"I always feel like Miss Adele seems quite pregnant," Mrs. Cheng also commented.

Those who have experienced such things have very sharp eyes indeed.

The young cousins exchanged glances. Even though they immediately objected, the seeds of suspicion had already been planted in the hearts of the ladies.

When Julia and Adele came out of the restroom, those ladies no longer dared to speculate recklessly. Instead, they asked with great concern if Adele Horne had a cold. They advised that if she did, she should see a doctor and take medication, even kindly offering to introduce her to a very good doctor.

Hypocrites! The young cousins cursed inwardly.

After exchanging a few hollow pleasantries with the ladies, Julia took Adele and left.

The young cousins immediately and secretly relayed what the other ladies had said to Julia. Upon hearing it, Julia's mood instantly grew heavy.

It seemed the rumors and gossip were going to start earlier than expected.

It's all my fault. If I hadn't brought Adele out shopping, we wouldn't have encountered those gossiping women.

"Julia, I'm fine," Adele said. "What's meant to happen will happen."

Adele Horne had actually overheard the young cousins' conversation. Her face was a shade paler, inspiring pity in those who saw her. Her pretty face, having thinned, now seemed a bit sharper.

"Adele, don't be afraid. With me here, I'll cut out the tongues of anyone who dares to wag them!" Julia quickly consoled Adele. Her domineering words, laced with a chill, were very much in Glades's manner.

However, just as Adele said, what was meant to happen would inevitably happen.

That very day, talk like this spread through Upper Class Society: "I heard the Horne family's daughter is pregnant, but there's been no news of her being in a relationship. Could it be a secret affair? Which family's young master is he? Why aren't they married yet? Does he find Miss Horne's temper too disagreeable?"

"Could it be that the man played her and now that he's gotten her pregnant, he's run off?"

"I think she must have been forced. With her temperament, what man could love her? But she's not bad-looking. Some men with ill intentions go for that type, don't they? To them, a fiery woman is more exciting to overpower."

"Exactly, she must have been forced. Otherwise, why would her personality change so drastically? It must be due to the trauma."

"Serves her right. She's so disagreeable, she deserved to be forced. Ha, knocked up before marriage, let's see how she's going to marry now."

"If the Horne family is willing to part with thirty percent of Valence Group's shares, I might consider letting my son marry her."

"Don't worry about them; the Horne family can afford to raise a child."

"The Horne family is always producing illegitimate children, aren't they..."

"With such a large family and enterprise, of course, they need to have a few more..."

"If she really was forced, that child won't just be illegitimate, but also a 'child of sin,' a 'bastard.' How pitiful..."

"With the power of the Horne family, how come they haven't brought that scoundrel to justice?"

"Oh, right! A little over two months ago, the Evans family's young master was sent to prison by the Horne family, and the Evans family subsequently went bankrupt. Wasn't Miss Evans supposed to be Miss Horne's best friend? How could the Horne family be so ruthless? Do you think it was the Evans's young master who got Miss Horne pregnant?"

"Hmm, it's possible. No, it's very likely."

"The Horne family is truly heartless. Her belly is already showing, yet they still sent the child's father to prison. Why couldn't they be a bit more compassionate and let him marry Miss Horne? That way, the child would have a father, and Miss Horne's reputation could be preserved."

"The Horne family is probably too wealthy and arrogant; they likely look down on the Evans family."

"I think the Evans family's young master must have assaulted Miss Horne. Otherwise, the Horne family wouldn't be acting so irrationally."

"In any case, the child in Adele Horne's womb is just a bastard..."

Various rumors sprouted like bamboo shoots after rain, spreading rapidly through Upper Class Society. They even disseminated across the entire T City with the speed of the internet, proving the adage: "Good news rarely leaves the house, while bad news travels a thousand miles."

Hearing these rumors, Julia Bluen was so furious her head ached.

Her guilt towards her sister-in-law intensified.

Glades Horne, on the other hand, appeared much calmer. He issued a covert warning: if anyone dared to spread more gossip, he would ensure their families ended up like the Evans family.

Unfortunately, the rumors spread too quickly—so fast that even Glades Horne couldn't stop them.

After all, he was just a man, a normal man, not some omnipotent deity.

Once the rumors began to circulate, whenever Adele Horne stepped out, she noticed the change in people's gazes. Some looked at her with pity, others with schadenfreude. The more brazen ones even spoke to her with veiled insults. Whispers and finger-pointing followed her; all sorts of attacks and pressures crashed down on Adele like a landslide.