Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 2578

Sylvia brought the two bouquets Eugene had bought into the house. Dora handed her a vase and said, “I’m peeling shrimp. I’ll arrange the flowers when I’m done.”

“You go ahead, I’ll take care of it,” Sylvia replied.

Dora just smiled, not insisting, and returned to her preparations.

Standing by the window, Sylvia unwrapped the bouquets, trimming the stems and arranging the fresh blooms in the vase. The weather was beautiful—the sunlight streamed through sheer white curtains, scattering across the room in fine, sandy patches. The flowers glowed softly in the dappled light, every petal touched with warmth and tenderness.

She tucked a few blue hydrangeas into the vase, then glanced into the yard, where Grandma Winters was still showing off her shawl to Eugene, insisting he take her picture.

Sylvia paused with a rose in her hand, watching them for a long moment.

Wasn’t this what ordinary happiness looked like?

After a while, she added the final sprig of bellflower, setting the vase on the windowsill. Sunlight rippled across the open petals, the gentle fragrance drifting through the room like water.

She stepped toward the yard to join the others.

*

At lunch, Dora made not only seafood pasta but also several of her signature dishes. Grandma Winters, who hadn’t had much of an appetite lately, managed a whole bowl of pasta today, buoyed by the cheerful company.

After the meal, Grandma Winters was clearly tired, but she stubbornly insisted on sitting with Sylvia a little longer to chat.

Sylvia gently explained she had plans that afternoon and promised to visit again soon. Only then did Grandma Winters agree to let Dora help her back to her room to rest, pausing several times to remind Sylvia to come back soon.

On the drive home, Sylvia asked Eugene, “Is there really nothing more that can be done for Grandma Winters? If things aren’t possible here, maybe she could try treatment abroad.”

Eugene hesitated, surprised. “Did Grandma mention it to you?”

Sylvia nodded. “She brought it up the last time I was here.”

He frowned, his tone heavy. “I’ve consulted specialists overseas. Even if she underwent surgery, there’s no guarantee she’d survive the operation. And she’d never agree to leave her garden behind. Forcing her to go would probably break her spirit.”

*

Sylvia didn’t get home until ten. She’d had a few drinks, and her stomach was unsettled. After a shower, she went to bed early.

That night, she dreamed she was back at Tripe, running a mission with Nightingale at her side.

Everything felt strange and unreal. She caught a glimpse of Gab’s shadow in the chaos, and in that split second of distraction, she was shot in the stomach.

Even as the pain hit, she knew deep down she was dying. She fought to reach him, forcing her body forward.

Halfway there, she collapsed. His shadow drifted further and further away, fading into the distance.

She realized then that she was about to lose him forever, and a stabbing pain tore through her heart.

Blood pooled beneath her, spreading out like a field of crimson flowers. She felt her life ebbing away, felt him slipping from her world. The ache was overwhelming, but all she could do was face the darkness as it closed in around her.