Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 2644

Sylvia drew a sharp breath. She knew he had misunderstood her, but she decided to let him. She leaned back lazily. "But I like both red roses and white roses. Just because I'm holding a red one doesn't mean I can't admire a white one."

The air around him instantly turned glacial. He stared at her, a deathly glare in his eyes, before rising and stalking back into his room.

Sylvia gripped the railing, leaning over as far as she could. A loud slam echoed as he threw the balcony door shut, the force of his anger seeming to shake the entire building. The cool, misty rain spattered her face, and in that moment, she felt a wave of both pity and amusement at her own situation.

Just then, a message from Grace popped up in the group chat: [What's Sylvia up to? She's been so quiet.]

Sylvia typed back: [Admiring a white rose.]

Grace sent a question mark emoji. [Are there white roses in front of your villa?]

Sylvia replied: [Can't see it anymore. Maybe I was just seeing things.]

Grace: [You probably were. There are a few gardenia bushes in the garden in front of your place, though.]

Sylvia: [Then I guess I mistook a gardenia for a white rose.]

Others in the chat started chiming in, talking about the funny moments from their poker game. Jonas sent a voice message.

"Professor Quintin, don't you worry about Una! I'll take good care of her, I promise!" Then he tagged Sylvia. "@Sylvia, I'll go pick some gardenias for you later so you can have them in your room. That way you won't get them mixed up again."

Sylvia smiled. [Thank you, but that's alright. It's better to let them grow on the bush, so they don't wilt so quickly.]

Jonas: [Good point. I'll draw you a picture of them instead!]

Una: [That's a great idea!]

Jonas: [Then I'll draw one for you too.]

As they joked around in the chat, Sylvia noticed that Jenny hadn't said a word. She looked up toward the distant villas. Through the garden and the hazy rain, she could just make out a figure standing on a terrace, a hand outstretched to catch the raindrops.

Sylvia, meanwhile, had taken an umbrella and walked over to Grace's villa. They had lunch together and then spent the afternoon painting on the terrace. They would occasionally pause to talk, sometimes about life at the estate, other times with Sylvia seeking Grace's advice on a problem. The hours passed in a relaxed and pleasant haze.

Sylvia had created an ink wash landscape of the mountains veiled in mist. It depicted a late spring scene in the deep mountains, with majestic but blurry peaks and a few wooden cabins nestled among the trees. The sky was overcast, the rain was a fine mist, and the overall tone of the painting was dark.

Grace studied it for a moment, then smiled. "Are you troubled by something? Or perhaps there's something weighing on your heart that you can't express?"

Sylvia was taken aback but managed a smile. "Not at all."

"Everyone feels lost sometimes," Grace said gently. "Just follow your heart."

Sylvia nodded. "I know exactly what I need to do."

"Do you really?" Grace smiled again, setting the painting down. "From this, it looks like you're wound far too tight."