Rebirth Revenge Is Everything (Ariana) novel Chapter 489

489 /658

Strictly speaking, whether or not to address someone as "Mrs." wasn't really the issue. Making a fuss over such trivialities would only make one appear petty.

Madelyn knew this all too well, which was why she feigned an unhurried apology. To those unaware of the context, it might seem as though Fanny was the one being unreasonable—unwilling to let go of a minor slight even when the other party had already apologized.

Fanny clearly realized this, too.

Her temper flared instantly!

Though born into a wealthy and powerful family, hers was a rare exception—harmonious, without the usual power struggles between parents and siblings. So while she was sharp enough to recognize the traps and schemes common in high society, most of her knowledge came from hearsay rather than firsthand experience. She was no match for a seasoned schemer like Madelyn.

Ariana smiled faintly.

Cutting off Fanny before she could speak, she addressed Madelyn with deliberate softness: "Titles really don’t matter. After all, Miss Olson didn’t attend my wedding with Lambert, so it’s understandable if you’ve forgotten." The words were a thinly veiled jab, pointing out how Madelyn, despite clearly knowing her husband, insisted on calling her "Miss White" every time they met.

Everyone present was sharp enough to catch the implication.

An awkward silence fell. Some shifted uncomfortably, unsure whether to intervene. The socialites standing behind Madelyn were well aware of Ariana’s reputation—and the envy-inducing love story between her and Lambert.

They might not fear her outright, but crossing her was something to think twice about.

The smile on Madelyn’s face slowly faded.

She studied Ariana, her lips curving into a faint, resigned smirk. "Mrs. Stone seems to harbor quite some hostility toward me," she said. "I merely came over to greet you and Miss Fernandes when I saw you." Strictly speaking, Madelyn’s status didn’t measure up to Fanny's or Ariana’s—at best, it was comparable to Ariana’s before her marriage.

Now that Ariana had married Lambert, her status was naturally elevated.

Not just nationally, but at least within the city, she was among the top-tier figures.

Yet Madelyn wasn’t the least bit intimidated. After all, Irene’s identity and standing were equally lofty, nearly on par with the Stone family. So Madelyn didn’t worry in the slightest that Ariana might lose her temper and come after her—Irene would always have her back. As for Fanny’s fiancé, Damon of the Castro family? She didn’t even spare them a second glance.

The Castro family was just a minor aristocratic house.

Compared to the Stone family, they weren’t even worth mentioning. That’s why she couldn’t care less about Fanny.

What she didn’t know, however, was that things had changed drastically in just a few short years. The Castro family was no longer the insignificant little clan that had once gone unnoticed among all the corporations in the city.

Otherwise, Fanny’s father would never have agreed to marry her off to Damon.

It was precisely because Damon had single-handedly elevated the Castro family’s status that Fanny’s father had decisively chosen him as a son-in-law.

The atmosphere at that moment was slightly tense. The socialites trailing behind Madelyn wanted to mediate, but they hesitated, afraid of saying the wrong thing and provoking Madelyn’s displeasure. They wavered, unsure of how to proceed. Among them, one woman kept her head bowed, not daring to look up at Ariana or Fanny, neither of whom noticed her.