When the Dead Still Call novel Chapter 82

The Heiress They Couldn’t Break

Chapter 82 Cruel Uncle

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Finished

Wade’s words cut the silence like a blade. His voice was low and biting. “Yeah, can’t believe he wants a woman like that. He must be so desperate he’ll take whatever he can get.”

Families like theirs were supposed to join with equals. Power bound to power. Blood tied to blood.

Yet Wade thought this arrangement might serve them better. If things fell apart, it would be easier to crush.

He and his wife laughed together, their smiles cruel and sharp. Then they leaned close, plotting how to deal with Amelia.

Jeremy would be hard to strike at directly.

But Amelia? She would be simple to control.

They spared her only a few seconds of pity. Three silent beats of false mourning. None of them realized that crossing Amelia would be the worst mistake of their lives.

A week crept by.

Gianna finally walked out of the chapel.

Her body trembled with weakness, but her eyes glowed with relief. She breathed in the crisp air deeply, like someone who had been held underwater too long.

The taste of freedom lit her veins.

The days had dragged like a century.

Each one felt like punishment.

She cursed under her breath. Every drop of her suffering was Amelia’s fault.

If not for that vile woman, she would never have endured this torment.

And her grandmother–her heart had changed.

Since Amelia’s return, the ally Gianna once trusted had vanished.

The old hag had turned on her. She had punished Gianna, siding with Amelia without hesitation.

Gianna pressed her lips tight, anger curling hot inside her chest.

18:46 Thu, Oct 9

Chapter 82 Cruel Uncle

43

Finished

Emery rushed forward the moment she saw her. The sight of her fragile daughter shattered her heart. “Gianna, you poor thing. You’ve suffered so much. I made bone broth for you. You’ve lost so much weight in just a week.”

Gianna smiled, sweet and gentle. “Mom, I’m fine. You don’t have to worry.” She gathered her skirt and stepped into the dining room.

Emery followed, carrying the soup, her face clouded with anger. “I don’t know what trick Amelia pulled, but Ursula has been blind to everything. She favors her completely.”

Gianna sipped the soup in small, graceful gulps. A flicker of cold light passed through her eyes.

“Mom, let’s just leave it behind us. I’ll avoid Amelia from now on. I know she doesn’t like me.” Her voice carried a soft ache.

Emery’s chest tightened. She wrapped her arms around Gianna. “My poor girl, you’re too kind. She’s the one attacking you at every turn, and still you defend her.”

Gianna rested on her mother’s shoulder. Her lips curled into the faintest of hidden smiles.

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18:46 Thu, Oct 9

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She scanned the trees and shadows with sharp eyes. Only when she was sure no one had followed did she raise her hand and rap on the heavy door.

The hinges groaned as it cracked open. A pair of shadowed eyes peered through the slit.

“Gianna, it’s you. You’ve come at last.” The door swung open, the voice trembling with emotion.

Gianna slipped inside and pulled off her glasses.

Her face, painted with perfect care, gleamed under the dim light.

The air was covered in a faint layer of delicate scent. The scent of flowers.

“Mom, I’m here,” she whispered, her tone dripping with deliberate sweetness.

The woman before her was in her forties, her beauty still lingered on her skin.

She wore a deep red evening dress, and an emerald bracelet glittered on her wrist. It was the one Raymond had given her long ago, a promise carved in stone.

Her name was Regina Jenkins. She was Gianna’s true mother. She was Raymond’s first love.

When Amelia vanished, Regina appeared. She told Raymond the truth. Their daughter was Gianna.

Ursula rejected the notion of Regina dating her son, so Regina had married another man when she found herself with child. That man died in an accident, leaving her alone with Gianna. With nowhere else to turn, she went back to Raymond.

He had been overjoyed. He wove a neat excuse and brought Gianna into the Nygards.

He settled Regina here in this villa, visiting often, bringing her jewels and gifts.

Gianna came when she could, always careful to stay hidden.

“Gianna, you’ve lost so much weight.” Regina clasped her hand, her voice heavy with worry. “Did someone in the Nygards hurt you? I’ve waited every single day for you. Two months felt

endless.”