Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 2036

"No!" Estelle's gaze was icy, her head shaking with conviction. "Gab's not that kind of guy; he'd never sacrifice his own crew for personal gain!"

Xavier chimed in, "I believe in Gab too!"

"That's because both of you have reaped the rewards!" Raiden sneered with disdain. "Sniper, your survival was pure luck, and Gab sent you to J City specifically to keep Stella safe. And you dare say he's not playing favorites?"

"Keep Stella safe?" Xavier raised an eyebrow, his voice tinged with sarcasm. "Do you know when I first met Stella? Until I met her, I despised her as much as you did, until," his voice grew softer, "until I saw all she had done for us behind the scenes. That's when I let go of my grudge and realized she's not who we thought she was."

They had all once deemed Stella heartless, incapable of feeling for anyone!

"What has she ever done for us?" Raiden asked coldly.

"She's been looking after our families!" Xavier stared at Wolf. "Have you ever wondered how your family's been getting by? Two years ago, when your father's business went bankrupt and he nearly jumped off a roof, it was Stella who paid off his debts. To this day, she's the one sending money every month to support your parents!"

Raiden was momentarily taken aback, then retorted with scorn, "She's just feeling guilty, trying to make amends for her conscience!"

"What does she owe you? Even if Gab did plan all that, she was in the dark about it. She entered that abandoned factory with us, surrounded by Wolverine's men, nearly losing her life too!" Xavier's voice was filled with anger. "She's still haunted by those memories. If not for that, what else could you use to manipulate her? You knew about her feelings for us and took advantage of them, then turned around and hated her for it!"

Raiden abruptly raised his gun and pointed it at Estelle. "No more excuses for her. She owes everyone a life!"

Xavier stepped in front of Estelle, his face stern and resolute. "Then I owe one too since I didn't die. If you've got hate in your heart, take me out!"

"Move!" Raiden bellowed.

Suddenly, a bomb dropped from above. Estelle's face paled as she leaped forward, pushing both Wolf and Xavier to the ground, even as they instinctively rose to shield her.

"Raiden!"

Triceratops, gripping a bazooka, stood atop the helicopter, his voice filled with fury. "You traitor, you've betrayed me!"

The rooftop erupted into a deep crater as the three looked up at the helicopter. Triceratops launched another attack. "You leaked information, luring people here to destroy my painstakingly developed microwave weapons and cobalt bombs. I will never forgive you!"

Triceratops' last ace had been destroyed by Gab and Alvis, and he had narrowly escaped death himself. Having managed to slip away, the first person he intended to kill was Raiden, the man who had betrayed him.

With another "boom," the rooftop was blasted open once more.