Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 3283

It was completely indigestible, twisting his stomach in knots.

He had never realized just how infuriating Sara could be.

Khloe chimed in, smoothly defusing the tense standoff between the two. Adrian immediately turned away from Sara to chat with Khloe, who was noticeably more animated than usual.

The conversation flowed easily as everyone swapped work stories and discussed current events. For the most part, the dinner proved to be a relaxed and enjoyable affair.

Halfway through the meal, Gonzalez excused himself, stepping out onto the balcony for a smoke.

Sara emerged from the restroom, caught sight of the man standing on the balcony, and walked over to join him.

Seeing him make a move to put out his cigarette, she quickly waved a hand. "Don't bother. I smoke occasionally too. The smell doesn't bother me."

Gonzalez looked mildly surprised. "Someone as young as you smokes?"

Sara leaned both hands against the railing with a relaxed smile. "Work gets stressful. I find that a cigarette sometimes takes the edge off, though I wouldn't say I'm addicted."

Gonzalez gave a brief nod, not pressing the topic further.

Sara's smile turned earnest. "I hope things aren't awkward. I want to be upfront—I don't have feelings for you anymore. I didn't know about the history between you and Norah before, so I really am sorry about all of that."

"It's fine," Gonzalez replied, his tone indifferent.

Sara looked out at the city lights, reminiscing. "I actually knew Norah had someone she was hung up on. She said things were complicated and refused to tell us who it was. But I knew she was head over heels for the guy because every time she vaguely brought him up, her eyes would literally sparkle. We used to tell her that if he was making it that hard for her, she should just give up. She's so amazing, we figured the guy had to be completely blind."

She paused, wincing slightly. "Sorry. Just a joke."

Gonzalez's expression didn't change. In fact, he nodded in agreement. "You were right. I was blind back then."

Sara tilted her head. "And you and Norah now...?"

Gonzalez took a slow drag of his cigarette, his eyes turning dark and somber. "She's forgotten me. And she's forgotten how she felt about me."

"Hmm?"

Lost in her own thoughts, Norah jolted, pulling her attention back a second too late. "Yeah. The approval should be finalized by next Wednesday."

Julia smiled brightly. "Perfect. I want to knock this project out of the park quickly, then request a few days off from Boss so I can visit my fiancé's hometown with him."

"Getting ready for the wedding?" Adrian asked.

Julia's face glowed with happiness. "Yes!"

Norah forced a bright smile. "Congratulations in advance, Julia!"

Julia raised her glass. "Thanks! Get ready to party at my wedding!"

They toasted. As Norah set her glass down, she instinctively glanced toward the balcony again. Gonzalez was walking back inside. Their eyes collided across the room. Norah's lips tightened, and she seamlessly looked away, pretending the moment hadn't happened.