Rebirth Revenge Is Everything (Ariana) novel Chapter 738

Upon hearing that Ariana had returned, the old lady immediately perked up.

"Oh? She's back?" she exclaimed eagerly, knowing Ariana would surely bring along her great-granddaughter. The thought alone filled the old lady with joy.

Among the entire Stone family, the old lady adored that girl almost as much as she did the twins, Kevin and Carson.

Almost—though not quite as much as Lucian.

Still, it was a rare fondness.

At that moment, Ariana stood at the entrance of the main villa, and as fate would have it, she ran straight into Madelyn. The moment Madelyn caught sight of Ariana, her face darkened. Ever since the incident involving Ariana, Madelyn had been living in constant dread.

Just when she thought Ariana might have forgotten about her and was beginning to relax, here she was—standing right in front of her.

The shock was palpable.

Ariana studied Madelyn’s slightly strained expression and spoke coolly, "Sister-in-law, it’s been a while."

Madelyn’s fingers tightened imperceptibly before she forced a smile. "Yes, it has been." Despite her composed tone, a flicker of guilt gnawed at her. Though she hadn’t been directly involved in Irene’s schemes, she had known about the malicious intent—and had turned a blind eye.

In a way, she had silently allowed those arsonists to lurk in the shadows.

But she never expected Irene to take things this far! She had assumed it was just petty revenge—nothing more. The realization made Madelyn’s gaze dart nervously.

Even if she believed someone like Ariana deserved misfortune, Madelyn had never been one for outright cruelty. She had justified her inaction with countless excuses, but now, face-to-face with Ariana and meeting those icy, unreadable eyes—

Her heart pounded wildly, betraying her unease.

Ariana gazed at Madelyn's slightly pale complexion and said coolly, "Speaking of which, there seems to be an unsettled score between us, sister-in-law?"

Her words instantly tightened the already strained nerves of Madelyn, who had been on edge.

Biting her lip, Madelyn sneered, "Oh? I don’t understand what you’re implying, Third Sister-in-law."

Ariana replied, "Really? Then perhaps I should take some time to refresh your memory. What do you think?" She had always been aware of Madelyn’s hostility toward her, though Ariana had never retaliated. After all, those petty provocations weren’t worth her attention.

But she never expected—

Her own mercy would nearly become the weapon that destroyed her.

As the saying goes, kindness to an enemy is cruelty to oneself. And in this case, that momentary compassion might have cost her child’s life.

At this thought, Ariana’s eyes turned even colder.

Though younger than Madelyn, Ariana had endured far more and had once been the CEO of the White Group. Her presence now was as formidable as Lambert’s—just a single glance from her could suffocate a person with pressure.

Yet reality told a different story.

Ariana's tone turned icy. "I've no idea where you got this absurd notion. First, I've never met Irene privately—how could I possibly drug her? Second, if I truly wanted to harm someone, drug would be the last method I'd choose. And why would I bother? To ruin her reputation? Don't be ridiculous—she's already been married once. What would I gain from such theatrics?"

Madelyn stood frozen. Though her emotions screamed that this woman was lying, that last shred of rationality whispered that Ariana's logic held water.

Her face drained of color before she finally whispered hoarsely, "No... You're lying to me!"

Ariana's expression was icy. "Think what you will. You know perfectly well whether I've deceived you or not. And do you really believe that if I wanted to harm you, you'd still be safe in the Stone Family household, let alone able to give birth unharmed?"

Her words drained the remaining color from Madelyn's face.

But this time, Ariana didn't spare her another glance. The butler had been watching them uneasily from a distance for some time now.

He could tell they were in the middle of a conversation, so he hadn't intervened.

However, if they delayed any longer, the old lady would grow suspicious. Slowly, Ariana averted her gaze and turned toward the main house. Noticing her movement, the butler visibly relaxed and stepped forward. "Third Young Madam, the young masters and misses have already gone inside. You and First Young Madam should join them as well. Second Young Madam is also waiting."

Ariana offered him a faint smile. "Very well."

Meanwhile, Madelyn stood frozen in place, her thoughts in disarray. It took her a long moment to regain her composure. Forcing a weak smile at the approaching butler, she said hoarsely, "My apologies. Please inform Grandmother that I'm feeling unwell and must take my leave. I'll visit her again this evening."