

Her frustration was laced with helplessness.

Though startled by her grandson’s outburst—and when such thoughts had even taken root—she knew this was not something to be aired so brazenly. At least not in front of her other daughters-in-law.

Just then, a deep, displeased voice rumbled from the staircase. *"Who’s his etiquette tutor? Replace them. This is no way for a child of the Stone family to behave."*

Unlike the old lady, the family patriarch had little fondness for Carson.

The boy was too much like Lambert. One Lambert had already been enough to infuriate him; the last thing he needed was a great-grandson cut from the same cloth. Worse still, while this boy had inherited Lambert’s temper, he lacked his cunning. A profound disappointment.

The old man had always preferred clever children—like Lucian or Kevin. After all, only those with sharp minds could one day uphold the Stone family’s legacy.