Rebirth Revenge Is Everything (Ariana) novel Chapter 436

So it became a habit that the first word Lucian would say upon seeing Kiara was always "Eat!"

Kiara doted on Lucian like he was her own little treasure, naturally giving him whatever he wanted.

Now, seeing her adorable little nephew, the heaviness in Kiara's heart gradually melted away with the child's sweet voice.

She gently picked Lucian up, smiling softly as she said, "How about Auntie gets it for you in a little while, hmm?"

Lucian scrunched up his tiny brows.

By now, he could understand most of what adults said, so hearing this made him a bit unhappy. He pouted slightly but ultimately didn’t complain. Instead, he fixed his big, dark eyes—shiny like grapes—on Kiara and pleaded, "Want lots."

Kiara couldn’t resist his cuteness and nodded eagerly.

Seeing that Kiara’s mood seemed to have lifted, Ariana’s face slowly relaxed into a faint smile.

While playfully teasing her son, she turned to Kiara and said, "Actually, I already knew about this. Your aunt came by a few days ago and told me. I agreed."

Kiara froze in surprise.

Ariana continued gently, "But I wasn’t acting out of anger. Even if I was upset, it had absolutely nothing to do with you." Her voice was tender as she reached out and ruffled Kiara’s hair. Then she added, "So don’t let this make you sad or upset. I know you’re not that kind of person."

Truthfully, Ariana hadn’t expected Kiara to react this way.

She had guessed that Kiara, given her personality, wouldn’t accept it—but she hadn’t anticipated such a strong response. At this moment, Ariana couldn’t help but feel a warmth in her heart.

Yet, at the same time, she sighed inwardly.

Kiara sniffled slightly, meeting Ariana’s gaze before murmuring in a low voice, "Before coming here, I already told Auntie... I would never fight you for the White family’s legacy. If they force me to, I’ll have no choice but to leave."

Looking at the stubborn Kiara, Ariana suddenly smiled.

With a gentle chuckle, she said, "Silly girl."

Kiara pursed her lips, fingers idly tugging at Lucian's little outfit, silent.

Lucian blinked at her in confusion, then his tiny brows furrowed as he yanked his clothes back with all his might. As if her IQ had suddenly plummeted, Kiara deliberately reached out again to playfully grab at the hem. Lucian, no match for her strength, soon had his big eyes welling up with misty tears—on the verge of bursting into loud sobs at any second.

Finally, Kiara’s mood lifted.

She grinned mischievously at Lucian before letting go of his clothes—better not push the little one to actual tears.

Ariana: "..."

Watching Kiara’s instant regression to the mental age of a three-year-old, Ariana’s eye twitched in speechless exasperation.

...

Truth be told, the child was quite lovely—with fair, delicate features and an adorably expressive face. Though not as breathtakingly beautiful as Lucian, the baby was undeniably one of the prettiest infants one could imagine.

It was a testament to the Stone family’s superior genes.

Yet Old Mr. Stone placed great importance on tradition—especially bloodline. Though he had permitted Finley to bring this child born of an outside woman into the family, it didn’t mean he fully accepted it. In ancient times, such a child would have been considered an illegitimate offspring of dubious origin. No matter how charming the baby looked, Old Mr. Stone couldn’t bring himself to care for it. And as for the old madam—well, her indifference went without saying.

To begin with, the time she devoted to Lucian far exceeded what she spent on her other grandchildren. Take the recent kidnapping incident, for instance.

Since the ordeal had stemmed from her own actions, even though the great-grandchild had miraculously survived unharmed, she was consumed by guilt and remorse. After Lucian was rescued from the kidnappers, the old lady's heart swelled with even greater affection for him. Not even the twins born to Ariana could overshadow her fondness for Lucian. It was safe to say that among all the great-grandchildren in the Stone family, he remained her favorite.

This was evident from the fact that she had granted Lucian a five percent stake in the family business—an honor none of the other children, including the twins, had received.

So, when Aster stepped forward with her child, Old Mr. Stone merely cast a fleeting glance before stating impassively, "Let’s name him Collin."

"Collin Stone..." Aster repeated the name twice, then broke into a smile. "That’s a fine name. Collin, it is."

Ever since the kidnapping incident, Second Uncle had been treading on eggshells. Even now, he didn’t dare approach.

Only when he saw that his father hadn’t shown impatience at his wife’s fawning and had even bestowed a name upon his grandson did he finally exhale in relief.

But it wasn’t over yet.

After naming the child, Old Mr. Stone seemed to recall something. He turned to his wife and said, "On second thought, let’s have Gwen and Finely raise Alvin from now on. He’s still young, and living alone in the outer villa—even with the butler’s care—leaves him vulnerable to mishaps."