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.

later, Meryl was ushered into a

grand hall

though Lydia wasn't Malcolm's biological daughter, her birthdays were always celebrated with great

Stone family's status and their support for her, subtly

of importance in

hall was abuzz with wealthy

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 are

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 away? What about her real parents?

Foster, who adopted Meryl, was supposed to be Lydia's

still couldn't wrap her head around why Lydia and

had thought Camille switched them to give Lydia a better life, but it turned out Lydia wasn't

the full story, but

back to the Stone family, while Lydia's origins

for over twenty years, and the Stones treated her as well, if not better, than

few socialites chatted, their eyes subtly drifted

lowered her head

to the others and said, "Didn't that woman who just walked by look

followed her

beauty and figure. The woman

the kind of person who stood out