Secret Admiration: Finding True Love After Prison
Chapter 20

Chapter 20 Explosive News

Meryl clutched her phone tightly. "Can you pass the phone to him?"

Walter's voice was hesitant. "Ms. Stone, Mr. Aniston has had quite a bit to drink tonight. It might not be convenient..."

Before he could finish, Chandler, who was supposed to be asleep. in the back seat, suddenly opened his eyes.

He grabbed the phone from Walter with a decisive motion. "You're looking for me?"

Walter was taken aback, scratching his head.

Just moments ago, he had to support Chandler in walking, and now, he was suddenly alert.

It was almost magical!

Chandler, now visibly drunk, spoke in a deep, husky voice with a slight slur.

Meryl was momentarily stunned. The moment she heard. his lazy, alluring voice, a shiver ran down her spine, and goosebumps sprang up all over her body. His voice was incredibly captivating.

"Meryl?"

Only when Chandler enunciated her name slowly did Meryl snap back to reality.

She gave herself a quick pat on the cheek. "Can I meet with you?"

"Sure," Chandler replied readily, his speech a bit sluggish and scattered, likely due to the alcohol.

"I'll come to the hospital to see you."

"There's no rush," Meryl said, pressing her lips together.

She could tell he was drunk, and it was better to discuss things. when he was sober.

Still, she was curious about the company he ran.

In tough business times, even as a boss, he had to personally handle clients.

Meryl guessed he might be a struggling boss, forced to humble himself for his company.

She adjusted her grip on the phone, then relaxed. "How about tomorrow? You choose the place."

After a brief pause, she suggested, "How about eleven in the morning?"

She figured that since Chandler was drunk, he would likely sleep in, so eleven o'clock shouldn't disturb him.

"Eight o'clock," Chandler said, rubbing his forehead to relieve the throbbing pain.

Meryl was surprised. "Eight o'clock?"

"Yes, eight o'clock. I'll pick you up from the hospital."

He even knew she was being discharged tomorrow morning.

Meryl was about to say it wasn't necessary for him to go through the trouble but then realized they had to meet anyway. So, she accepted the arrangement. After hanging up, Meryl lay in her bed, alone.

Originally, Anne had planned to stay with her, but she had a work trip and had to leave for the airport in the middle of the night.

Three years ago, Anne had transitioned from being a dancer to becoming a model due to a leg injury.

The modeling industry was tough, and she was often busy.

To avoid disturbing Meryl's rest, she had left as soon as night fell.

This night, Meryl barely slept with something in mind.

The next morning, she woke up at 7:30.

Instinctively, she reached for her phone and saw a news alert with an eye-catching headline.

"A member of the Aniston family was seen spending the night with a woman, suspected of having an affair!"

"An Aniston? That's got to be about Dalton," Meryl thought to herself.

She tapped the notification, and sure enough, Dalton's photo filled her screen.

He was cozied up against Lydia, the two of them tangled together and emerging from what looked like a hotel in the middle of the night.

As she scrolled, the story unfolded in painful detail.

This morning, Dalton and Lydia had been photographed leaving the hotel, surrounded by reporters.

They had checked into the hotel late last night and stayed in the same room all night, only coming out at 7 a.m.

The implication was all too clear.

Even though Meryl knew about their ambiguous relationship, seeing it all laid out in the news hit her like a punch. Her thoughts were a whirlwind of confusion and hurt.

In one of the photos, Dalton was trying to shield Lydia's face. from the cameras.

A bitter smile touched Meryl's lips. It was now undeniable that Lydia had snatched her fiancé.

Meryl found herself wondering what her parents would think if they saw this.

Would they regret having taken Lydia's side so fervently?

The thought of her parents' favoritism left her feeling suffocated and deeply hurt, almost unable to breathe.

Just then, the door to her room swung open, and a sharply dressed man stepped in.