Secret Admiration: Finding True Love After Prison

Chapter 1 Be Released

"Meryl, get yourself a job and be a good person out there." the prison guard said as he opened the gate.

Meryl Stone nodded absently. Finally. She never thought she'd survive those three brutal years.

Rain drizzled from the gray sky as she stepped out of the prison. The biting wind made her shiver and she hugged herself for warmth. Suddenly, a sleek Porsche Cayenne pulled up beside her.

Seeing the license plate made her face drain of color.

The window rolled down, revealing a man's cold, emotionless face- Dalton Aniston, the man she had loved for seven years, her fiancé.

The same man who had made sure she ended up in prison!

"Why are you limping?" He asked, his voice icy.

Meryl's eyes stung with unshed tears. Didn't he know why she was limping? From her first day in prison, she had been beaten by the other inmates. They said Dalton had paid them to make her suffer.

"Get in," Dalton commanded, his arm resting casually on the window frame. His custom suit highlighted his tall, imposing frame, and he radiated a cold, aristocratic aloofness.

Meryl recognized the impatience in his voice, just like that of her parents'.

felt bad at first and wanted to make up for lost time. But Lydia, who they'd raised for 14 years, messed things up. She got them to push Meryl away bit by bit. By the time Meryl turned 21, Lydia made up lies about her. Everyone blamed Meryl for kidnapping Lydia and

had had it with her. They said, "Look, Lydia might not be our real kid, but she's been with us forever. She's our daughter! We brought you back and gave you

this to Lydia?

even let her explain. Just sent her to jail without thinking

believed her.

fiancé turned on her, declaring her

on Meryl. Seeing her still frozen in place, he snapped,

looked like it had been slashed with

turned away and called,

of the driver's seat and approached her. "Ms. Stone,

didn't move, Elias reached out to pull

covering her head, her voice

he barely recognized her at first. She used to be so vibrant and full of life, known for her beauty. Now, the light in her eyes

instinctively glanced back at Dalton, but his face remained

anyone. Three years in prison, and you

slowly got up and slid into the car, carefully keeping

a corner, still shivering from the rain and

a speed bump, causing Meryl to lurch forward and fall to