Rebirth Revenge Is Everything (Ariana) novel Chapter 711

This revelation about her background was something Ariana had never anticipated.

After Kendra left, Ariana sat motionless by the bed, lost in thought, her mind adrift. By the time Lambert arrived that evening, this was exactly how he found her.

His heart clenched at the sight, fearing something terrible had happened. He strode quickly to her side. Sensing his presence, Ariana snapped out of her daze. When she recognized Lambert, she forced a faint smile, though it barely touched her lips.

Lambert frowned. "What's wrong?"

His first thought was that something had happened to their daughter.

Otherwise, Ariana wouldn’t be like this. Yet, her expression didn’t quite match the urgency of a crisis. As his initial panic subsided, confusion took its place.

Ariana pressed her lips together, her gaze lingering on him.

After a long pause, she slowly averted her eyes.

Her voice was soft as she glanced at their daughter, peacefully asleep in sweet dreams. "Today... Kendra, the wife of Harper Group's chairman, came to see me."

Lambert’s brows knitted tighter. "Did she give you trouble?"

Though based on what he knew of Mrs. Harper, she wasn’t the type to resort to such foolishness. But there was always a first time—what if she had come to plead for her daughter Irene’s sake?

It was a stretch, but not impossible.

At the thought, a cold, ruthless glint flashed in Lambert’s eyes. Whatever Mrs. Harper’s intentions, after what Irene had done to his wife and daughter, she could forget about ever stepping out of prison unscathed—

Ariana shook her head.

Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she gazed at Lambert, her expression dazed and tinged with fragile helplessness.

After a long silence, she finally recounted everything that had happened that day. By the time she finished, Ariana's voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper. "Tell me," she murmured, "if I really am her daughter, why didn’t she ever show up all these years?" She had suffered so much—

And in her past life, she had died a miserable death.

Yet her birth mother had never once appeared.

And now, by some cruel twist of fate, her daughter Irene had gotten into trouble, and suddenly, here she was—ready to acknowledge their bond.

So, was this her way of making amends?

Though she hadn’t uttered a single word in Irene’s defense, Ariana was certain that was the reason. Otherwise, why would she have stayed away all this time? Even if Irene wasn’t her biological daughter, after raising her for so many years, how could she not have any affection for her?

Then there was the fact that the Harper family had recently declared they wouldn’t interfere in Irene’s legal troubles, leaving the Stone family free to prosecute her and send her to prison.

A dark suspicion took root in Ariana’s mind.

Had this been planned all along? Once her true parentage came to light, and once she realized she had been the one to send Irene to prison without lifting a finger, would she be expected to forgive her? And then, under the guise of motherly love, would she be asked to let it all go?

Not to keep Irene out of prison, but to consider the matter settled once she was behind bars.

And when Irene was released after a reduced sentence, it would all be water under the bridge.

That way, their newfound mother-daughter bond would remain intact, and Irene would still be protected.

The thought twisted like a knife in Ariana’s chest.

To avoid provoking him, the old man had been keeping his own temper in check, hoping to extend his lifespan by a few more years. If even Old Mr. Stone was treading carefully, the rest of the Stone family certainly didn’t dare cross Lambert.

As a result, everyone except Ariana could keenly sense the noticeable change in President Stone.

It seemed Lambert's comforting words had worked their magic.

Ariana closed her eyes briefly, then nestled tightly into Lambert's embrace, murmuring softly, "Thank you, Lambert."

Lambert's voice was hoarse as he replied, "If you're really thankful, then eat more from now on."

Ariana was taken aback, but before long, she couldn't help but laugh in exasperation, shooting him a glare. Seeing her spirits finally lift, the tension that had been gripping Lambert's heart eased slightly.

His gaze drifted toward their daughter in the crib before he spoke again, "Alright, get dressed. I'll take you and the baby home."

Ariana looked up at him, her eyes meeting his unusually gentle expression, and gave a small nod.

To ensure nothing went awry, Assistant Hills accompanied Lambert this time.

Assistant Hills dutifully packed Ariana's belongings without complaint. Though there wasn't much, everything needed to be taken back.

Ariana felt a twinge of embarrassment. The way Lambert treated Assistant Hills like a personal attendant struck her as somewhat inappropriate. For a moment, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for Assistant Hills.

Unaware of the faintly pitying gaze the madam of the house was casting his way, Assistant Hills finished packing and smiled at Ariana. "Madam, please take the young miss and head to the car first. President Stone will join you shortly."

Ariana blinked. "He's not coming with us?"

Assistant Hills shook his head. "The president went to consult the doctor about the young miss's care instructions. He asked me to escort you both downstairs first."