The meeting spot Xavier chose was a teahouse directly across from the hotel. They only waited a few minutes before the person arrived.
It was a man in his early thirties, dressed in a navy blue tracksuit and wearing sunglasses.
Even from a distance, the man's face lit up with overwhelming excitement the moment he spotted Xavier. He threw his arms wide open as he hurried over.
Xavier stood up to meet him. The two men slapped hands, slammed their shoulders together, and pulled each other into a fierce embrace—the undeniable greeting of brothers forged in fire.
"It's been so many years. When you reached out out of nowhere, I honestly couldn't believe it!" The man pulled off his sunglasses, revealing handsome, sharply defined features. His voice trembled slightly with emotion.
Xavier offered a faint smile. "It has been a long time."
"When word came down that the mission was a total loss, I really thought you..." The man trailed off, shaking his head with a wistful smile. "I'm just glad you're alive."
Xavier didn't elaborate. He simply led the man back to the table.
Norah stood up, offering a polite smile. "Hello!"
The man looked at Xavier in surprise. "Your girlfriend?"
"No. Just a friend who tagged along for the trip. Norah Lamont." Xavier then gestured to the man. "Wyatt."
Norah nodded respectfully. "Nice to meet you, Wyatt!"
Wyatt gave her a warm, genuine smile. "Any friend of Xavier's is a friend of mine. Don't be a stranger!"
The three of them sat down. Xavier quickly detailed the reason for his visit while Wyatt listened intently. Norah sat quietly beside them, perfectly content to stay out of the way.
The teahouse's matcha pastries and jasmine tea were excellent, so Norah happily snacked while eavesdropping.
Xavier had no local connections in Bloomfield, but Wyatt was a born-and-raised local with his own company and a vast network of contacts. Xavier had called him specifically to save the Donovan family's B&B.
Wyatt didn't hesitate for a second. "I don't know the big boss behind the resort, but I know the guy directly in charge of the demolition payouts. We've thrown a few back together. I can definitely make this happen. Honestly, it's an easy fix—the resort's blueprint is massive. Carving out one tiny sliver of land won't affect their bottom line at all. You always have to leave people a way to survive."
Xavier nodded. "The Donovans and the neighboring owners rely entirely on those properties to feed their families. The resort is catering to the ultra-wealthy, while the B&Bs serve budget backpackers. There's zero overlap or competition."

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Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan)
I like how you are getting all the different love interest committed, thank you for the updates....
Hoping Manly have his own love story here, atleast a short one...
Emily has finally stood up for herself. Now with Charlie's support, her mother and sister in law will be as quiet as church mice....
Another epic ten updates... this is great! I'm sooo enjoying this. Thank you for the updates....
Thank you so much for the continuous updates......
This was soooooo sooooo good! I loved it! Thank you for the updates....
Then Melanie and Noreen will both understand that Emily is his wife, who he chooses and cares to be with. We’ve already had so much drama when Emily took off for three years hiding her pregnancy from Charlie. Emily has already confessed that the only man she loves is Kya father, which Charlie is. Now he needs to boldly claim the only woman he loves is Emily…I just had to add my two cents (he he he)....
Now Charlie needs to take Emily to the marriage office like Gabriel did with Sylvia . Reassure her that he will not take for granted. Thank you for the updates. I’m loving it....
May we please have updates. Thank you....
Wow.. finally they're married now. I thought there will be another separation....