Rebirth Revenge Is Everything (Ariana) novel Chapter 542

542 /671

The old master doted on Lucian far more than anyone else.

Even when it came to Lambert, he wasn’t particularly fond of him—he merely valued his capabilities. If there was one child he truly adored, it was Lucian, and no one else.

Perhaps it was because Lucian had been irresistibly cute since childhood. Among Old Mr. Stone’s many sons and grandsons, Lucian was the one he had held the most in his arms. Over time, it was only natural that he developed a special soft spot for the boy.

The moment Khloe saw Old Mr. Stone’s expression, she knew he must have already found out everything.

Of course.

After all, he was still the formidable Old Mr. Stone. Though he had begun preparing to hand over all his authority to Lambert, his influence remained undiminished. If he wanted to know something, a simple inquiry would suffice.

Instantly, Khloe’s face drained of color.

The entire first branch of the family wore grim expressions, but more than anything, they were gripped by fear—fear that Old Mr. Stone would punish them once again over this matter.

Without another thought, Khloe burst into tearful pleas. "Father… I truly don’t know how any of this happened. Those rumors about Lucian pushing Alvin—I have no idea where they came from. Kids play rough sometimes, but I never imagined it would get twisted into something so ugly!"

Arnold chimed in anxiously, "That’s right, Grandfather. We really don’t know anything about this—"

The old master remained silent, his gaze cool and unreadable as it rested on them.

Meanwhile, the second branch watched with varying degrees of detachment. Gwen stood to the side, indifferent, while Aster’s eyes brimmed with barely concealed schadenfreude. As for the second uncle and Finley, the former wore a solemn expression, while the latter looked on with faint amusement.

As for the third branch…

Hugh and his wife sat in heavy silence.

Neither Lambert nor Ariana was home, leaving only the couple and their three young children in the third household. Jolene was visibly upset—how could she not be, when someone had accused her grandson of pushing Alvin and even spread such vile rumors? Yet, she had no idea how to counter it, so she simply kept her lips sealed.

Meanwhile, disappointment brimmed in Hugh’s eyes.

It was clear he had already guessed that his eldest brother’s family was behind it again.

If even Hugh had figured it out, there was no way Old Mr. Stone and his wife remained oblivious. Khloe knew she had acted too hastily this time, and regret gnawed at her.

But now wasn’t the time for remorse—she needed to come up with an excuse to convince the old man that the eldest household was innocent.

Just as panic threatened to overwhelm her, an idea struck.

She quickly spoke up, “Father! It must have been Madelyn who misunderstood and mentioned it to her friends, and then the rumor spread from there. She was at the hospital when little Alvin was admitted—maybe she was just so heartbroken for him that she told her friends about his injury. Things must have gotten twisted as the story passed around.”

The old master frowned, his voice icy. “Is that so?”

Khloe nodded eagerly. “Absolutely! Father, we truly have no idea how this rumor started. Think about it—what would we gain from meddling in this? Lucian is just a child, after all.”

The old master scoffed. “Lucian is a child, so that gives his mother the right to slander others freely?”

Khloe faltered, a flicker of panic flashing in her eyes, though her face remained the picture of bewilderment. “Father, we really don’t know anything about this…”

Her husband, the eldest uncle, chimed in hastily, “Yes, Father, what exactly is going on?”