Anneliese met Elizabeth''s gaze without flinching. Her voice stayed even, edged with quiet disdain.


    "If you''re going to smear someone," she said, "at leaste up with a story that holds water."


    Penelope snapped fully out of her shock. She shot to her feet, pointing at Elizabeth, her hand trembling with fury.


    "Is there not a single day you can go without making trouble?" she demanded. "What kind of mother behaves like this?"


    It felt as if Elizabeth were deliberately trying to curse her own son''s marriage, as though she couldn''t stand the idea of Jonathan having a peaceful life.


    Derek''s expression turned grim. "You''ve crossed the line."


    The Malone family was no outsider. Their ties to military and aviation authorities ran deep, just as the Fullbusters'' wealth was built on air transport. The two families had been intertwined for generations.


    Steven and Jonathan were as close as brothers. As for Steven''s daughter, Derek didn''t know every detail, but he was certain of one thing.


    It had nothing to do with Anneliese.


    When Anneliese married into the family, Derek had personally reviewed her background from start to finish. There were no gaps. No stains. Nothing remotely resembling what Elizabeth was iming.


    This was madness.


    Words like that would poison rtionships that had taken decades to build.


    Elizabeth lifted her chin, refusing to back down. "I didn''t invent anything. It''s all over our social circle. People came straight to me asking. She did something disgraceful and still parades the child around like a signboard. Even if I wanted to cover for her, I couldn''t."


    Anneliese''s brows knit when she heard the words ''all over our social circle.''


    She stepped forward, cing both hands gently over Ellie''s ears.


    Anger burned low and sharp in her chest. She stared at Elizabeth-so convinced,


    so eager to condemn as she prepared to speak.


    Before she could, a cold, familiar voice cut in from the entryway.


    "What exactly has my wife done that you think needs covering up?"


    Anneliese turned.


    Jonathan stood there.


    His eyes locked onto her immediately-steady, alert,ced with concern.


    She offered him a small, reassuring smile.


    It didn''t slow him down. He crossed the room in long strides and stopped at her side.


    Anneliese kept her hands over Ellie''s ears. She didn''t want even fragments of this poison reaching the child.


    Jonathan slipped an arm around Anneliese''s shoulders, then leaned down and lifted Ellie from the couch with his other hand.


    "Jonathan Elizabeth snapped, her temper ring the moment she saw them together you have no idea what she''s been hiding from you. You really should ask that wife you protect so fiercely." ''


    Jonathan didn''t respond immediately.


    Seeing Jonathan walk in and gather Anneliese into his arms, facing off with her his own mother-Elizabeth''s temper blew.


    Meanwhile, Jonathan stared at Elizabeth, his gaze cold enough to freeze the air.


    His hand brushed Anneliese''s shoulder, gentle and grounding. "Take Ellie somewhere quiet first."


    Covering ears wouldn''t be enough. The atmosphere itself had turned hostile. "Alright," Anneliese said softly.


    She took Ellie back from Jonathan and turned toward the elevator.


    Elizabeth moved to intercept her.


    Jonathan shifted instantly, his body angling forward, cutting Elizabeth off without a word. His stare dropped another degree, sharp and final.


    Elizabeth stopped.


    A thin, mockingugh escaped her. "Fine. Keep blocking me. Then look at this."


    She unlocked her phone, opened WhatsApp, tapped a pinned conversation, and thrust the screen toward Jonathan.


    Let''s see if Jonathan can still act so calmly and keep protecting his wife after he sees this!


    "Take a good look."


    Back at the restaurant, Edison had already filled her in. Screenshots from multiple group chats. Rumors multiplied by the minute.


    Someone posted pictures of Anneliese with Ellie and started guessing the Malone family had "good news" then pushed it further and imed Anneliese was Ellie''s biological mother.


    After that, the rumor escted. People said they''d heard the Malones had already done a DNA testand confirmed it. Others swore Steven had admitted it himself.


    Edison took it at face value and sent Elizabeth a stack of those screenshots.


    Elizabeth then aimed it straight at Anneliese, which set Jonathan off. And once Jonathan''s temper lit, it spilled over onto the Hoff family, too.