When His Perfect Mask Shattered I Awoke (Anneliese) novel Chapter 723

Wendy reached out and gave Anneliese's arm a gentle tap as well. After Anneliese withdrew, Wendy examined her expression with quiet attention.

"Are you certain you're not pushing yourself?"

A faint smile touched Anneliese's mouth, her gaze open and steady. "Madam Chalmont, I grew up without a mother. On a day as meaningful as a wedding, I want to receive family blessings too. All the love and expectations you once had for your daughter were stitched into that dress. When I put it on, I can feel how deeply treasured it was. I should be the one thanking your daughter. Truly, I'm not bothered at all."

The moment Anneliese mentioned her daughter, a dull ache tightened in Wendy's chest.

For years, the loss of that child had become an unspoken rule. Even Adrian and Steven avoided the topic, fearful of reopening Wendy's wounds.

In their hearts, they even wished that child had never existed, hoping Wendy could erase the pain entirely.

Yet her daughter had done nothing wrong—still, she was treated like an ill omen, a name no one dared say aloud.

And now Anneliese spoke of her so calmly, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world.

Emotion welled up in Wendy. She clasped Anneliese's hand, recalling how earlier—overwhelmed and restless—she had impulsively said she wanted Anneliese as her goddaughter. At the time, it was a spur-of-the-moment thought. Now, it felt unexpectedly right.

She was just about to ask Anneliese how she felt when Ellie, who had been sprawled on the floor piecing together a puzzle, noticed them embracing and caught sight of Wendy's reddened eyes. Ellie scrambled up, squeezed between them, and wrapped her arms around Wendy.

Wendy chuckled and gently pinched her granddaughter's plump cheek.

"I'm just feeling happy."

Ellie blinked, unable to figure out why happiness made Wendy's eyes turn red, or what exactly she was so happy about.

Wendy looked from Ellie to Anneliese. "I love you, Ellie, and I love Anneliese too. With both of you here with me, I feel content."

...

While warmth filled that side of the room, chaos was unfolding elsewhere. Pepper found Gianna by the curb, locked in a heated argument with a delivery rider.

Gianna had suddenly rushed out into the road. The rider swerved to avoid her, lost control, and crashed—his bike sliding across the pavement as the cake he was delivering shattered into a mess.

Gianna didn't even offer an apology. She cast him a contemptuous glance and tried to leave. Naturally, the rider grabbed her and demanded she pay for the damage.

Gianna glanced around and finally noticed the crowd—and the phones pointed straight at her.

Only then did her anger ebb. She lowered her head and let Pepper pull her away.

Pepper took her directly back to the Malone Residence. In her bedroom, Gianna stripped off her jacket and threw it into the trash before collapsing onto the bed, her face dark with fury.

Pepper poured her a glass of water. Gianna took it, swallowed a couple of mouthfuls, then looked up, eyes blazing again.

"Five years ago, I cried and begged her for that design draft, and she refused. Now she hands it over to Anneliese instead! Even if I'm not her biological daughter, I'm no different in practice, am I? To put it bluntly, if she dropped dead today, I'd be the one wearing mourning—not Anneliese!"

Pepper sat down beside her and rubbed her shoulder in comfort.

"Alright. It's just a wedding dress sketch. If she wants to give it away, let her. When it's your turn to marry, you'll have something even better."

Gianna scowled. "Mom, do you really think I care about a scrap of paper? What I care about is Aunt Wendy's attitude. Didn't you hear her? She wants to make Anneliese her goddaughter."