Rebirth Revenge Is Everything (Ariana) novel Chapter 504

The mansion of the main family was ablaze with lights that night.

Arnold sat at the second-floor bar, his eyes half-lidded, lost in thought as he absently sipped his drink.

Just then, Khloe descended from the third floor and spotted her son, motionless with his glass in hand, his mind clearly elsewhere. She approached him slowly, a gentle smile on her lips. "Arnold."

At the sight of his mother, Arnold's demeanor softened. He gave a slight nod. "Mom."

Khloe sighed. "I just came from your grandmother’s quarters. She said we can bring Alvin home tomorrow."

Arnold responded with a disinterested hum.

His indifference irked her. Frowning, she pressed, "Arnold, Alvin is your only son. As his father, you should at least show some concern."

Suppressing a flicker of impatience, he replied flatly, "I know."

Khloe understood not to push him too hard. She held her tongue, studying him silently for a moment before cautiously broaching another subject. "And what about Old Mr. Stone... Has he still not given any indication of letting you return to the company?" Her voice carried an edge of urgency. It troubled her deeply—how could Arnold remain without any position in Stone Corporation indefinitely?

With Lambert poised to inherit the Stone family, once he took control, Arnold’s chances of ever setting foot in the Stone Group would vanish entirely.

By then, the Stone family would effectively split. Their branch would be relegated to the sidelines—no power, no shares. What would become of them, the eldest family with neither position nor stake? They couldn’t possibly keep relying on the main household for support. That was unthinkable.

Arnold knew exactly what weighed on his mother’s mind.

He pressed his lips together briefly before answering, "I don’t know. I suppose the old man has no intention of letting me back into Stone Corporation." A bitter, mocking smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he spoke.

Arnold understood perfectly well what was going on.

The old man had already chosen his successor. And once that decision was made, the others had to be kept in check, to prevent any power struggles that might harm the Stone Corporation. After all, history was full of people who would tear each other apart for control, even if it meant dragging the entire company down with them.

Khloe, however, was furious. "What is the old man thinking? Even that useless Finley is still in the company, while you, who outshine him in every way, aren’t allowed back? Is he planning to abandon us, the eldest branch, once the family splits? Let us fend for ourselves?"

The old man was already in his eighties.

To speak bluntly, who knew how much longer he had left?

They had to start making plans for themselves.

And then there was Lambert.

The eldest branch had thoroughly burned their bridges with him. Even if his father, Hugh, was reasonable, he couldn’t control Lambert’s decisions. There was no telling whether that ruthless wolf of a man would come after them once the old man was gone.

To avoid being cornered, they had to act first.

Arnold smirked coldly. "Precisely because Finley is useless, the old man keeps him in the company. Otherwise, do you think Lambert would tolerate him?"

Khloe wrung her hands anxiously. "Then what do we do?"

Arnold swirled the wine in his glass, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Relax. Even if we can’t take the family head’s seat, we must secure our share of the company’s stocks." As long as they held enough shares, they’d remain shareholders of Stone Corporation. Even if Lambert seized control, he wouldn’t—and couldn’t—touch the board members.

Seeing her son’s confidence, Khloe felt a flicker of relief. But beneath it, fear still gnawed at her.

Her comfortable life was entirely dependent on her family—specifically, her father and her brother, the future heir of the Olson family.

If she were to disappoint them, she’d lose their support once she married into another household.

That alone was enough to make Madelyn think twice before getting involved in their affairs again.

As Madelyn absentmindedly tried to persuade Irene, a man suddenly stepped into their path.

Instinctively, she looked up and found herself staring at a stranger. Arnold was unfamiliar to her, though something about his face seemed vaguely recognizable. Still, she was certain she didn’t know him. With a hint of irritation, she said, "Excuse me, sir, but you're blocking our way."

Irene also turned her gaze toward the unfamiliar man, her brows furrowing slightly.

A shadow flickered briefly in Arnold’s eyes, but it vanished just as quickly. He chuckled softly. "It seems Miss Harper doesn’t remember who I am?"

Irene froze.

She studied him for a long moment before a flicker of recognition crossed her face. Hesitantly, she ventured, "...Arnold? You’re Lambert’s older brother?"

Back in their school days, Irene had met Lambert’s brother once.

Arnold was a few years older than them, an upperclassman at the time.

Even so, she had seen him before—though only once, when he had approached her with an air of forced friendliness. At the time, she had been in no mood for it, already weighed down by the impending breakup with Lambert. She hadn’t given him another thought, especially since he never appeared again after that single encounter.