Chapter 332 Sling Mud

Malcolm was taken aback by Harvey’s abrupt rejection, his expression darkening as the reality of the situation sank in.

In his mind, they had once been classmates, and while they hadn’t kept in touch over the years, there was no need for Harvey to put on such airs in front of an old acquaintance.

Humiliated in public, Malcolm quickly shifted the blame to Meryl.

“This is all your fault! You must have offended him somehow, and now I’m getting the cold shoulder, too!”

Meryl raised an eyebrow, genuinely perplexed. “Wait a minute. Who offended him exactly? Me or you? Why do you keep dragging me into your mess?"

“You treat Lydia like she’s some kind of treasure! Just take a look at how everyone else sees her!”

Meryl couldn’t help but laugh sarcastically. “Oh, you haven’t heard? Rocky has already admitted that he and Lydia conspired to frame me and get me locked up.

“Don’t give me that look! I’m just stating facts. Dalton knows about it, too – ask him if you don’t believe me.

“Only you would think Lydia is innocent. Let me tell you, this isn’t over. Rocky was taken in for questioning yesterday, and soon enough, they’ll be knocking on Lydia’s door. She won’t be..."

Each of Meryl’s words landed like a bombshell, leaving the crowd buzzing with curiosity.

Although they didn’t know who Rocky was, they could guess he was tied to Meryl’s past troubles.

The calmness with which she spoke hinted that there was indeed more to the story.

Just as the crowd leaned in for more, Meryl turned on her heel and walked away, leaving them wanting.

With the excitement gone, the crowd slowly began to disperse.

Malcolm furrowed his brow, frustration bubbling beneath the surface.

At that moment, Sandra, who had been lurking in the background, approached.

She had overheard everything – the accusations about the past, the mention of Rocky’s arrest, and Meryl’s implications that a case was being reopened.

Sandra felt a knot of anxiety form in her stomach.

She stepped in front of Malcolm, watching his face shift through a whirlwind of emotions.

“Lydia is our daughter. You need to trust in her innocence and not let a little gossip from that girl get under your skin.”

Malcolm crossed his arms, his face hardening into a mask of indifference. He didn’t respond, clearly adopting a wait-and-see attitude.

After all these years in business, he wasn’t naive.

The fact that Meryl was willing to air this dirty laundry in public meant she had something substantial backing her up.

Three years ago, he had made a rash decision regarding Meryl, fueled by his anger at seeing Lydia hurt.

In the heat of the moment, he hadn’t thought things through.

Meryl’s stubbornness had driven him to his limit, and Lydia had convinced him that sending Meryl to prison would teach her a lesson.

Malcolm said, his voice low, “Tell me the truth, Sandra. What really happened three years ago?”

Sandra bit her lip, her fingers fidgeting nervously.

The idea had originally been a joint effort between her and Lydia.

They believed that prison could break Meryl’s spirit and pave the way for Lydia to shine as the sole heiress of the Stone family.

Lydia’s strategy had worked like a charm, but Sandra never expected that the past would come back to haunt them like this.

She certainly hadn’t anticipated that Meryl would find a powerful ally in Chandler.

Sandra insisted, “Even if Rocky does change his tune and claims..."

“Malcolm, Lydia is our daughter. How can you doubt her? What about Rocky? He grew up under the same roof as Meryl – they’re practically siblings!”

Malcolm nodded, considering Sandra’s words.

He thought it made sense.

After all, Rocky was a gambler; he could flip-flop at any moment.

Seeing a slight softening in his expression, Sandra seized the moment to wrap her arm around Malcolm’s. “If he really starts slinging mud at Lydia, you’d better stand by her side. Don’t let yourself be fooled!”

Malcolm gently patted Sandra’s hand, about to respond when a sharp voice cut through the air from behind them.

“Well, Malcolm, look at you – keeping a mistress behind my back! And you even bring her to Mrs. Cole’s birthday party. Do you think I’m dead?”

Bianca stood behind them, her face flushed with rage and her eyes blazing.