Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 3024

On the opposite side of the club, Jonathan sat in a plush leather booth. He stared in a specific direction for a long moment before turning to Morrison. "Is this what Ms. Sampson considers a 'mindful' celebration?"

Morrison adjusted his glasses, a faint smile touching his lips. "Letting loose every once in a while is harmless."

Ever since Gabriel hosted that dinner party, this was the first time Magdalen had gone out drinking. Morrison figured he shouldn't keep her on too tight a leash, lest she rebel entirely.

Jonathan smirked. "A little discipline makes for a better wife."

Morrison raised an eyebrow. "Is that how you run your household, Mr. Lamont?"

Jonathan didn't miss a beat. "Ms. Sampson is wild and chaotic; she needs a firm hand. Estelle is different. She's introverted and stubborn. She responds to a softer touch."

Morrison looked thoughtfully into his glass. "You should know, Mr. Lamont, that if Magdalen ever gets mad at me, she won't run to her parents. She'll run straight to Estelle. So if she ends up crashing at your place, please take good care of her. I'll come pick her up as soon as she cools off."

Jonathan fell silent for a beat before pouring Morrison another drink. "A man should just be forgiving no matter what his wife does. Women need tenderness."

Morrison clinked his glass against Jonathan's. "Wise words, Mr. Lamont. I'll keep that in mind."

The tension smoothed over, leaving a comfortable camaraderie between the two billionaires.

Suddenly, a shadow fell across their table. Jonathan looked up, his lips curving. "We were just missing you."

Charlie James dropped onto the sofa. He caught sight of Emily's profile in the distance, a warm smile touching his exhausted features. "Who put this together?"

"Emily quit her job," Morrison supplied. "Magdalen is throwing her a party."

Charlie nodded in understanding, pouring Morrison a drink. "Thank Ms. Sampson for me."

The crystal glasses chimed. "Don't mention it," Morrison replied.

Jonathan took in the dark circles under Charlie's eyes. "How many days has it been since you slept?"

Charlie took a heavy sip of his drink. He looked strikingly handsome but thoroughly drained as he slumped against the leather cushions. "I haven't had a decent night's sleep in days."

"It's not that she doesn't trust you," Jonathan said. "She just has her own way of fighting her battles."

"Easy for you to say," Charlie sneered. "If someone was tearing Estelle down, let's see how calm you'd be. Let's see you tell her to handle it herself."

Jonathan met his gaze coolly. "Do you have any idea how many times I've had to walk into a police station for Ella?"

Charlie let out a sudden, sharp laugh.

"No matter how many times I bail her out, I still can't control her," Jonathan continued. "I just let her do whatever she needs to do. The worst that happens is I have to drag her out of trouble and take her home. Your situation with Emily is different on the surface, but the core principle is exactly the same."

Charlie understood perfectly. Jonathan couldn't change Estelle's reckless nature, so he just cleared the path for her in the shadows, making sure he was always there to catch her when she fell.

A thoughtful gleam entered Charlie's eyes. He smiled faintly. "Falling in love is the easy part. The real mess starts when you actually have to build a life together. But I guess that's the point. We're learning how the other person's mind works, and figuring ourselves out in the process."

Jonathan nodded in agreement. "Exactly."