Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 3120

The man sat bathed in the dim, flickering glow of the streetlamp, his presence heavy and suffocatingly cold. With his head bowed, the sharp, rugged lines of his profile were cast in deep shadow, making him look utterly destroyed.

Henson walked over, his brow furrowed. “You should go.”

It took Xavier a moment to process the words before he slowly shook his head. “I’m waiting for her to wake up.”

The teenager’s expression was somber, his gaze holding a trace of cool detachment.

“I don’t blame you. I know my sister’s crush on you was completely one-sided. Consider this the end of it. She won’t come looking for you ever again. You don’t need to feel guilty, and you definitely don’t need to come see her out of pity.”

Henson’s words tore through Xavier like a serrated blade, every syllable carving into his flesh.

He bowed his head even lower, his dark eyes swirling with an absolute, helpless panic.

Henson stood there for another minute in silence before turning on his heel and walking away.

In the early hours of the morning, Alcott finally reached the hospital. The usually composed man was frantic. It wasn't until he heard that Norah was out of danger that he could finally draw a steady breath.

Sitting by her bed, Alcott looked at his daughter with a heart shattered by guilt. “Norah, Dad didn’t protect you. You have to wake up soon, okay?”

Janice, who had just managed to calm down, felt her chest seize with a fresh wave of crushing sorrow.

Through the night, Alcott and Janice kept vigil by Norah’s side, waiting for her to open her eyes.

It started raining again around midnight. Outside, Xavier sat on the bench like a stone statue. He seemed completely numb to the freezing downpour, remaining motionless even as he was soaked to the bone.

He sat there the entire night, not closing his eyes for a single second.

When dawn broke, Estelle found him. She stood beside him, holding an umbrella over his head. It took a full three minutes for Xavier to even realize she was there. When he finally turned to look at her, his face was terrifyingly pale from the freezing rain. “Is she awake?”

“Not yet,” Estelle replied, her brow creased in a deep frown. “Are you punishing yourself?”

Xavier’s gaze was empty. He shook his head minutely. “I just want to stay here.”

He didn’t dare go near her room, terrified to face her, but he couldn’t bear to leave either, desperate to hear any news.

Estelle’s tone was heavy. “Norah wouldn't want to see you like this.”

“He’s hurting?” Jonathan let out a harsh, mocking scoff. “If he’s hurting, he shouldn't have rejected her over and over again!”

“You didn’t want them together at the start either. The reasons he rejected her are the exact same reasons you didn’t approve,” Estelle countered firmly. “He never intended to hurt her.”

She lowered her eyes. “It kills me to see Norah like this too. You only agreed to let her work at that restaurant as a favor to me. If you want to blame someone, blame me. Scream at me all you want.”

“Ella!” Jonathan spun around sharply, his anger fracturing.

Estelle let go of his arm and walked quietly toward the hospital room.

Inside, she joined Catherine and the others, settling in to wait for Norah to open her eyes.

It wasn't until almost noon that Janice, who was sitting right by the bed, suddenly gasped. “Mom, Dad! She moved! She’s waking up!”

Everyone instantly scrambled toward the bed.

Laying on the mattress, Norah’s brows pulled together in a tight frown. She let out a faint groan, and her fingers twitched.