In the end, Ariana managed to coax Allison, yet Allison insisted that Ariana must stop pulling all-nighters. This left Ariana both amused and exasperated, feeling as if she'd gained another mom instead of a friend.
Since the weather was good today and it was rare for both of them to have time, Lambert and Ariana decided to go out together.
Being aware of this, Allison left them undisturbed.
After giving Ariana a heartfelt reminder, she looked at the time and took her leave, "I need to go now, I'll come see you next time."
Ariana waved goodbye to her with a smile, playfully saying, "You should focus on your relationship with Stefan. I am awaiting your wedding banquet."
Allison shot her a glance, replying, "Then you will have to wait," before huffing and turning her back on her. Of course, her performance might have been more convincing if her ears hadn't turned red from embarrassment. Ariana could only laugh helplessly, with warmth sparkling in her eyes now and then as she briefly glanced at the clock.
They arranged to meet at a restaurant today since Lambert had to go to negotiate a contract.
Despite his close friendship with Stefan, ‘even brothers will settle accounts clearly’, thus official procedures were necessary.
Seeing that Allison had left, Lambert should be back soon.
Unfortunately, before Lambert could arrive, she spotted a person she definitely did not expect to see.
The latter was just as surprised to see Ariana.
Arnold had been chatting and joking with Beverly when suddenly, his eyes landed on Ariana, and he froze. Even Beverly, who was always aloof and indifferent, turned sour. She stared hard at Ariana, her eyes seeming to contain countless icy, sharp waves of hostility.
Arnold defrosted first, greeting with a smile, "sister-in-law".
Being as polite as Ariana was, especially with the other party already initiating the greeting, she replied, also with a smile, "Elder brother, what a coincidence that we met here. How are uncle and aunt doing recently?"
Arnold gave a dry laugh and said, "Not bad." Soon after, he looked around Ariana and asked in surprise, "How so? Are you dining here all by yourself? Isn't Lambert accompanying you?" Before Ariana could say anything, Beverly immediately retorted coldly, "You must have argued with Lambert, haven’t you?"
Contrary to what everyone else thought, Beverly always believed that Lambert still had feelings for her!
Otherwise, why would he withdraw the lawsuit?
At this moment, Ariana's solitary situation immediately made her believe they must have quarreled because of her. The wicked Ariana never wanted to let her go, yet Lambert had withdrawn the lawsuit. It seemed like their relationship had hit a crisis...
With this thought, a slight spark again appeared in Beverly’s eyes.
She stared intently at Ariana, appearing as if analyzing and planning something.
Ariana wasn’t unfamiliar with such a gaze. Every time Jane plotted against her in the past, she had the same expression. Though she tried to conceal it quite well, Ariana could always tell. Since Beverly was making no effort to hide it, Ariana could recognize it even more clearly.
Ariana wasn't blind. If she couldn't detect such glaring malice, she might as well be dead.
She stuttered, “Lambert… I was having a conversation with Ariana… I heard your relationship has not been going well recently, so I wanted to advise her to be a bit more gentle.”
Ariana: “...” Her skill at changing expressions has not regressed.
After hearing her, Lambert smirked. His indifferent demeanor didn't reveal what he was thinking. He didn't pay attention to Beverly at first, but glanced at Arnold before slowly saying, "Brother, are you here for a meal?"
Arnold smiled, "Yes indeed," saying so, he glanced at Beverly as if hinting at something.
Lambert also followed his gaze to look at Beverly, then raised his eyebrows and smiled lightly, "So this is our sister-in-law. Since the brother and sister-in-law are here for a meal, I and Ariana won’t disturb you anymore. Our movie is about to start, we should leave first. Next time we meet, we will have a good chat."
When Beverly heard Lambert call her sister-in-law, her face turned pale. And when she heard that he was going to watch a movie with Ariana, her face turned even paler.
And she was more furious.
However, before she could speak, Arnold cut in, "Have a great time! Make sure to visit home when you have time, uncle and aunt miss both of you."
Lambert chuckled: "Okay, thanks, brother, I understand."
After saying this, Lambert turned to look at Ariana. Ariana had already stood up; she affectionately hooked her arm around Lambert's, and then smiled at Arnold, “Then brother, we will leave first. Hope you and sister-in-law have a delightful meal.”
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