Rebirth Revenge Is Everything (Ariana) novel Chapter 599

Lucian pressed his lips together in silence, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Ariana didn’t seem to notice—or perhaps she simply didn’t pay it any mind. After all, Lucian and Shawn had always gotten along well, so there was no way he’d bully him. Her words were just a final reminder to her son. Little did she know, the bond between Lucian and Shawn had already shattered.

Lucian glared resentfully at Shawn, who was basking in his mother’s affection, his chest burning with indignation.

He ached for his mother.

She cared for Shawn so tenderly, treated him with such kindness—and how did he repay her? By accusing her of harming his own mother and sister!

Lucian didn’t know the full details of the matter, but one thing was certain: his mother would never hurt Aunt Allison.

To him, Shawn’s words were nothing but slander.

That was exactly why Lucian had cut ties with him in a fit of anger.

Shawn, lost in his own thoughts, kept his head lowered without a word. Yet Ariana understood his emotions all too well, her eyes growing moist once more. She gently ruffled his hair, though her mind had already drifted to thoughts of Allison.

She told herself that until Allison woke up, she would take care of Shawn in her stead.

Leaving the boy with a nanny was out of the question—she couldn’t trust anyone else with him.

She was certain Allison wouldn’t have wanted that either.

So until the day Allison opened her eyes again, Ariana would watch over Shawn with unwavering care, ensuring nothing happened to him. It was the least she could do.

...

Ariana couldn't stay with Shawn for too long. After tucking the little mouse plush under his blanket, she gave him a few words of advice, ruffled his hair affectionately, and left.

The moment the door clicked shut behind Ariana, Lucian's expression darkened instantly.

He sprang off the bed and fixed Shawn with an icy glare. "Shawn," he said, his voice low and threatening, "You can say whatever you want to me, but if you dare speak about my mom like that again, I won’t let it slide."

Shawn finally looked up.

His gaze was silent as he regarded his friend.

In just a month, Shawn had grown even more withdrawn, his demeanor far too somber for a boy his age.

Without a word, Shawn turned away and pulled the little blanket over himself.

Lucian: "..."

Stunned at first, Lucian quickly flushed with anger.

Shawn was ignoring him!

The sheer rudeness of it made Lucian furious. But then he remembered—Shawn's sister had passed away, and his mother was still lying unconscious in the hospital. Lucian himself had been sick with worry over his own mother not long ago. Compared to that, Shawn's situation was even worse.

His anger flickered, then dimmed. With a reluctant huff, he kicked off his shoes and climbed into bed as well.

But once there, Lucian fidgeted restlessly. He didn’t want to look at Shawn behind him, yet he couldn’t help but worry about his friend. After wrestling with himself for a while, he finally spoke up in a small voice, "Don’t… don’t be too sad. Mom said Aunt Allison will wake up soon."

Lucian knew his mother and Aunt Allison were close friends—just like his father and Uncle Stefan.

Because of this connection, he and Shawn had been close since childhood.

Even though they'd been giving each other the cold shoulder for so long, deep down, he was still worried about Shawn—though perhaps Shawn couldn’t care less about his concern.

What he didn’t expect, however, was that a minute after he muttered that awkward little attempt at comfort, Shawn finally spoke.

After all, he was the young master of the Stone family.

And besides…

Currying favor with him could only benefit her.

At that thought, Sheryl’s expression softened even more. Ever since that other maid had outmaneuvered her with words, resentment had festered in Sheryl’s heart—bitterness toward the rigid hierarchy and burning envy toward Ariana. The desire to climb higher grew stronger by the day.

She would make sure those who looked down on her realized just how blind they’d been.

Lucian, already in a foul mood, grew even more irritated by the constant chatter buzzing around him.

Frowning, he snapped, "Go do your own work. I don’t need you hovering over me."

Sheryl gave a faint, practiced smile and sighed helplessly. "Young Master, the Madam instructed me to take good care of you. If I fail, she’ll be displeased."

Lucian scowled. "My mother wouldn’t get upset over something so trivial."

As he spoke, he stole a glance at Shawn, worried that the servant's words might make him think his mother was some kind of domineering tyrant. After all, he probably still harbored some lingering misunderstandings about his mom—misunderstandings he found utterly unreasonable.

At the same time, his heart ached for his mother.

He knew better than anyone how much his mother truly adored Shawn. If not, why would she have taken him in as her godson?

Yet here he was, doubting her, believing the worst without hesitation.

Listening to rumors instead of trusting the woman who had loved him like her own.

If not for the fact that Shawn's mother and sister were in trouble, Lucian would have lost his temper long ago.