Rebirth Revenge Is Everything (Ariana) novel Chapter 716

Kendra shook her head. "No need." Given what she knew of the girl's temperament, such gestures would only be met with disdain.

A bitter smile tugged at her lips, accompanied by a faint, almost imperceptible undercurrent of resentment and regret.

Yes.

She regretted it.

Regretted abandoning her daughter so easily back then, leaving Yasmin to raise her. Now, their relationship as mother and daughter had deteriorated beyond repair. Kendra knew all too well—even without the Irene incident, Ariana would likely never forgive her. And now, with Irene in the picture...

No mother could tolerate someone harming her child.

Though she wasn’t the direct cause of Gracie’s misfortune, she bore some indirect responsibility.

If Ariana hated her for it, she couldn’t blame her.

Earl’s brow twitched slightly. He exhaled and continued, "Fine, let’s leave it at that for now. But about Irene—do you want me to explain things to the girl?"

Kendra shook her head again. "No." Then, as if remembering something, she added, "I heard you have a daughter out there who’s gotten into trouble. If you want to acknowledge her, I won’t object." She had stumbled upon this information by chance, but with everything involving Ariana, she’d nearly forgotten about it.

Earl’s expression froze.

His face darkened as he scowled. "Who told you that? I didn’t even know! And I’ve told you before—the Harper family doesn’t allow illegitimate children into the main household! Don’t bring this up again!"

Kendra fell silent. She shook her head helplessly, her eyes glinting with wry amusement. "Then why did you go around fathering so many of them in the first place?"

Truthfully, she pitied Earl’s illegitimate children. Having a father like him was nothing short of a curse. She knew her old friend’s nature all too well—self-indulgent, egocentric, and utterly lacking in responsibility. A man like him made for a decent brother or friend, but as a father? A complete disaster.

Earl had no retort.

It seemed he was genuinely upset.

Kendra couldn't help but chuckle at his reaction. Shaking her head with a faint smile, she relented, "Alright, it's your call." Aside from company matters, she never interfered in Earl's personal affairs under any pretext.

Earl, noticing Kendra's indifference, felt both relieved and inexplicably disheartened. He studied her for a moment before saying, "I know you're not in the best mood. If you want to stay elsewhere for a while, I won’t object—just don’t make it too long, okay?"

Kendra: "..."

Earl’s expression remained steady, his gaze unwavering as he watched her.

For a fleeting moment, Kendra sensed something off, but she nodded nonetheless. "I’ll try."

The moment she agreed, the gloom that had shadowed Earl’s face instantly lifted. A bright smile spread across his features. "Good, that’s good." He knew Kendra well—once she gave her word, she would keep it.

...

Meanwhile, inside the sprawling villa.

Lucian was watching his younger sister with tender amusement as she blew bubbles, utterly absorbed in her own little world.

*She’s so adorable*, he thought, his heart swelling with affection.

"Big brother!" Carson’s cheerful voice rang out just then. Turning, Lucian saw him and Kevin, bounding up the steps, their small backpacks bouncing with each eager stride.