Rebirth Revenge Is Everything (Ariana) novel Chapter 685

Ariana had been hospitalized for quite some time this round.

So long that even Lucian, usually the picture of composure, couldn't help but feel uneasy and scared. Thankfully, their great-grandmother reassured him that his mother would be fine, which kept him from throwing a tantrum to see her.

Being the eldest, Lucian had always been mature beyond his years. That self-control came naturally to him.

But Kevin and Carson, barely two years old, were nothing like their older brother. Though they'd spent most of their time at the main estate with their great-grandmother—far more than with their parents—Ariana had always made sure to bring them back to the family villa at night. Even on her busiest days, she never left them for more than two or three nights in a row.

So while they weren’t as close to their parents as they were to their great-grandmother or the household staff, they weren’t strangers either.

They just craved a little more affection.

Now, with Ariana absent for days on end and Lambert nowhere in sight, the two toddlers were on the verge of panic. No matter how much they adored their grandparents or great-grandparents, nothing could replace their parents in their hearts.

They were still just children, after all. The prolonged absence of their mother and father left Kevin and Carson restless and unsettled.

Terrified that their parents had abandoned them, they clung to each other in distress.

Carson, less emotionally resilient than his twin brother, paled as he tugged at Kevin’s sleeve, his lips trembling on the verge of tears. Though equally frightened, Kevin forced a brave face and declared, "Then let’s go find Great-Grandma. She’ll take us to Mom."

Carson’s eyes flickered with hope—before dimming just as quickly. He huffed and crossed his arms stubbornly.

"Maybe Mom just doesn’t want us anymore!" he sniffled, his voice thick with hurt. "She finally got rid of us, and if we go back, she’ll just throw us away again!" The more he thought about it, the more his heart ached. Tears welled up as he choked out, "W-Would’ve been better if Auntie was our mom instead… Waaah…!"

Kevin’s own anxiety spiked at his brother’s wailing.

"Mom would never abandon us!" he snapped, frustration boiling over. "And even if she did, it’d be because of you! Who asked you to be so stupid?!"

Carson froze for a moment before completely losing control, bursting into heart-wrenching sobs.

Hearing the commotion, the servants rushed over immediately, hoping to console the young master.

To their surprise, Carson pushed them away with flushed cheeks and shouted through his tears, "I don't need any of you! I'm going to Great-Grandmother!" With that, he dashed off toward the old lady's room, his little feet pattering against the floor. The servants gasped in alarm and hurried after him, terrified he might trip and tumble down the stairs in his haste.

Meanwhile, Kevin stood rooted in place, gnawing anxiously on his finger.

He swallowed back the tears welling in his eyes and muttered under his breath, "Mom wouldn’t abandon us... Carson’s an idiot. I’m smarter than him. Even if she did leave, she’d only leave *him*." Kevin had inherited his father Lambert’s restraint and his mother Ariana’s sharp intellect. Despite his young age, he vaguely understood that though he, his twin brother, and their eldest brother were siblings, their existence was inherently competitive.

For instance...

Father rarely held them or smiled at them, yet sometimes, he would embrace their eldest brother or laugh with him. Though Mother treated him and Carson the same, Kevin didn’t want that—he longed to be like his eldest brother, to have *one* parent’s undivided affection. But it was difficult, so he pushed himself relentlessly, striving to be the only one Mom loved.

Otherwise, if Father only loved the eldest brother, and Great-Grandfather and Great-Grandmother also favored him...

What was left for him?

He’d be the unwanted child.

Still, with Carson as a contrast, Kevin didn’t feel quite as desolate.