Rebirth Revenge Is Everything (Ariana) novel Chapter 551

After Lambert left, Aster remarked with a hint of envy in her voice, "Ah, look at how considerate our Lambert is toward his wife."

Lambert had excused Ariana’s absence from breakfast, claiming she had a slight fever and needed to rest a little longer.

Though most at the table knew the real reason Ariana hadn’t gotten out of bed…

So while Aster’s words sounded admiring, they were laced with sarcasm—as if implying Ariana was shameless for sleeping in so late and making up such an excuse. If word got out, people would surely laugh at the absurdity.

The old matriarch’s expression darkened instantly.

Some things were better left unspoken, understood in silence. By voicing it so bluntly, Aster wasn’t just mocking Ariana—she was mocking the Stone family itself.

The old lady’s face turned stormy. She cast a cool glance at Madelyn before saying, "Madelyn, from now on, Alvin will be under your care. Though you’re his stepmother, you have a kind heart. I trust you’ll treat him as your own."

Madelyn had been married to Arnold for some time now, but Alvin hadn’t yet been fully entrusted to her. The family had wanted to observe her temperament and attitude first.

After all, even if the child wasn’t the favorite, he was still a Stone—no outsider had the right to mistreat him. Fortunately, Madelyn’s disposition was agreeable, at least enough to satisfy the old lady.

Madelyn smiled warmly. "Of course."

She had no objections to taking care of Alvin. In fact, she didn’t mind—she wasn’t planning on having children of her own.

At least, not anytime soon.

Although it was already a done deal—she was now irrevocably married to Arnold—her heart still couldn’t accept him. So, she wanted to delay getting pregnant, leaving that matter for the future. The old lady’s intention to hand over the full responsibility of raising Alvin to her actually aligned perfectly with her own wishes.

At least, for the time being, she wouldn’t be pressured about having a child.

Old Mrs. Stone had a sharp eye for people. She studied Madelyn’s expression and, satisfied that there wasn’t the slightest hint of reluctance, gave a pleased nod.

Throughout the entire exchange, she didn’t spare Aster so much as a single word. This made Khloe, sitting nearby, unable to suppress a smug smirk. Aster, meanwhile, flushed with embarrassment and indignation. But no matter how displeased she was, she didn’t dare vent her anger at the old lady and could only swallow her resentment in silence.

...

Night fell.

Though the sky outside was pitch black, the Stone family mansion was always aglow with light.

Ariana sat at her computer desk, clicking her mouse as she played alone in a private match. Her high ranking had been earned by Lambert—she was afraid that if she played even a single competitive match, her win rate would plummet. So, she stuck to practicing her skills in solo mode.

Even so, friend request notifications kept flashing incessantly on her screen.

Clearly, these players had been fooled by Ariana’s façade as a gaming prodigy.

Ariana was thoroughly enjoying herself, reveling in the thrill of it all. She hadn’t gone to the company today—after all, she wasn’t required to be there around the clock—so she had simply lounged at home. And for the entire day, she had been immersed in the game.

Just then, a notification blinked in her friends list.

Ariana clicked on it and saw a message from Allison. A smirk curled her lips as she typed back, "What’s up?"

Allison: "Wow, look at you—top-ranked in the entire server. Impressive."

She knew that too much gratitude would only create distance between them.

So she changed the subject instead. "Ariana, guess who I saw recently?"

Ariana responded with a questioning hum.

"Lexi," Allison replied. "Just a couple of days ago. To be honest, Ariana, I've been feeling uneasy ever since. I can't shake this ominous premonition."

Ariana was taken aback. Hadn't Lexi gone abroad? Her brows furrowed slightly as she processed this unexpected news.

After a brief silence, she typed, "How did you see her? Did she come looking for you, or was it just a coincidence?"

"She was with Stefan," Allison replied.

Ariana's fingers froze over the keyboard, leaving an empty ellipsis hanging in the chat.

The bitterness in Allison's words was palpable as she continued typing, "I know Stefan isn't that kind of person—I'm certain of it. If I'd seen Lexi with him before, I wouldn't have given it a second thought. But this time... this nagging feeling won't go away. I don't know what to do."

Stefan's character made him the last person who would ever cheat. Especially not with Lexi. If he were going to stray with her, he would have done so long ago. That was why Allison had always felt secure in their relationship. Yet a woman's intuition was rarely wrong, and now an undercurrent of unease tugged at her.

That was why, when she logged into the game to unwind and saw Ariana online, she hesitated only briefly before confiding in her.

Logically, she knew she might be overthinking things. But what if she wasn't?

Something bad was coming—she could feel it.