Rebirth Revenge Is Everything (Ariana) novel Chapter 771

Ariana said nothing.

She shot Maxwell a brief glance, then turned and walked away without another word.

Caroline watched Ariana’s retreating figure and couldn’t help letting out a soft, disdainful snort. Maxwell’s expression darkened slightly. After a moment of silence, he turned to Caroline and said, “Since my sister-in-law is resting now, we’ll come back to see her another time.”

Caroline shrugged casually, a sweet smile playing on her lips. “Sure.”

No sooner had she spoken than she quickly leaned in and planted a kiss on Maxwell’s cheek. Startled, Maxwell froze for a second before glancing around awkwardly, his face flushing with embarrassment. “What was that for?” he asked, slightly exasperated.

Caroline wrapped her arm around his and declared, “Just marking my territory. You’re mine, Caroline’s. Can’t I kiss my own fiancé?”

Maxwell frowned. “But we’re at the Castro family estate. There are people everywhere…”

Caroline snorted dismissively. “I don’t care about them.” She then tugged at his arm, her voice turning coaxing. “Since your sister-in-law is resting, let’s go. There’s a place I’ve been wanting to visit with you.” Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

But Maxwell’s brow furrowed almost instinctively.

He looked at Caroline but ultimately held his tongue. It wasn’t until they had left the Chen residence that he finally spoke up. “Fanny just had a miscarriage. Maybe we should hold off on going out for fun for a while. And please be more careful with what you say from now on.” He didn’t want anyone getting the wrong idea—especially about Caroline.

The smile instantly vanished from Caroline’s face.

Clenching her jaw, she glared at him with barely contained anger and yanked her hand away from his arm. “What’s that supposed to mean? It’s not like it was your child she lost—why do you care so much? And while we’re at it, I’ve been meaning to ask: aren’t you a little too close with your sister-in-law?”

Maxwell was taken aback.

This was the first time he had ever seen Caroline truly lose her temper. Sure, she had thrown minor tantrums before, but never like this.

Maxwell’s eyes flickered slightly, thinking he was the reason Caroline had lost her temper. He quickly explained, “Caroline, don’t be like that. You know I didn’t mean it that way.”

Caroline’s gaze turned icy. She had already reached her limit—holding back her temper in front of Maxwell for so many days had stretched her patience to the breaking point. She shot him a sharp glare, then turned and walked away without another word. Seeing this, Maxwell hurried after her.

…

Meanwhile, Ariana sat wearily in the car, her eyelids growing heavy with exhaustion. Before long, she drifted into a light sleep. She dozed off briefly, only waking when the car had already arrived at the Stone family estate. Rubbing her temples, Ariana stepped out of the vehicle.

As soon as she entered the villa, she noticed an unusual commotion—a stark contrast to the usual calm. The atmosphere felt heavy and tense, weighing down the air around her. Her heart sank slightly; she could sense something was wrong.

Sure enough, trouble had indeed struck. In the center of the living room, Arnold knelt pale-faced, while his mother, Khloe, wiped away tears as she pleaded with the family patriarch. His uncle stood nearby, his expression grim—a mix of worry and barely concealed resentment.

Leaning in, Gwen whispered softly into Ariana’s ear, "Arnold was caught colluding with outsiders to siphon funds from Stone Corporation. Brother Lambert uncovered it. And many of his past dealings with Irene have also been exposed. That’s why Old Mr. Stone is furious."

Anyone could see this wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision by Lambert—it had been carefully planned. Even his recent business trip was likely a deliberate move to give Arnold enough rope to hang himself.

A flicker of understanding passed through Ariana’s eyes.

She suddenly recalled Lambert’s recent vow not to let anyone who harmed her or their child go unpunished. Clearly, his words hadn’t been directed solely at Irene. Her mind went blank, unsure how to process the whirlwind of emotions stirring inside her.

She had long suspected Arnold's involvement in certain past events—especially after Madelyn confided in her.

Ariana was already certain that Arnold had colluded with Irene back then.

But for reasons of her own, she kept those suspicions buried deep inside. Though she knew Lambert and Arnold had a strained relationship, the latter was still his elder brother. Some matters had to remain unspoken for the time being. She intended to wait—if he remained unrepentant and took action, she would teach him a lesson herself. By then, she wouldn’t bother sparing Lambert’s feelings anymore.

Yet she never expected that before she could make a move, Lambert had already struck back.

On his knees, Arnold’s face was twisted with fury. His fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white, and when his gaze fell on Ariana, the sheer loathing in his eyes seemed ready to spill over. Then, turning to his grandfather, he let out a bitter laugh and said with self-mockery, “Since things have come to this, I admit defeat. I was simply outmaneuvered, caught in someone’s scheme. But then again—after dealing with me, who’s next? Second Brother, I suppose?” With that, he shifted his gaze to Finley, who was watching the scene with unmistakable glee.