Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 2583

The food was authentic and delicious, and as they ate, the conversation flowed easily. Eugene was a natural conversationalist—attentive, thoughtful, never letting the discussion lapse into awkward silence. Thanks to her, the atmosphere remained light and cheerful throughout the meal.

After dinner, the two of them left the restaurant.

Eugene went to get the car while Sylvia waited outside, enjoying the gentle evening breeze.

“Sylvia!”

A familiar voice called from behind. Sylvia didn’t need to turn to know who it was. She smiled as she glanced back, but the expression faltered ever so slightly at what she saw.

It wasn’t just Magdalen. Estelle was with her.

Estelle’s features were as refined and composed as ever, her gaze calm and clear—so clear, in fact, that it seemed to see right through Sylvia. She greeted her with a gentle smile. “Sylvia.”

“Estelle!” Sylvia replied warmly. “I heard you’re getting married—congratulations!”

“Thank you,” Estelle said, her smile soft but distant. “I hope you’ll be able to come.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Sylvia nodded.

“Sylvia!”

Eugene called out as she returned with the car, her voice warm and affectionate. She walked over, slipped off her coat, and draped it over Sylvia’s shoulders. Then she turned to Estelle and Magdalen. “Friends of yours?”

Sylvia nodded. “Estelle, Magdalen.”

“Ms. Sampson! We’ve met before—I didn’t expect to run into you again,” Eugene said, extending her hand to Magdalen.

Estelle, watching Eugene wrap her coat around Sylvia, instantly understood what was between them. Magdalen had mentioned Eugene before, and Estelle had told her that Sylvia had every right to move on and find her own happiness. Still, seeing it for herself, Estelle felt something twist painfully inside her. Though the evening was mild and pleasant, she felt as if a fistful of snow had lodged in her chest.

She couldn’t help but recall last Christmas—everyone gathered at home, decorating the tree, sharing dinner, lighting fireworks in the yard. The memory stuck in her throat like a bone.

Magdalen, no doubt feeling the same discomfort, forced a polite smile as she shook Eugene’s hand, her manner distant. “Yes, we’ve met. J City’s smaller than I thought.”

Estelle turned, considering for a moment before speaking. “To be honest, it gets to me even more than it does you. But Sylvia deserves to have her own life. When her brother sent her back home all those years ago, this was what he wanted for her.”

Magdalen shrugged. “Alright. I’ll work on my attitude. From now on, I’ll treat Sylvia like any other friend, not as Gab’s girl I once admired from afar.”

Estelle nodded. “Exactly. Sylvia doesn’t belong to anyone—not even Gab.”

For a long time after she left him, Estelle herself had thought of herself as nothing more than Gab’s possession.

She paused, then continued quietly, “I understand Sylvia better than anyone. We’ve both had similar journeys. When I left the organization, I had somewhere to go—I had my grandfather, and I had Jonathan.”

“But Sylvia only had her brother.”

“If she doesn’t move forward, she’ll spend her whole life in solitude.”

“She’s fighting against herself, against fate itself. I understand that better than anyone.”