Rebirth Revenge Is Everything (Ariana) novel Chapter 609

Madelyn's brows furrowed slightly, her agitation clearly affecting her pregnancy.

Irene quickly steadied her with a supportive hand. "Alright, alright, I get it. Don't upset yourself—you're carrying a child, remember." Truth be told, if Lambert hadn't started investigating Arnold, Irene wouldn't have considered leaving the country at all.

But she was afraid the trail might lead to her.

After all, she did have connections with Arnold.

The thought of what Arnold had recently told her—that Jerold had gone missing—sent a wave of panic and dread through her.

Yet, at the same time, a sliver of hope lingered. She hadn’t been deeply involved in the matter. Aside from indirectly aiding that unstable woman, Lexi, she had barely intervened. Tracing things back to her wouldn’t be easy.

And secondly...

She couldn’t shake the feeling that even if Lambert uncovered the truth, he wouldn’t be too harsh on her.

Still, Irene didn’t want to tarnish her image in his eyes, so leaving the country had been her only option. As for her return, she had crafted the perfect excuse—Madelyn was nearing her due date, and she was here to support her closest friend.

Surely, even Ariana wouldn’t begrudge her that?

If she did, then she would be the one left looking unreasonable.

After all... she had done nothing wrong, hadn’t she?

A calculating glint flickered in Irene’s eyes, though her expression remained displeased. She frowned at Madelyn, as if silently scolding her for getting so worked up—what if something happened to the baby?

Madelyn recognized her friend’s concern and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

She shook her head and said, "Irene, that Ariana is a scheming woman. She won't let you off easily. But don't be afraid—I'm also a granddaughter-in-law of the Stone family. And you're from the Harper family—what can Ariana possibly do to you, no matter how powerful she is? Still, you should stay on your guard."

Madelyn truly despised that woman, Ariana.

She was downright wicked.

Irene forced a faint smile at her friend's words. "I know. Enough about me—you should focus on taking care of yourself and the baby. That's what matters most right now. You're due soon, and nothing can go wrong during this time. After all, your child is also... a threat to Ariana."

Madelyn froze.

It had never crossed her mind before.

She stared blankly at Irene for a long moment before snapping back to reality, her expression darkening. With a cold laugh, she said, "What? What else does she want to do?" It made sense—if she gave birth to a son, he would naturally pose a significant threat to Ariana's own son.

Right now, Gwen from the Stone family's second branch had the backing of the Castro family, but she was an illegitimate child, and her offspring would never be a real threat to Ariana.

As for the eldest branch—

Alvin's mother had a questionable past, and the Lawrence family had fallen from grace. They were no competition either.

That left only her...

If she had a son, wouldn't that affect Ariana? But only slightly—after all, Lambert was already the designated heir, and his three sons were all future successors.

So, her child would barely make a dent in the third branch's power...

But someone as ruthless as Ariana probably wouldn't think rationally. Even the slightest threat would be enough for her to eliminate it. And on top of that, she was Irene's close friend.

Nathan was well aware of his sister's friendship with Madelyn, so the explanation didn’t surprise him.

However, he shot Irene a dissatisfied glance and chided with a hint of reproach, "You should've told me in advance so I could pick you up. Rushing back all by yourself without anyone to meet you—what if something had happened? Mom and Dad would've been worried sick, not to mention me."

Irene stuck her tongue out playfully at Nathan.

Deep down, she knew the main reason Nathan treated her so well was that she was their parents' biological daughter, while he was the adopted one. Naturally, he had to curry favor with her.

This was also why Irene felt a quiet sense of superiority around him.

But she was smart enough not to show it, lest Nathan pick up on her smugness and feel uneasy. After all, he was the heir their parents had chosen for the Harper family. Right now, he was buttering her up because of her status as their daughter, but once he inherited the family, she would be the one needing his support.

So Irene never deliberately emphasized their differences in front of him. Instead, she acted as close to him as a real sister would.

Nathan ruffled her hair affectionately. "You hungry? Want me to have the cook whip something up for you?"

Irene shook her head. "No, I just ate with Madelyn." Then, as if remembering something, her expression froze. A shadow flickered in her eyes, and her face clouded with melancholy. Nathan could tell immediately that something was wrong.

Frowning, he pressed, "What's the matter?"

Irene glanced at him, then forced a smile. "It's nothing... just remembered something unpleasant. Really, it's fine."

But her expression said otherwise.

That only made Nathan more concerned.

His brow furrowed deeper. "Talk to me. Did someone give you trouble?"