Rebirth Revenge Is Everything (Ariana) novel Chapter 456

Fanny's words snapped Damon back to reality.

He blinked awkwardly at the wide-eyed child staring up at him with innocent curiosity, suddenly realizing he had unconsciously used the same stern tone he reserved for his subordinates.

Damon shot Kevin a sidelong glance.

At first glance, the man seemed unaffected. But upon closer inspection, the tips of his ears had turned an unmistakable shade of red. His arms were stiff, his posture rigid—undeniable signs of discomfort.

Yet Fanny remained oblivious. Taking in Damon’s usual indifferent expression, she quickly lost interest and turned away. Scooping Carson into her arms, she began playing with him, leaving Kevin in Damon’s hold. After all, the child didn’t seem to mind the man’s presence.

And Damon? Well, he didn’t *appear* to dislike kids either.

Too bad looks could be deceiving.

Beneath that calm exterior, Damon was silently willing Fanny to take the child away. But their tacit understanding was nonexistent, leaving him no choice but to endure.

Kevin, meanwhile, tilted his head, studying Damon’s face with fascination before suddenly planting a wet, sloppy kiss on his cheek.

Damon: "..."

Just as his entire body locked up in horror, ready to deposit the child onto the nearest surface, a saccharine voice sliced through the cozy atmosphere.

"How *adorable*!" Beverly cooed.

She had been watching from the sidelines for quite some time.

Though she wasn't quite sure who these two children belonged to, they were likely relatives of her future cousin-in-law. After observing for a while, she stepped out.

Fanny and Damon both turned toward the source of the voice.

Damon first cast a fleeting glance at Beverly before turning away again. His brows furrowed as he stared at the giggling little one in front of him, utterly at a loss for what to do. Unlike Lambert's venomous, snake-like coldness, Damon's demeanor was icy through and through—he never feigned warmth or forced conversation.

In simpler terms, he was a stone-faced man.

But right now, he genuinely didn’t know how to handle the child in his arms.

If it were anything else, he could have just coldly tossed it aside.

Yet the tiny thing in his grasp was a child, a fragile, delicate little being who seemed like the slightest touch might bruise or break them. It left Damon completely stumped.

His silence toward Beverly made the situation awkward for her.

She turned her attention to Fanny instead.

But whether it was her imagination or not, the moment she laid eyes on Fanny, a strange sense of familiarity washed over her, as if they'd met somewhere before.

The memory eluded her, though, so she dismissed it.

Instead, she stepped forward with a warm, friendly smile and said, "You must be my future cousin-in-law! You're even more beautiful than I imagined. I've visited Uncle's house several times, hoping to meet you, but our paths never crossed. Finally, today's the day!"

But...

However, Fanny's reaction wasn't what Beverly had anticipated.

There was no trace of surprise, bashfulness, or even a bright, cheerful smile. Instead, Fanny simply stared at her with an odd expression, her eyes filled with something unreadable.

This wasn't the response Beverly had expected, and for a brief moment, her chest tightened with unease.

Fortunately, Fanny didn’t keep her waiting long. After studying Beverly for a few seconds, she shrugged casually and said, "Thanks for the compliment. Miss Beverly, it really has been a while."

So Fanny lowered her head again, playfully teasing Carson.

Beverly’s smile was stiff—no, it was downright icy. She truly hadn’t expected Damon’s fiancée to have ties with Ariana!

If that was the case—

Then anything she did would be pointless!

Once a wife starts whispering in her husband’s ear, forget about cousins—even a sister would be pushed aside.

Panic surged through Beverly’s heart.

She never imagined fate would favor Ariana so much. If Fanny really married Damon, then even if Beverly had a falling-out with Ariana in the future, Fanny, standing firmly on Ariana’s side, would do everything to make Damon ignore his own cousin.

What would she do then?

So...she mustn't let her marry Damon.

At this thought, Beverly's eyes gleamed with sudden determination.

Though Damon didn't seem particularly fond of playing with the child alongside Fanny, he was even less accustomed to others intruding into his personal space without permission. Before Beverly could even gather her thoughts on what to say next, Damon frowned and spoke up, "Was there something else?" His tone made it clear—if she had no business here, she should leave.

The abrupt dismissal caught Beverly off guard.

She glanced at Fanny, who was lounging comfortably nearby, then forced a strained smile. "No, nothing else. I won't disturb you and Cousin-in-law any longer. I'll go find Second Cousin instead."

Damon responded with a curt, "Hmm."