Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 3034

Marina took a huge bite of cake. "Forget comparing yourself to Jonah! Compare yourself to me, and you're an absolute idol!"

She pushed a plate of cake toward Emily. "This is so good. The baking skills are Michelin-star level. You have to try it!"

Emily took the plate and looked at Estelle. "Did Wilma make this?"

Estelle nodded. "Yes!"

Emily smiled. "I used to eat Wilma's cooking all the time, and Mr. Wagner would always bring me fruit. I need to make sure I thank them properly when I see them later."

Back then, whenever Estelle walked past the dessert shop after school, if Emily was there, Estelle would always drop in to chat and grab a sweet treat before heading home.

She had always assumed Estelle was a maid at Villa del Sol. She dressed so simply, took the bus to and from school every day, and looked so young and green. How could she possibly be the young Mrs. Lamont?

When they sat together, Emily was usually the one doing all the talking while Estelle listened, but she just loved chatting with her.

Looking back, it had only been a few years, but it felt like a lifetime ago.

When she passed by the dessert shop on her way here today, she noticed a basket of daisies still sitting on the window table. Sitting next to Charlie, she felt like she had somehow recaptured that carefree feeling from the past.

*

Not far away, Jonathan Lamont and Charlie were chatting while leaning against the pool fence.

Charlie made a quick phone call, lit a cigarette, and leaned lazily against the railing to smoke.

Catching part of the conversation about Paragon Pixel, Jonathan suddenly remembered something and glanced over. "So... that was all your doing?"

Charlie exhaled a plume of smoke. "What was?"

"Emily quitting her job," Jonathan said, raising an eyebrow.

Looking at Emily's figure in the distance, Charlie didn't deny it. He smiled lazily. "Isn't it better this way? Now she doesn't have to work herself into the ground day and night for someone else."

When Emily mentioned Padgett's potential promotion a few days prior, Charlie had formulated a plan.

She was already swamped. The company was using the excuse of 'grooming top talent' to exploit her endlessly. If Padgett became the director, she would only get busier, and Charlie figured he wouldn't even get to see her on weekends.

To make matters worse, Melina Marsh showed up right then, and Wilson Walton tried to stick his nose in too. He was so afraid she wouldn't be able to handle the pressure.

He had given her time.

And everything that followed proved she handled it even better than he could have imagined!

"You two, come over here and help me out!" Carson yelled from across the yard.

Jonathan and Charlie exchanged a look of sheer exasperation. "How many more lobsters does Carson have to grill before he can finally marry Marina?" Charlie asked.

Jonathan chuckled. "Whenever he figures it out for himself!"

Charlie shrugged, put out his cigarette, yelled a reply back to Carson, and walked over to the barbecue pit with Jonathan.

The weather was beautiful, and the mountain scenery was bright and clear.

Halfway through the barbecue, Magdalen Sampson and Morrison Langston finally showed up, making Villa del Sol even more lively.