Mechelle's POV
I sneered inwardly. Was she trying to teach me a lesson?
I looked at her with a half-smile. "Linda, you should be saying these things to him, not me."
I stood up gracefully, smiling lightly. "Sorry, I need some fresh air. It smells a bit off here."
"You!" Linda's face turned beet red, her pale lips tightly pressed together.
"Linda, what's wrong?" Alexander Duncan looked at me as I walked towards the balcony, while Linda sat on the sofa, seething with barely concealed anger.
"ALEX, does your stepmother... not like me very much? Did I do something wrong? I just came over to thank her, but she..." Linda lowered her gaze, her eyes filling with tears, evoking sympathy from anyone who saw her.
Alexander Duncan gently pulled her into his arms, comforting her. "Don't be upset. That's just her temperament. Maybe seeing you reminds her of her past."
