The Love I Begged For Was Never Real novel Chapter 194

Shortly after, at Lawrence Atelier, Nora used the most vicious, acidic words to publicly mock Giselle right in front of everyone. She called her an adopted daughter with no Hayes blood, a pathetic worm who didn't even know who her real parents were.

That day, Nora had weaponized the history of being an orphanage adoptee to ruthlessly hurt Giselle, driving her into a sobbing breakdown.

Yet today, instead of returning to the villa to reflect on her actions behind closed doors as he expected, she deliberately ran to this orphanage that carried all his and Giselle's memories.

Gideon stared at the marble steps near Nora's feet, then at the still-damp tear tracks on her face. The guilt and hesitation in his heart were instantly replaced by suspicion.

Did Nora come here today to dig up more dirt on Giselle's past?

Was she trying to unearth more secrets from the place Giselle used to live, just so she could use them to humiliate and hurt her?

She actually still hadn't given up.

To fight against him in this house, to drag Giselle down from her cherished pedestal, she had gone so far as to investigate the orphanage Giselle lived in as a child.

"You're actually willing to wade through a place like this yourself just to target Giselle?" Gideon asked coldly.

Nora said nothing.

She looked at the undisguised suspicion and disgust in Gideon's eyes.

He thought she was here to find dirt on Giselle.

How laughable.

In this man's world, as long as it involved Giselle, everything Nora did or anywhere she went was automatically categorized as a meticulously plotted, vicious scheme.

He had completely forgotten that many years ago, in this very courtyard, he had held the hand of another little girl just as tightly.

Just thinking of Julian's face—forever plastered with that hypocritical, gentle smile—made Gideon feel sick.

The grudge between him and Julian ran deep.

Back when the Pierce family was still expanding domestically, Julian frequently used the connections between their elders to visit the Hayes Manor. That deeply calculating man constantly used a gentle, considerate facade to get close to Giselle.

Who in the entire high-society circle of the city didn't know what kind of inappropriate thoughts Julian harbored for Giselle?

Giselle was young back then, completely spellbound by Julian's coaxing tactics.

In the courtyard of the manor, Giselle trailed behind Julian all day, calling him 'Julian' with every breath. Her smile was even brighter than when she looked at Gideon, her real brother.

Gideon would stand by the window of the second-floor study at the manor, watching the two of them interact under that massive sycamore tree in the courtyard, his heart fiercely stung.