Elizabeth sighed, "Poor Hans, with his head-in-the-clouds parents, his future's practically ruined!"
Simone chuckled, "No worries, Mom. We still have Carmella and Sabina, right?"
"Mmm," Elizabeth nodded slightly and fell silent.
The television suddenly erupted with noise, announcing that KING had landed. The crowd surged forward, some even wielding baseball bats, faces flushed with fury as if ready for a brawl.
Simone fidgeted with the hem of her dress, imagining Estelle getting mobbed, beaten down, and then dismissed from the scene. That would settle everything!
Ever since they learned of Estelle's existence, there had been this unspoken tension between them.
She had invested twenty years into Carmella, only to find out she wasn't her biological daughter, which left her deeply disappointed.
Before meeting Estelle, she was anxious that the girl might reclaim Carmella and take her back to the barren hills, a place her pampered daughter could never endure.
Yet, she held some hope for Estelle, curious about what her own daughter would be like.
However, upon setting eyes on Estelle, she felt her hopes deflated.
She still remembered that afternoon in a C City diner, an ordinary old man with a girl in a baseball cap at his side, introducing her and Bennett to Estelle – their daughter.
The girl merely glanced at them before looking down, her demeanor icy, lacking any excitement or warmth of recognition.
Bennett called out "Estelle," and she just hummed in acknowledgment.
At first, she thought Estelle's shy demeanor was just because she was from a small place but even back home, Estelle was just as closed off and quiet, a stark contrast to Carmella's bubbly and outgoing nature.
Carmella tenderly offered her dresses and jewelry, but Estelle showed little emotion, leaving Carmella feeling awkward.
Seeing the daughter she had doted on acting so meek and reassuring her that it was okay, her heart ached.
When Estelle returned to J City for school, she came last in the first exam.
The principal called them in for a talking-to, bluntly tossing the report card on the table and demanding Estelle transfer out to avoid dragging down the school's performance.
At the airport.
Estelle and Jonathan's group hadn't even emerged when chaos erupted outside.
Even a celebrity's homecoming didn't incite such frenzy.
But instead of cheers, Estelle was met with jeers and calls for her to leave.
Suddenly, from the VIP passage, a group escorted two old men towards the lounge area. A sharp-eyed reporter recognized them, whispering, "Old Mr. Jarvis from C City!"
"And Old Mr. Quintin, too. What are they doing at the airport?"
Looking beyond, the entourage included familiar faces—the Lamont family patriarch and his wife, the CEO of the James family, Charlie, the newlyweds from the Sampson family, Carson.
The once noisy airport fell into a hush. People all sensed that something momentous was about to unfold.

Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan)
Xavier will always protect Norah he must admit this to himself and Norah. I believe after they return from this , he'll need to approach Norah 's parents and he'll get support from Jonathan and Ella....
I like how you are getting all the different love interest committed, thank you for the updates....
Hoping Manly have his own love story here, atleast a short one...
Emily has finally stood up for herself. Now with Charlie's support, her mother and sister in law will be as quiet as church mice....
Another epic ten updates... this is great! I'm sooo enjoying this. Thank you for the updates....
Thank you so much for the continuous updates......
This was soooooo sooooo good! I loved it! Thank you for the updates....
Then Melanie and Noreen will both understand that Emily is his wife, who he chooses and cares to be with. We’ve already had so much drama when Emily took off for three years hiding her pregnancy from Charlie. Emily has already confessed that the only man she loves is Kya father, which Charlie is. Now he needs to boldly claim the only woman he loves is Emily…I just had to add my two cents (he he he)....
Now Charlie needs to take Emily to the marriage office like Gabriel did with Sylvia . Reassure her that he will not take for granted. Thank you for the updates. I’m loving it....
May we please have updates. Thank you....