Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 3313

The man walking ahead was only a few steps away. Once Norah was out of earshot, he finally turned around, his expression turning ugly.

The contract with the Hanson Corporation had been stalled. Trevor Cromwell claimed the new CEO was keeping a close eye on him, meaning they had to tread carefully and run through extra protocols to ensure nothing went wrong.

But he knew the truth—Trevor just wanted a bigger cut.

He had already given the man everything he could authorize; there was no room left for concessions.

They had been at a silent standoff. He figured he had leverage over Trevor, so he hadn't been in a rush.

He never expected Trevor to be secretly dealing with the Chambers Corporation, playing Vitesse Inc. and Chambers off each other to see who would offer the highest bribe.

Roland Hobbs was furious. The thought of all the money he had already funneled into Trevor's pockets going down the drain made him want to call the man immediately and demand answers.

But he couldn't act on impulse.

His eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he purposefully walked over to the elevator, noting that it had indeed stopped on the fourth floor.

His phone suddenly rang—it was his client asking where he was. He didn't linger any longer and headed toward his reserved table.

*

Norah took the elevator up to the fourth floor, didn't step out, and simply pressed the button for the first floor.

Returning to her seat, she gave Gonzalez an apologetic smile. "There was a line. Took a minute."

The food was already arriving.

Gonzalez placed some food on her plate. "Eat."

The dishes were excellent, made with fresh ingredients by a skilled chef, but Norah barely touched her food.

The restaurant's decor was elegant and atmospheric, highlighted by an intricate overhead chandelier that cast a warm glow. Under the light, Gonzalez's features looked even more striking. He watched her closely. "Did you really want Y City food? Why are you eating so little?"

She seemed to have less of an appetite than she usually did at home.

Norah looked up, caught off guard. "Probably because... I had too many snacks before leaving the office. I'm not that hungry."

Gonzalez nodded. "The fish porridge and water chestnut cake on the menu looked good. Let's pack some up to take home. You can have it for a late-night snack if you get hungry."

He probed further, "Have the contracts been signed?"

"They have, but it's completely under wraps. No public announcements yet."

Chuck nodded in understanding.

Linton, listening in from the side, felt his heart drop. The more he thought about it, the more something felt horribly wrong. Before the dinner even wrapped up, he made an excuse and hurried out.

Watching Linton's panicked retreat, Chuck allowed a faint smirk to cross his lips.

*

Linton immediately called Roland back to the office that very night. Face dark with rage, he demanded, "Didn't you say the Hanson Corporation deal was a lock? Then why did I just hear from Mr. Cross over at the Lamont Group that the contract went to the Chambers Corporation?"

Roland had already been feeling anxious, but hearing Linton's words made his blood run cold.

His face contorted in distress, completely at a loss for how to explain.