Rebirth Revenge Is Everything (Ariana) novel Chapter 598

Back in the day, only that dim-witted little fatty from the Castro family had been foolish enough to pick a fight with Lucian.

Most of the other kids had been warned by their parents about who to cozy up to at school. So Jake from the Harper family, Lucian from the Stone family, and Joshua from the Castro family were all prime targets for eager-to-please classmates. The Morris family, on the other hand, was a step below.

That’s why everyone assumed Shawn’s close friendship with Lucian was just another case of brown-nosing—another kid following his parents’ instructions to suck up to the right people.

Now that Shawn had fallen out of favor, the schadenfreude was palpable.

Shawn stayed silent in the face of the taunts. He shot the boy a few dark, wordless glances before trying to sidestep him and keep walking.

But the boy blocked his path again.

“What?” the boy sneered. “Did I hit a nerve?”

Shawn pressed his lips together, refusing to answer, but his glare burned with quiet fury. Watching from behind, Lucian frowned, his fingers twitching with the urge to step in. But then he remembered—Shawn had cut him off. After a hesitant pause, he decided against it.

The thought steeled his resolve.

Jake glanced at Lucian and blinked. “Should we go help Shawn?” He still remembered how close the two used to be.

Shawn was a few months older than they, so they weren’t in the same class. But back then, Lucian would always seek him out during breaks.

At Jake’s question, Lucian gritted his teeth. “No.”

The memory of Shawn’s glare and those harsh words flashed in his mind. He swore he’d never be friends with him again.

Seeing Lucian’s firm rejection, Jake smirked in satisfaction.

He wrapped his arm around Lucian's shoulder and said, "Shall we go together then? It's Shawn's loss for not recognizing what a great friend you are. If that's how it is, we won't hang out with him anymore." The reason Jake was trying so hard to bond with Lucian was that his aunt had made him promise before going abroad.

She had insisted that he must become good friends with Lucian.

Jake always listened to Aunt Irene, so he'd been treating this as his personal mission lately.

Lucian didn't respond, but he still walked alongside Jake, going along with his suggestion.

And they made sure to walk right past Shawn in plain sight.

Seeing Lucian leave with Jake, the little boy who had been nervous earlier immediately relaxed, puffing out his chest smugly as he taunted Shawn, "See? Lucian's not your friend anymore! Serves you right! Hmph, let's see how high and mighty you act now!"

Lucian was walking slowly, barely a couple of meters ahead of Shawn.

So he naturally overheard the boy's words.

His small brows furrowed slightly, and a flicker of conflict stirred in his eyes—should he keep walking and ignore Shawn, or should he speak up for him?

Shawn, of course, had also noticed Lucian.

He watched as Lucian walked away without even a backward glance. His eyes darkened with unspoken emotions, but in the end, he suppressed the turmoil inside.

He stayed silent.

Like a statue carved from ice.

Between him and Lucian, it was as if they had never been close brothers at all.

And when Lucian saw that Shawn made no effort to talk to him, his anger flared even hotter. With a cold snort, he quickened his pace, ready to leave the scene behind.

Ariana reached out and ruffled his little head, her voice tender as she murmured, "Your dad is very busy with work these days. How about staying with Ariana Mama for a while?"

Shawn seemed stunned.

He lifted his head slightly, as though the idea of being sent to the Stone Family household by his father had never crossed his mind.

Lucian, too, froze for a moment. He glanced at Shawn before sulkily kicking a pebble at his feet, not saying a word.

The other two children, meanwhile, were shocked by the way Ariana had addressed Shawn.

Was Shawn also part of the Stone family?

Before they could make sense of it, Ariana scooped Shawn into her arms. At just four years old, he wasn’t heavy. The sudden embrace left Shawn momentarily dazed. Then, still holding him, Ariana turned to Lucian and said, "Hold Mama’s hand. Let’s go home together."

Lucian shot Shawn a jealous look before reluctantly muttering, "Okay..."

Hmph. He wanted to be carried by Mama, too.

But Shawn had said those things about Mama—he didn’t deserve it.

Strangely enough, Shawn was thinking along the same lines. Once the initial shock wore off, he squirmed slightly, wanting to break free. Yet Ariana’s embrace was so warm, so comforting, that it reminded him of his own mother. The thought made his nose sting with unshed tears again.

Pursing his lips, he fell silent.

And so, Lucian continued to glare enviously at Shawn all the way until they got into the car.

Ariana and Allison had always encouraged Shawn and Lucian to play together since childhood, so the two boys should have gotten along well. Still, Ariana felt the need to remind him, "Lucian, Shawn will be staying with you from now on. Be nice to your brother, understand?"