Chapter 221 Struggling with Insomnia

Meryl instinctively glanced back at Chandler.

He was leaning against the sofa, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

It hit her then.

Just yesterday, she had suggested they let things develop naturally.

Yet today, Chandler had gone ahead and made everything public.

She couldn’t fathom why he was so eager to reveal their relationship.

Meanwhile, Dalton’s expression had frozen completely.

His heart clenched painfully as he realized what was happening.

The pen in his hand snapped in two.

As a man, Dalton understood the strategy behind Chandler’s actions.

By making their relationship public, Chandler could openly and confidently show affection for Meryl in the company.

Since they were married, any gossip would only highlight their strong relationship.

Dalton felt a pang of discomfort.

After a quick rest in her own room, Meryl grabbed her cello and headed towards the backstage area.

Galaxy Holdings Group’s annual gala was always a grand event, with professional celebrity hosts and even live streaming.

In the hotel corridor, Meryl ran into Freya.

Seeing Meryl with her cello, Freya put her hands on her cheeks, looking awestruck. “Now that’s a performance! Oh my god, my poetry recitation last year… what was I thinking?”

She made a cheering gesture. “This time, our executive office can finally hold our heads high! Is it heavy? Do you need help carrying it?”

Meryl shook her head with a gentle smile. “No, I’ve got it.”

Freya nodded. “I thought so. That cello looks really expensive…”

As Meryl stepped out of the elevator, heading to the backstage area, she was suddenly blocked by Dalton in a secluded corner.

His eyes were red, and he looked utterly exhausted, as if he hadn’t slept properly in days.

Clearly, he had been waiting for her here because he had something important to say.

Lately, Dalton had been struggling with severe insomnia, often lying awake until dawn before catching a brief nap.

His dreams were filled with images of Meryl, just as she used to be, with her heart and eyes solely for him.

In his dreams, they were back in their school days.

Back then, after just returning to the Stone family, Meryl had severe motion sickness from the car rides to and from school and often chose to walk along the roadside.

Worried she might get bullied, Dalton would secretly follow her.

Once, she noticed him and turned to say something.

Feeling guilty and embarrassed, he quickly changed direction and walked away.

It was the first time Dalton had felt so cowardly.

Knowing Meryl was going to perform at the annual gala tonight, he couldn’t keep his feelings bottled up anymore.

He had never heard her play the cello, even though he knew she had learned it in the past but had stopped abruptly.

Lydia, on the other hand, had suddenly developed an interest in the instrument.

Remembering the melody he heard on a colleague’s phone that day, Dalton looked into Meryl’s eyes and asked, “Was it you?”

Meryl looked up, puzzled.

Dalton stared intently at her and repeated, “Years ago, when I was in a coma after the car accident, I vaguely heard the sound of a cello. Was it you playing?”

Meryl didn’t understand why he was asking this out of the blue.

“You’re really annoying,” she said, trying to brush past him and leave.

Dalton’s eyes showed a hint of desperation as he grabbed her wrist. “It was you, wasn’t it? You played the cello, didn’t you? Tell me it was you!”

Meryl thought Dalton was being ridiculous and couldn’t understand why he was asking such a random question.