Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 3200

Hannah sat rigidly beside Simon, her face pale. She maintained the picture-perfect image of a wronged, fearful victim too terrified to speak.

Gonzalez stood up. Circe nimbly leaped onto his broad shoulder and settled there obediently. The cat's fluffy white fur puffed out as he blinked his large, innocent eyes lazily at Hannah and Simon.

Gonzalez turned his frosty gaze toward Hannah. "Keep your daughter in line. I will not tolerate a repeat of tonight."

With that, he turned and headed for the stairs.

The moment he disappeared from view, the dam broke, and Hannah burst into fresh tears. "Simon, she really didn't mean any harm."

Simon's expression was grave. "Giving away his property without his permission was completely out of line. Yvonne was in the wrong."

Hannah was forced to nod in agreement. "You're right. I'll have a serious talk with her as soon as she gets back."

"Save it for another day. She's going to be feeling miserable enough tonight." Simon deeply cared for both of his children, and the constant, bitter war between them gave him an unrelenting headache.

Hannah kept her head bowed, hiding the calculating gleam in her eyes. "Simon, don't you think his reaction was a bit... unhinged? If you hadn't stepped in, I genuinely think he would have strangled her to death."

Simon frowned. "He would never go that far. That's not who he is."

"But I've heard rumors..." Hannah whispered, her tone laced with feigned terror. "I heard that he's actually killed people before."

"Nonsense!" Simon barked furiously. "Tell me exactly who is spreading these vicious lies about my son!"

"It's just idle gossip within certain circles," Hannah backpedaled smoothly. "It's impossible to track down where it started. Whenever I catch wind of it, I firmly shut it down. Obviously, I don't believe a word of it either!"

"As long as his own family stands by him, that's what matters," Simon said. "He has a temper, yes, but he's a man of principles. He doesn't just attack people for no reason."

Seeing that Simon was fiercely protective of Gonzalez, Hannah knew better than to push the issue. She murmured a few more agreeable platitudes to placate him.

"It's getting late. Let me help you up to bed, Simon. I'll wait up for Yvonne myself."

They rarely spoke on the phone.

"Yeah, it's me," Gonzalez replied softly. "Are you still working?"

Norah stretched in her desk chair. "I have to accompany Adrian to a project bidding tomorrow, so I'm doing a final sweep of the data. I won't be able to make it to the bookstore for our tutoring session."

"You suffered a severe injury recently," Gonzalez murmured, his tone gentle. "You need to rest and rebuild your strength. Don't push yourself too hard."

In the stillness of the night, his deep, magnetic voice resonated through the speaker. With the phone pressed to her ear, it felt intimately close, as if he were whispering right beside her. The subtle, underlying tenderness in his tone felt like a warm evening breeze brushing past her face, gently sweeping a loose strand of hair against her ear, leaving a lingering, fluttering sensation.

Norah lowered her eyelashes, suddenly feeling as though the exhausting weight of the week had magically melted away. A sweet smile touched her lips. "I know. Thank you, Uncle Gonzalez!"

Hearing her call him "Uncle Gonzalez" ruthlessly shattered all the romantic tension building in his heart. He couldn't help but let out a low, self-deprecating chuckle.