Secret Admiration: Finding True Love After Prison

Chapter 3 Silent Whispers

Meryl struggled to catch her breath, gripping the edges of her sleeves as if they might keep her grounded.

Why did he have to not only reject her but also humiliate her?

After a moment, she steadied herself, looked up at Dalton, and forced a smile. "Dalton, just because I have feelings for you doesn't mean you can belittle me."

Dalton was momentarily taken aback by her smile, a rare sight these days.

He found himself staring at her longer than he meant to, but by the time he realized it, Meryl had already looked away.

He loosened his tie and stubbed out his cigarette, acknowledging that Meryl had changed.

Though he wouldn't admit it, she wasn't the same woman who used to light up a room with her smile.

It was as if her spirit had withered away.

It didn't affect him directly, but it stirred an unsettling discomfort within him.

Dalton couldn't quite figure out what was bothering him.

Shaking off the confusion, he reminded her, "Today is Lydia's birthday. I'll take you back to the Stone Villa later, but remember to behave. Don't cause trouble. Lydia is nothing like you." Meryl's heart sank at his words.

To Dalton, Lydia was a cherished prize, while she was deemed unworthy even as a mere accessory.

hour later, Meryl was ushered into a car

Villa, the grand

daughter, her birthdays were always

was a show of the Stone family's status and their support for her, subtly reinforcing

in Kingsdom

hall was abuzz with wealthy women discussing

so favored when she isn't even Mr. Stone's biological daughter? Is there something we don't know?" someone wondered

talent. In our circle, that's what really matters. Bloodlines

joining the company. Mr. Stone was so impressed that he promoted her to vice president, clearly grooming her as a successor." "But she's still an outsider. Isn't that like giving the company

one knows where her biological parents are," came the response from someone in the know. "It's odd because Camille Foster, who adopted Meryl, was supposed to be Lydia's mother, but their paternity test proved otherwise." Meryl clenched her fists as she overheard

wrap her head around why Lydia and Camille

to give Lydia a better life,

the full story,

was sent back to the Stone

Stone family for over twenty years, and the Stones treated her as well, if

few socialites chatted, their eyes

Meryl lowered her

to the others and said, "Didn't that

followed

beauty and figure. The woman who

kind of person who stood out even in