Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 2697

With the Macclain family bankrupt, Simone had lost her former glamour. In just a few months, she had aged considerably, and her old arrogance was gone.

Estelle’s expression was as cool as ever. “What do you want?”

Bennett glanced at Simone, then smiled paternally. “We heard you were getting married. Your mother wanted to see you. We heard you and Mr. Lamont were here with friends tonight, so we came by.”

Estelle nodded faintly. “You’ve seen me. You can go now.”

Simone’s face tightened, and she subtly tugged on Bennett’s sleeve.

Bennett’s smile grew warmer. “Estelle, since you’re getting married, do you think your mother and I could attend the wedding? No matter what, we are your biological parents. The last time your mother was hospitalized after Carmella Macclain upset her, it was Mr. Lamont who paid the bills so she could recover.”

“After everything that’s happened, your mother and I have done a lot of soul-searching. We finally understand that our own daughter is our own daughter. Blood is thicker than water. As for the one who wasn't ours, no matter how well we treated her, she turned out to be an ungrateful, heartless monster.”

Simone chimed in, humbling herself. “Yes, I was fooled by Carmella’s hypocrisy. I was so foolish. Estelle, please forgive your mother.”

Estelle looked at Simone’s ingratiating face, and a flood of memories returned. The first time they met, the woman’s indifference and poorly concealed disdain had been painfully obvious. After moving in with the Macclains, her blatant favoritism and coldness had only widened the chasm between them. Then, after she moved out, they grew even more distant. Every time she clashed with Carmella, Simone had sided with her rival without exception, treating Estelle like an enemy. Even after the truth came out, she had never apologized. She had always been too proud, too arrogant.

To Estelle, the word “mother” was a distant, foreign concept that she could never associate with Simone. Now, suddenly, Simone was asking for forgiveness. Although she could hear no sincerity in her voice, a strange feeling stirred within Estelle—not warmth, but a sense of weary irony.

“I understand what you’re asking,” she said, her voice clear and cool. “You can attend the wedding. I’ll have an invitation sent to you.”

Jonathan’s voice cut through the air as he walked over and took Estelle’s hand. His tall frame cast an imposing shadow, and his cold eyes seemed to hold the darkness of the night, instantly chilling the air around them.

“Mr. Lamont,” Bennett said, his expression stiff and his voice weak.

Simone instinctively took a step back.

The man’s hand was warm and strong, instantly chasing the cold from Estelle’s fingertips. She turned to him, her gaze soft. “What are you doing out here?”

“If I didn’t come out, someone might think you’re easy to bully,” he replied coolly.