Chapter 304 First Time
The next day, John arranged to meet Meryl for a meal at a private dining room in the Kingsdom Hotel. He drove to pick her up himself. When Meryl saw her long-lost younger brother, she was momentarily stunned.
She thought, “Has John really grown this tall? At over six feet, he has clearly outgrown his childhood, and his face is now showing signs of maturity. It has been five years since we last saw each other.”
“Hey, Meryl.”
As soon as Meryl stepped out, John’s eyes locked onto her, and only when he saw she was in one piece did he finally relax. John had heard that Meryl had a rough time in prison, and just thinking about it filled him with guilt.
“I’m sorry, I…”
Meryl gently patted his shoulder, not wanting to dwell on unhappy topics. John wasn’t to blame; the Stone family had kept him in the dark, so he knew nothing.
“This is my husband, Chandler Aniston,” Meryl introduced.
John’s attention shifted to the man standing beside her. In the days leading up to this meeting, John had reached out to old friends to find out more about Chandler. All he had heard was that Chandler was a stand-up guy with no scandals. Despite the positive reports, John couldn’t help but scrutinize Chandler with a critical eye. He needed to see for himself. John gave a brief nod, barely hiding his youthful arrogance.
Noticing this, Meryl gave him a light tap on the forehead. “This is my husband. Stop acting like you’re inspecting the place! Show some respect and greet him properly.”
Caught off guard by Meryl’s reprimand, John felt displeased. He thought, “I’ve grown up! Why does she still treat me like a kid?” He glanced at Chandler, who seemed to be stifling a smile, and felt even more embarrassed.
“Chandler!” John grumbled begrudgingly.
Chandler patted him on the shoulder. “Good boy.”
John thought, “What’s this? Am I being treated like a kid? I’m your wife’s brother!” Fuming inside, John struggled to keep his composure in front of Meryl. He thought to himself, “I even opened the front passenger door, and Meryl pulled Chandler into the back seat. Does she see me as just the driver now?” With a scowl, John drove in a mood that matched his frustration.
When they arrived, Chandler deliberately lagged behind. “What do you think of the limited-edition Lamborghini that just came out last month?” Chandler asked.
John blinked in confusion. “What?”
Chandler tossed him a set of car keys. John caught them reflexively. As he saw the Lamborghini logo, his mind went blank for a few seconds.
Chandler said with a smile, “Consider it a welcome gift. The car’s parked at the underground level of Kerry Mall. Go pick it up yourself.”
With that, Chandler walked into the Kingsdom Hotel. John was slow to process what just happened. He thought, “Chandler is giving me a car? A limited-edition Lamborghini from last month?”
“Chandler, wait up!”