Rebirth Revenge Is Everything (Ariana) novel Chapter 705

Lambert arrived an hour after Ariana and the children

His expression was icy cold.

Only upon seeing Ariana and the children did his gaze soften slightly.

At that moment, Ariana was bustling around in the kitchen. Lucian stood outside with a furrowed brow, lost in thought, while Kevin sat quietly reading a book. Carson, on the other hand, was sprawled in the living room, watching cartoons with wide, curious eyes full of fascination.

Lucian was the first to notice his father.

He hurried over and called out, "Dad!"

Lambert gave a slight nod.

Hearing the commotion, Kevin and Carson instinctively turned toward the door. The moment Carson spotted his father, his eyes lit up—but then, remembering something, a hint of timidity flickered in his gaze. Though Kevin wasn’t as fearful as his younger brother, he still hesitated to approach like his eldest brother.

Children are perceptive.

From a young age, their father had rarely shown them warmth. Though their grandparents insisted that "Dad is like this with everyone," sensitive Kevin could still detect a faint trace of displeasure in his father’s eyes.

That was why he never dared to get too close.

"Where’s your mother?" Lambert asked.

Lucian quickly replied, "She’s in the kitchen." Then, hesitantly, he added, "Dad, Mom just got out of the hospital. She shouldn’t overexert herself. Couldn’t the cook handle it instead? Or... maybe you could help her?"

At his son’s words, Lambert’s eyebrow arched slightly.

He ruffled his son's hair—there was no fooling him with such a simple trick. For a moment, he couldn't help but feel amused. Clearly, Ariana's cooking had left quite the traumatic impression on their eldest son.

Lambert gave a faint nod. "Alright, I'll go check on your mom. You stay here and play with your brothers."

Lucian immediately broke into a bright grin and nodded eagerly.

As Lambert headed toward the kitchen, Carson watched with a mix of apprehension and hopeful curiosity. Only when their father's figure disappeared from sight did the little boy finally lower his gaze, disappointment flickering in his eyes.

As for Kevin, his expression remained unreadable, revealing nothing.

At his age, he had already learned to mask his thoughts—proof that his cleverness ran even deeper than Lucian's.

Or perhaps, his mind was simply more guarded.

Lucian returned to his brothers, flashing them a playful wink. "Dad's back, so you can eat without worrying later." He had truly gone above and beyond for his little brothers.

Carson didn’t understand what his eldest brother meant.

He blinked up at him in confusion before pouting slightly and turning back to his cartoon, completely absorbed once more.

Only Kevin pressed his lips together, lost in thought.

Noticing something off about his second brother, Lucian leaned in and asked cautiously, "Kev, what's wrong?"

Kevin subtly shifted away, his voice quiet. "Nothing."

He picked up his book again, appearing perfectly unbothered. At barely four years old, Lucian couldn’t detect the subtler emotions—especially when Kevin hid them so well. Satisfied, he nodded. "Alright, let’s just wait then. If you get hungry, you can have some fruit, but not too much. Otherwise, your stomach will hurt later."

Unfortunately, while CEO Stone wanted to impress his wife, he completely forgot that despite his decisiveness in business negotiations, he had zero actual experience killing fish. Thus, the mighty CEO found himself thoroughly outmaneuvered by a single fish.

The fish thrashed desperately in its struggle for survival, its slippery body evading every attempt to grasp it.

At first, Lambert remained composed, his movements measured and calm. But as failure piled upon failure, his expression darkened like the bottom of a scorched pot—utterly black with frustration.

Ariana, who had initially been a silent observer, couldn't suppress her amusement any longer. By the time Lambert had failed for what felt like the hundredth time, his icy glare could have frozen the room. Ariana, witnessing the entire spectacle, finally burst into laughter. Though her voice wasn’t particularly loud, the three little ones outside still caught the sound.

Carson’s eyes flickered subtly, his gaze repeatedly darting toward the kitchen.

Even Kevin, usually so reserved, visibly relaxed.

For the children, seeing their parents in good spirits was a balm to their unsettled hearts. It was a reassurance they sorely needed after days of unease. Yet, a pang of loneliness tugged at Carson. *If only it could always be like this*, he thought wistfully. *Just the three of us—no, even better, just me. And Mom and Dad. No one else.*

The idea made him grin foolishly to himself.

Meanwhile, inside the kitchen—

Lambert narrowed his eyes at Ariana, his voice laced with quiet danger. "Are you laughing at me?"

Ariana froze the moment her laughter escaped. Instinctively, she tried to school her expression back to neutrality, but his question caught her off guard. She cleared her throat. "No..."

Lambert wasn’t convinced. "Really?"

"...Really," she insisted, avoiding his gaze as she turned to busy herself with other ingredients.

But then, his hand suddenly caught hers. Startled, she looked up. He leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, his voice rough with emotion. "Can you laugh like that again?"