Chapter 253 Biased

But Dante merely lowered his gaze and said nothing.

Chandler glanced at Lydia and said slowly, “I was here last night, Lydia. Are you suggesting that I also helped my wife with the video editing?”

Meryl was taken aback, thinking, “Chandler stayed with me all night? With how busy he is…”

She looked at Chandler more closely. Indeed, he was still in the same clothes from yesterday, and his eyes held a barely perceptible hint of fatigue.

She felt a warm sense of appreciation.

Chandler’s casual remark hit Lydia like a ton of bricks.

Lydia’s face went ashen, completely speechless.

She thought, “The Aniston family has never liked me, and Chandler, as the head of the family, holds absolute authority. Even Charlotte has to show deference to Chandler – how much more so for me? Offending him could be disastrous.”

With the conversation having reached this point, there was nothing Lydia could say that would change the situation.

Chandler narrowed his eyes and turned to Malcolm. “Will the Stone family clean up this mess themselves, or should I take care of it?”

Malcolm, though disappointed in Lydia, was reluctant to let Chandler handle her, knowing it would only escalate matters.

He immediately said, “My two daughters have just been misbehaving. I’ll make sure to discipline them properly!”

“Misbehaving?” Chandler chuckled, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Misbehaving to the point of almost causing serious harm. Mr. Stone, you’re quite the master of evasion. No wonder Celestial Ventures Group has been on a downward spiral lately. With your handling, it’s only a matter of time before the company collapses.”

Malcolm froze.

He thought, “Chandler’s bringing up Celestial Ventures Group – is he trying to pressure me? Is he actually threatening to make the company go under? If Chandler wanted to, he could significantly hurt Celestial Ventures Group’s performance. If he really pushes…”

As a businessman, Malcolm weighed his options and realized that crossing Chandler wasn’t worth the risk. Besides, Lydia was clearly in the wrong.

Malcolm glared at Lydia. “Lydia! What’s wrong with you? You used to be so obedient. Why are you so out of line this time? Apologize to Meryl right now!”

Lydia bit her lip hard, her eyes bloodshot. Despite her seemingly gentle demeanor, Malcolm knew Lydia was very concerned about her pride. Forcing her to apologize in front of everyone was something she would definitely refuse to do.

Malcolm walked over, grabbed Lydia by the arm, and dragged her to Meryl. “Meryl, it’s your sister’s fault. I see you’re not too hurt – please, for my sake, don’t hold this against her. You’re sisters, and I want you to get along. Of course, I also made a mistake. I was too quick to blame you. But we’re father and daughter, and family bonds are strong. Don’t hold a grudge against me.”

Meryl looked at them with a mixture of scorn and disbelief. Even when apologizing, Malcolm managed to deflect the blame onto himself, worried about Lydia’s feelings.

Bianca, observing this, felt a growing sense of unease toward her husband. She found the situation increasingly odd.

Meryl’s voice was calm and resolute. “Malcolm, I’m exhausted from this whole morning’s chaos. Please leave.”

Malcolm was stunned, his face full of disbelief. “Meryl, why didn’t you call me Dad?”

Without answering, Meryl slid back onto her bed, pulling the covers over herself.

Malcolm added, “I’m your father. Why aren’t you calling me Dad?”