Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 3477

"Got it!"

Marina needed to swing by her apartment to grab another storyboard notebook. By the time she parked downstairs, grabbed dinner, and rode the elevator up, it was entirely dark out. She pushed open the door and froze.

Carson Foster was sitting in the dimly lit living room.

He lifted his gaze as she entered. Spotting the laptop bag slung over her shoulder, a sudden realization seemed to hit him. "You didn't go home. Where were you?"

Marina walked toward her desk, briefly debating whether to lie. But as she set her bag down, she decided on the truth. "I was with Nocturne."

Carson's brows snapped together. His head whipped toward her. "You two met?"

She nodded. "Many times."

The room was cast in heavy shadows, the lights still off. Carson's eyes were pitch black, completely unreadable. He stood up and closed the distance between them, leaning heavily against her desk. He stared down at her.

"Marina," he said, his voice dangerously low. "Do you know what you're doing?"

Marina's hand stalled on the zipper of her laptop bag. She looked up, meeting his intense glare without flinching. "Of course I do."

He studied her face. Suddenly, his harsh demeanor vanished, replaced by an eerie calm. "Many times, you said? What kind of guy is he?"

"He's great. Polite. Incredibly talented," she answered honestly.

His gaze turned somber. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking. "How much longer until this project is finished?"

"At least two months. Why?"

"End it now," Carson said with absolute finality. "Quit."

Marina stared at him in disbelief. "Why would I do that?"

In fact, ten days flew by since their argument, and she hadn't seen Carson once.

One evening, Marina finished work early. The moment she stepped out of her office, the sky opened up. It was late autumn, bordering on winter, and the freezing rain sent the temperature plummeting. Pulling her thin cardigan tight around herself, she hurried into the teahouse across the street to wait for Nocturne.

He arrived about fifteen minutes later.

He had rushed over straight from work, still dressed in a sharp suit that made him look even more refined. In his hand was a small bakery box. "You must be starving. Have a cupcake first. It's freezing out today—let's grab hot pot across the street later."

Marina looked out at the torrential downpour and laughed. "In this weather? Let's just finish these two chapters and go home."

"It's already pouring. There's no rush," he said smoothly.

Marina opened her sketchpad, broke the cupcake in half, and handed him a piece before taking a bite of her own.

When she glanced up, she caught Nocturne watching her, his gaze intense and unwavering.