Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 3213

Damian gave a subtle nod.

Estelle smiled faintly. "Alright. Good to know."

"We'll go prep the food and the grill," Damian said, telling the group to let him know if they needed anything. He then led Zachary and the others into the kitchen.

Sara looked around the dining area. "The atmosphere is nice. But I've heard the competition around here is fierce. You need serious backing to survive in this neighborhood."

Magdalen kept her eyes on Norah out of the corner of her eye and smiled. "You're right. When this place first opened, they had people causing trouble all the time. Fights broke out constantly. But our Boss Xavier took on a whole group of them single-handedly and scared them straight."

Sara looked impressed. "That's badass."

Norah spoke up, her tone thoughtful. "I think I've been here before."

It felt like a dream—a blurry shadow of a memory, yet everything seemed so intimately familiar.

Magdalen immediately pressed, "Have you, Norah?"

Norah shook her head. "I can't remember clearly."

Disappointment flickered in Magdalen's chest, but she kept her smile intact. "Don't force it then. We're just here for the barbecue today."

In the kitchen.

Zachary chopped vegetables and looked at Damian. "Did Norah really forget about us?"

Damian's expression was heavy. "Looks like it."

Zachary furrowed his brow. "How could she forget? Seeing her like that really breaks my heart."

"The boss is definitely hurting more than we are," Damian warned. "When he gets here, don't bring it up."

Zachary nodded, keeping his head down.

*

Back in the dining area, Kya couldn't sit still and kept trying to wander off to play.

"Woof! Woof! Woof!" Coco barked in absolute excitement.

Norah stared at Coco, then at the wall covered in blooming roses, and finally at the cat house nestled beneath them. A wave of long-lost familiarity flooded her mind.

Finally, her gaze landed on the wicker chair beneath the osmanthus tree. She stared at it for a long time, unable to look away.

"Norah!" Kya called out to her.

"Norah."

A low voice echoed from behind her at the exact same moment.

Kya turned her head and saw the teenage boy standing on the steps. "Henson!" she cheered.

Henson offered her a bright, warm smile.

He had been worried about Norah. Fearing the familiar surroundings might be too much for her, he couldn't help but come check on her.