Rebirth Revenge Is Everything (Ariana) novel Chapter 556

After what felt like an eternity, Ariana finally remembered she had twin sons. Clearing her throat awkwardly, she dialed Kiara's number with flushed cheeks.

On the other end, Kiara seemed to have been waiting for this call all along. The moment the line connected, she picked up instantly.

A soft chuckle escaped Kiara—the kind laced with exasperation and barely suppressed amusement. She feigned a cough before teasing, "Tsk, I was wondering when you'd finally call, Sister Ariana. Guess I overestimated you. It took you this long to remember Kevin and Carson?"

Ariana's face burned even hotter.

"...Where are they now?" she muttered weakly.

Kiara huffed. "Still asleep. But honestly, sis, I’m seriously worried. What if I drop by one day to visit my nephews, only to find out you’ve misplaced them somewhere?"

Ariana: "......"

It wasn’t like she’d forgotten on purpose! She’d just been a little too absorbed in her games these past couple of days.

Enough already!

Mortification threatened to swallow her whole. Under the weight of her eldest son’s disapproving stare, Ariana could practically feel her carefully maintained image of an aloof, composed mother crumbling to dust.

Lambert, who had been silently enjoying the spectacle, finally stepped in. Taking the phone from her, he said smoothly, "Let them stay with your family tonight. I’ll pick them up tomorrow. Thanks for looking after them, Kiara."

Kiara might have dared to poke fun at Ariana, but she knew better than to test her cold, unapproachable brother-in-law.

Mostly, though, it was the unfamiliar distance between them that kept her in check.

So she refrained from making too many playful remarks, maintaining a quiet demeanor in front of Lambert. With a soft smile, she replied, "Alright, got it, brother-in-law."

Then, the call ended.

Ariana cleared her throat lightly.

Lucian glanced at his mother but ultimately shook his head before silently stepping out of the room.

Ariana: "..."

Lambert was pleased that his son had the tact not to disturb them. The corner of his lips curled slightly as he turned to Ariana, who was blushing silently, her face a mix of embarrassment and shame. "Let's keep playing the game," he said.

Ariana: "..." She had thought she was already a carefree mother.

Turns out, Lambert was even more...

Of course, griping aside, as long as she knew her son was unharmed, Ariana felt at ease.

And so, the relaxed duo resumed their game.

As for the injury on Lucian’s leg—

Lambert forgot about it. Ariana remained unaware, and thus the matter slipped by unnoticed. Had it not been for the parents of that chubby kid coming to apologize, she wouldn’t have even known her son had gotten into a fight.

Speaking of which, that little fatty wasn’t exactly an outsider.

He was from the Castro family.

Not the kind of fear that made his blood run cold, but more of a nervous, uneasy dread. Sometimes, Lambert's aura was eerily similar to that of his cousin Damon—so much so that every time Cedric saw him, he couldn't help but recall Damon.

His legs instinctively went weak.

Clearing his throat, Cedric realized that trying to reason with Lambert was a dead end. Besides, his own kid hadn’t exactly covered himself in glory either. So, he shifted his gaze to Ariana, who stood nearby with an amused smile playing on her lips.

"Heh, sister-in-law," he said with an ingratiating grin, "what do you think about this whole mess?"

Ariana almost laughed. She shook her head. "They're just kids. And since both sides got roughed up, there's no point making a big deal out of it."

Truth be told, Cedric had always been on good terms with the main branch of the Castro family, especially with Maxwell. And now that Maxwell was Fanny’s brother-in-law, if you really traced the connections, this little chubby kid and Lucian were practically cousins—after all, Lucian was Fanny and Damon’s godson. So, there was no need to escalate things.

Even without that connection, Ariana wasn’t the type to press an advantage when she was already in the right. The other side had come to apologize—that was enough.

Besides, she’d noticed the little fatty had taken the worst of it. For a brief moment, she’d even felt a flicker of pride.

Cedric exhaled in relief.

As a member of the collateral branch, Cedric knew his place. Sure, his father and Damon’s father were cousins, but these days, even blood brothers didn’t guarantee loyalty, let alone distant relatives. Fortunately, he’d always gotten along well with Maxwell and Damon growing up. Still, he never forgot he wasn’t one of them—never overstepped, never acted like he was Damon’s equal.

In a situation like this, involving kids, he could’ve easily brushed it off without dragging his son to the Stone family’s doorstep to apologize. After all, the Castro family’s influence now rivaled the Stone family’s.

But Cedric was smart. He didn’t want to risk offending the Stone family over something so trivial. Sure, he was currently a vice president at Castro Corporation, but the real power lay with his cousin Damon. If he ever got demoted, those he’d slighted would come for him.

He never underestimated the smallest of grievances.