Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 3003

"I heard Charlie even tried to convince her to stay when she left, and he didn't date anyone else for half a year after that. It's obvious she holds a special place in his heart."

"You better watch your back!"

Emily fell silent for a moment before asking, "Do you even still have those millions of dollars?"

Noreen froze. "What?"

Emily scoffed. "If you have this much free time, you should probably make sure your boyfriend hasn't gambled away all your money!"

Without giving Noreen a chance to explode, Emily hung up.

Putting her phone away, she looked up to see the host of the banquet, Milton Marsh—the owner of the Marsh Group—walking arm in arm with Melina. He was addressing the crowd. "My daughter, Melina, just returned from studying abroad. I hope you'll all look out for her. She's my only daughter, and she will be the sole heir to the Marsh Group..."

Melina.

Emily stared at the girl, who was beaming happily beside her father. She could finally see her face head-on, and she was undeniably stunning.

The banquet was in full swing, with guests eagerly congratulating the Coopers. Emily glanced at Charlie, who was also watching Melina, before she turned and walked away.

*

The drinks flowed freely at the reception. It was past ten, but the guests showed no signs of winding down.

Charlie received a text from Emily saying she had finished working late and was already home, telling him not to rush.

He was looking at his phone when Melina approached, handing him a glass of wine with a gentle tone. "After five years abroad, I still think J City is the best. Everywhere I look, I see familiar sights and familiar faces."

Charlie took the glass with a faint smile. "As long as you're settling back in."

The corners of Melina's eyes curved like a hook. "Nothing here has changed. I wonder if old feelings can pick up right where they left off, too?"

She was blunt. "I know you've probably dated a lot of women since I left. I don't care."

"Can I help you?" Melina asked, her beautiful features masking a hint of annoyance.

"You've been gone a long time, Miss Marsh, so you probably haven't heard," Waters began. "Mr. James has a new girlfriend he absolutely dotes on. But honestly, the girl is painfully ordinary. She doesn't hold a candle to you. You still have a shot."

Melina's calm expression hid her pride. "There are plenty of men chasing me. Why would I steal someone else's?"

"But this is Charlie James we're talking about. You could have been the one exception in his life, and now that you've lost that, don't you think it's a shame?"

"If it's lost, it's lost. What good is feeling sorry about it!"

Waters gave a tight, awkward smile. "You're very open-minded, Miss Marsh. Fair enough. I just wanted to let you know that his girlfriend has been neglecting him lately because of work. It's a rare opportunity, and I thought you might want to try again. But since you don't care, I'll mind my own business!"

With a final smile, Waters turned and walked off to chat with someone else.

Melina stood rooted to the spot, her eyes flickering as her hands slowly curled into fists.