Chapter 787

Anger and humiliation rushed through Adrian all at once.

When Pepper looked at him with pleading eyes and reached for his arm, he threw her hand off without mercy. "Enough! Look at what you've done!"

Gianna chasing after Zane and embarrassing herself was already bad enough. Now Pepper, her own mother, had actually gone behind everyone's back and pulled such an arrogant, brainless move.

She had dragged the Malone family's name right into the mud.

"Dad, please..." Gianna's eyes were red as she looked at Adrian in panic. "I'm innocent. I didn't know Aunt Pepper went behind my back and did something like that. You have to help me. Mrs. Shayman and Zane can't find out!"

Pepper's face stiffened.

For one brief second, hurt and disbelief flashed through her eyes as she looked at Gianna.

Then she swallowed it down and quickly nodded. "Adrian, Gianna really knew nothing about this. I made the decision myself. I just... I've owed her too much over the years. I wanted to make it up to her, so I went to see Ms. Sweeting."

At a time like this, Gianna was pushing her own mother out to take the blame. It hurt.

Of course, it hurt.

Still, Pepper knew what mattered more.

Now that the truth had come out, it was better to save one person than let both of them fall.

If everyone believed she had acted alone, the matter could still be portrayed as a mother going too far for her daughter. If they found out she and Gianna had planned it together, neither of them would escape.

Adrian wanted to turn around and leave.

Unfortunately, he could not allow the Shayman family to come after him, demanding to know how he had raised Gianna.

His expression turned stiff. He looked at Jonathan and lowered his voice. "Jonathan... I'll deal with them properly after this. Can we not blow this up any further?"

As he spoke, he strode forward and caught Jonathan's wrist, halting the hand holding the phone.

Jonathan glanced down at Adrian's hand, then raised his eyes.

"Mr. Malone, you're really going all out to protect your daughter and Ms. Chalmont.

"But how am I blowing this up? Mrs. Shayman is already part of this. You're my elder, and so is she. Since I know someone used her name to threaten another person, am I supposed to hide it from her?"

He paused, then gave the phone in his hand a small shake.

"Besides, you're too late. I already sent it. Do you want me to check whether I can still take it back? You'll have to let go of my hand first."

Adrian fell silent. God d*mn it! If he already sent it, why did he keep talking for so long? He's stalling on purpose to make sure the file goes through.

Sure enough, once Adrian released him, Jonathan opened his chat with

Mary. After a glance, he looked up with a regretful expression that could not have looked more fake. "Sorry. The time limit is upficant unsend it anymore."

Adrian's face sank.

Gianna and Pepper felt their legs go weak at the same time.

They were finished.

Right on cue, Jonathan's phone rang.

The caller ID showed Mary.

Jonathan deliberately tilted the screen, letting the name flash clearly in front of

Gianna and Pepper before he answered at an easy pace.

Mary asked, "Jonathan, what exactly is this recording you sent me? Is that Pepper's voice?"

Gianna had spent years trying to please Zane's mother.

In her heart, Zane had long been the man she was supposed to marry Because of that she had rever missed a chance to appear in front of Mary and remind her of her existence.

Pepper was Gianna's biological mother. Even before the truth about their relationship came out, Pepper had met Mary a few times as Gianna's "aunt." They had gone shopping together and eater

together more than once.

So the moment Mary heard the recording, she recognized Pepper's voice almost immediately.

Even so, Mary had never been someone who meddled too deeply in her sons' love lives.

She was fairly open-minded.

When her sons married, whom they married, and even whether they wanted

children afterward, she was willing to respect their choices.

As long as they did not become spoiled rich heirs who fooled around without limits, she did not interfere much.

That was exactly why all of Gianna's efforts to curry favor with Mary had never brought her any real progress.

Otherwise, she would not have chased Zane for so many years without even getting a proper title.

As for the talk about a marriage alliance between the Shaymans and the Malones, that had mostly started because Old Mrs. Shayman wanted a great-grandchild.

Zane was already in his thirties, yet he still did not have a serious girlfriend from a suitable family. Gianna, meanwhile, had acted devoted for years.

The two families were well matched, and Gianna was good at playing the sweet, obedient role in front of the elders.

That was why Old Mrs. Shayman had started trying to match them. She had even taken Gianna to two banquets and made her intentions somewhat clear.