Rebirth Revenge Is Everything (Ariana) novel Chapter 709

The pretense of civility had long been shattered, and Georgia no longer bothered with even a shred of warmth toward Ariana—not even the fake kind.

If before she had merely resented Ariana for stealing her daughter’s picture-perfect marriage, now she despised her even more for being the reason her own marriage had crumbled. Her voice was icy, laced with venom, a far cry from the gentle, composed demeanor she once feigned.

Ariana, long accustomed to Georgia’s hostility, barely reacted.

But the words themselves gave her pause.

Without turning her head too obviously, she cast a glance at Mrs. Harper, her brow furrowing slightly before she asked coolly, "What do you want?"

Georgia’s lips thinned. "I need to speak with Kendra. Tell her that if she refuses to see me, she’ll have only herself to blame."

Frankly, the demand almost made Ariana laugh.

She was admittedly curious about how the wife of Harper Corporation’s chairman had gotten involved with Georgia.

But to say this to *her*?

Ridiculous.

What made Georgia think she had any right to use her as a messenger?

As if sensing her thoughts, Georgia’s voice took on a bitter edge, laced with something like humiliation. "I raised you for over twenty years," she said slowly. "I don’t expect your filial piety. But I *do* hope you still have a conscience."

Ariana’s lips curled into a humorless smile. "Oh?" Her gaze was frigid. Had her father not revealed the truth of her origins, those words might have stung—just enough to reopen old wounds.

But now?

Nothing.

She said coolly, "You call that being raised? More like being forcibly taken away."

Georgia froze instantly on the other end of the line.

Ariana continued, her voice calm and detached, "Ms. Ross, let's not pretend you don't know exactly how things really were. I have no intention of dredging up the past—consider everything that happened before as repayment for those twenty-plus years of 'care.' Though your motives for raising me were far from pure, we'll call it even. After all, had it not been for you, I might have had a much better life with my real mother. Wouldn't you agree?"

Georgia was utterly speechless, stunned into silence.

Ariana had spoken these words in a deliberately distant tone, her voice low enough that anyone mindful of boundaries wouldn't have overheard.

So she hadn’t been particularly guarded.

Even if Kendra had heard, it wouldn’t have made any difference to her.

A background like hers—what did it matter if others knew?

What she didn’t realize was that the moment Kendra recognized the caller as Georgia, she had strained to catch every word of their conversation. Though the exchange was fragmented, the last sentence rang out crystal clear.

Kendra stood rooted to the spot, her usually sharp eyes now brimming with an indescribable mix of exhilaration and turmoil.

She...

She knew. What exactly did she know?

Her grip on the phone turned bone-white, her eyes bloodshot and brimming with twisted hatred.

...

On the other end,

After hanging up the phone, Ariana tossed her cell aside carelessly. She turned her head, her gaze fixed intently on Kendra.

Her eyes were piercingly cold.

Even someone as unyielding as Kendra couldn’t ignore the weight of that stare. Pressing her lips together, she finally spoke. "You know, don’t you?"

There was no other explanation for the look Ariana was giving her.

After a brief moment of thought, it all became clear. Ariana had obviously learned about her origins—though not the full story. Specifically, about her biological mother. And if Kendra’s guess was right, Yasmin must have just spilled everything over the phone.

Kendra couldn’t quite fathom why Yasmin would reveal the truth.

Given her personality, using it as leverage to threaten her would have been more in character.

But there was no point dwelling on that now.

Kendra met Ariana’s gaze head-on. This time, there was no trace of the restrained maternal tenderness she had always forced down. Instead, she studied her daughter—the daughter she had never been there to raise—with aching sorrow and guilt etched deep in her eyes.

Hesitant, almost unsure how to reach out, she stood there, as if afraid to bridge the distance between them.