Chapter 780
Derek couldn’t resist stealing a glance at Penelope beside him, his eyes almost pleading for approval.
Penelope immediately turned her head away.
If he hadn’t handled things so unfairly back then, would I still be stuck in this mess, unable to even look Anne in the eye?
Yes, back then he acted for the sake of the Fullbuster family—but at the very least, he should have spoken to Anne’s grandmother in private, explained the situation, listened to her side, and tried to gain her understanding instead of simply hiding everything.
Anne is soft-hearted. That’s the only reason she’s still showing him some respect right now. And he’s actually taking pride in that.
Anneliese finally directed her first question at Gianna, her gaze steady and unreadable. “Gianna, are you aware that I can help Ellie recover p>
Gianna had already steeled herself. She knew whatever came next from Anneliese would not be gentle.
Even so, she hadn’t expected the opening question to be so sharp it felt like it cut straight through her defenses.
If she admitted she knew, then the rumors she spread about Steven and Anneliese would immediately look like a deliberate attempt to interfere with Ellie’s treatment.
Gianna opened her mouth, intending to deny everything. But then she suddenly recalled how attached Ellie had been to Anneliese earlier, something she had witnessed personally.
There was no way she could convincingly claim ignorance.
Almost instinctively, she glanced toward Adrian, only to meet his icy, penetrating stare as he assessed her in silence.
Anneliese is d*mn cunning. She’s clearly trying to turn Dad and Steven against me!
Gianna’s eyes welled up with frustration and grievance. “I did notice that Ellie became more cheerful around you, but you’re not a certified child psychologist. I don’t think you’re truly capable of helping her. In fact, I’m concerned your unconventional methods might end up making her condition worse p>
Before Gianna could continue twisting the narrative, Anneliese interrupted her again without hesitation.
“Then, tell me, when you did all this, weren’t you even slightly worried it would destroy Steven’s future and tarnish the Malone family’s reputation p>
Gianna’s complexion drained of color once more, her entire body trembling.
Normally, Anneliese should have confronted her about personal grievances-why
she had spread those rumors, why she targeted her specifically.
If that had been the line of questioning, Gianna could have easily spun it as an emotional overreaction claiming, she lost Anneliese and acted out of jealousy in the heat of the moment, even pretending remorse..net
However, Anneliese never mentioned herself at all. Every question she asked
revolved around Ellie and Steven.
This wasn’t indifference. It was calculated. She wanted Adrian and Steven to turn on Gianna completely, to stop her of every bit of favor she still held within the Malone family
Anneliese was ruthless.
Her questions were not beyond what Steven and Adrian could understand. The difference was that understanding privately was one thing—having it exposed publicly was another.
And that was exactly her intention. She wanted everything dragged into the open so Adrian could no longer pretend not to see.
She had not forgotten how Gianna and her mother, Pepper, had once pursued Jessica relentlessly all the way to Harborview.
Since Adrian had always acted as Gianna’s shield, Anneliese decided to tear that protection apart right in front of him and force him to see the truth about the woman he defended.
If Gianna harmed Anneliese alone, Adrian might dismiss it as insignificant, but Ellie and Steven were his own blood.
Anneliese refused to believe he could still excuse Gianna’s actions once they involved his own family.
Seeing Gianna’s hands clenched tightly, her body rigid with tension, her eyes flickering with panic and guilt, Anneliese finally stood, no longer hiding her satisfaction.
She walked over, took Wendy’s hand, and deliberately intensified the pressure. “Madam Chalmont, why didn’t you fight for custody of Steven back then p>
Wendy immediately tightened her grip on Anneliese’s hand, her eyes turning red with emotion.
Earlier, after hearing how Adrian defended Gianna in his office, she had already begun questioning the same thing. Adrian had failed not only as a husband but also as a father.
The moment he brought Gianna into the family and raised her as his daughter, it should have been obvious that Steven’s life in the Malone family had likely been far from easy.
Gianna was shameless enough to openly defame her own brother, and yet Adrian still protected her.
No one knew just how much Steven had suffered under that roof all these years.