Rebirth Revenge Is Everything (Ariana) novel Chapter 558

Ariana couldn't help but chuckle again at the sight of the chubby little boy.

Lambert glanced at his wife but remained silent.

Turning abruptly to his still-fuming son, he commanded in a firm voice, "Go to your room. Your mother and I need to talk."

Lucian shrank back instinctively. He had always been somewhat intimidated by his father. After casting one last pleading look at his mother, he trudged upstairs with a pout, shoulders slumped in defeat.

Only when Lucian's footsteps faded did Lambert shift his gaze back to Ariana. His deep-set eyes were fathomless, their usual chill now edged with something darker.

"What exactly did he mean by 'bad woman'?" he asked coldly.

Ariana blinked in surprise, then gave a light, dismissive laugh. "Oh, it's just childish nonsense. Nothing serious."

In truth, such gossip was nothing more than idle chatter among the wealthy socialites—wives and ladies who thrived on scandal over afternoon tea. Some might even know the rumors were baseless, yet they reveled in spreading them regardless.

Ariana had long accepted that silencing every wagging tongue was impossible. In fact, if she tried, people would only take it as proof of guilt. So she let them talk.

After all, empty words couldn't harm her. Why bother policing what others said?

But Lambert wasn't convinced.

His expression hardened as he studied her. Then, slowly, he stepped closer, his voice dropping to a dangerous murmur. "Didn't I tell you to inform me of *anything* that happens?"

He knew she didn't care about the rumors. But *he* did.

More than she could imagine.

If that little brat dared spew such things openly at kindergarten, the whispers had clearly been circulating for a while.

How laughable that he, as her husband, remained oblivious to it all.

Ariana could tell Lambert was genuinely furious. When truly angered, his smile turned icy—a chilling contrast to his usual demeanor.

Pressing her lips together, Ariana hesitated before responding, "I just didn’t think it was worth mentioning. It’s not like you’d believe any of it anyway, so why should I care?" She even managed a light laugh, though the tension lingered.

Truth be told, no one in their right mind would believe such nonsense.

Ariana harming Alvin?

What possible motive could she have?

It was utterly absurd. Alvin wasn’t even Lambert’s son—he posed no threat to the interests of the Stone family’s three brothers. Only the naive or the deliberately spiteful would entertain such baseless rumors.

Lambert’s expression darkened.

Then, unexpectedly, he smiled—a slow, dangerous curve of his lips. His voice dropped to a low murmur. "You’re right. I don’t believe it. Neither does Grandmother. These rumors are nothing but the petty antics of clowns. But..." His gaze sharpened. "I’m still displeased. What do you propose we do about that?"

Ariana blinked, caught off guard. "Huh?"

His voice, deep and magnetic, carried an edge. "I said, I’m displeased. Even if no real harm was done, it bothers me."

Silence. Ariana’s cheeks flushed.

The question caught both his parents off guard. It was rare for their son, who usually maintained a polite but distant relationship with his wife, Rina Thomas, to inquire about her. Still, the elder Mrs. Castro quickly recovered. "She’s on the third floor," she answered with a smile.

Cedric acknowledged with another "Mmm" before heading straight upstairs to their bedroom.

The chubby little boy didn't dare follow his father anymore.

He sensed his dad might be going to talk to his mom—or even argue with her. So the pitiful little fellow toddled straight to his grandmother, his eyes brimming with tears as he whimpered, "Grandma... waaah..."

The old lady's heart ached for her grandson.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" she asked tenderly.

Meanwhile, Cedric quickly made his way to the bedroom. When he stepped inside the room he shared with Rina, he found her chatting animatedly with her best friend. The two women seemed engrossed in some lively conversation. Rina was quite the beauty—the refined, well-bred type. Since childhood, her family had hired etiquette tutors to mold her into a picture of grace, and it showed in her poised demeanor.

She blinked in surprise at her husband's sudden entrance.

Then, her face brightened as she turned to him. "You're home early today!" she said cheerfully. She had no idea he had taken their son to the Stone family to apologize. These past few days, she had been too busy shopping for clothes and handbags with her friend. Besides, their son was always looked after by the nanny they hired, so she never had to worry about him.

Cedric gave her a cold once-over before replying with a humorless smile, "I don’t have anything else going on today. I just wanted to ask—when you gossip with your friends, have you ever spread rumors about Mrs. Stone?"

Rina frowned. "The Stone family?"

It took her only a moment to realize what he was referring to. Her expression soured. "You barely talk to me these days, and *this* is what you bring up? Some trivial nonsense? Are you out of your mind?"

Cedric's face remained impassive. "*Am* I out of my mind? Hah. Did you know your son overheard you and your friends badmouthing the Stone family's future matriarch? That he’s developed a dislike—no, an outright *aversion*—to Lucian Stone because of it? That he picked a fight with the boy at kindergarten today?" He scoffed. "Then again, maybe I shouldn’t have bothered telling you. You’re so well-connected, you’ll probably hear about it by tomorrow anyway. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the whole social circle of this city knows within a few days."