Chapter 775

Adrian almost let it slip that Gianna reminded him of their daughter, but he managed to stop himself just in time.

He was fully aware that mentioning their daughter at this moment would be a mistake. It would only intensify Wendy's anger further.

After a brief pause, Adrian continued, "I just thought I should treat Gianna a bit better. Even if she's not your daughter, she's still your niece. She grew up without a mother figure, so it's no surprise she ended up on the wrong path. I didn't take that into account. That's my fault."

Wendy offered no response to his explanation. Instead, she turned her attention to Pepper standing beside her.

Pepper's complexion worsened. What had once been merely pale had now turned almost ghostly white.

So Gianna's so-called wayward behavior is because she lacks a mother growing up?

Every word from Adrian felt like a blade cutting deeper into her chest.

If he had even a trace of consideration for her, he wouldn't have spoken like that in front of Wendy, completely disregarding her dignity and emotions.

Pepper's body swayed slightly, as though she might collapse at any moment, and a suppressed sob escaped her throat.

"It's all my fault... I'm the one who left Gianna when she was still a child. That's why she didn't have a mother's guidance. Adrian, don't blame Wendy. She was never responsible for raising Gianna."

Adrian's brow tightened faintly. Since when have I ever accused Wendy of failing to raise Gianna properly?

But seeing Pepper's fragile, unsteady state, the words he wanted to say stuck in his throat. A faint sense of guilt still lingered in him.

Wendy glanced between the two of them, her expression calm and unreadable.

"Enough of this. I'll call Steven and find out what's going on," Adrian said, shifting his focus back to the situation.

Earlier, Gianna had claimed that Steven had ordered his bodyguards to forcefully take her away against her will.

Adrian dialed Steven's number, but there was no answer. It was obvious Steven knew exactly what was happening-he simply chose not to pick up.

His brows knitted together, and he was about to try again when Pepper suddenly spoke beside him, her tone tense.

"Steven wouldn't do anything reckless to Gianna in a fit of anger, would he? Gianna really went too far this time. If this pushes Steven into doing something extreme as well, it'll just turn into a bigger disaster."

Her voice sounded anxious, yet even now, she was still concerned about Steven. That only made her appear more unaware of what Gianna had actually done.

Wendy turned to Pepper. "You didn't know Gianna was the one spreading those rumors?"

Pepper froze for a moment. "Wendy, how could I possibly have known? If I had, I would never have let her do something so foolish."

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Wendy raised a brow slightly. "But Gianna called earlier and clearly knew you were here so what is

she panicked orice things started escalating, and you came here first to test the situation and clean things up for her?"

At those words, Adrian's gaze instantly sharpened. The more he thought about it,

the more coincidental Pepper's appearance seemed.

Then he replayed everything that had happened in the lounge earlier. Even the strange heat and unease he had felt in his body now seemed suspicious.

Noticing the suspicion forming in Adrian's eyes, Pepper's breathing grew uneven.

She looked directly at Wendy.

"Wendy, those rumors would have been exposed immediately upon

investigation. Why would I

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encourage Gianna to spread something like that? Ive already fared her enough. All I want is to make it up to her, for her to accept me as her mother, and for her to be well."

Wendy pressed her lips together and said nothing further.

No one understood a mother's heart better than she did.

If anyone ever harmed her son or daughter, she would not hesitate to fight them to the end.

A mother always wants the best for

her children. If her daughter were still alive, she would never have allowed her to suffer even the slightest hardship or

contamination-she would have borne it all herself if possible.

With that thought, Pepper didn't seem like someone who would recklessly push

Gianna into trouble while hiding safely behind the scenes.

Wendy looked away and picked up her phone to call Steven.

She needed to know exactly what was happening between Steven and Gianna right

now.

Unlike Adrian's unanswered attempts, Wendy's call was picked up almost instantly the moment it rang.

It happened so quickly that it was clear the phone had already been in Steven's

hand.

That realization made something obvious to Adrian. Steven hadn't been

unreachable earlier he had simply chosen not to answer his father's calls.

The implication landed like a silent slap across Adrian's face, especially with Wendy standing nearby. His expression darkened immediately.