Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 3501

"Are you two acquainted?" the realtor asked, surprised.

Kai Foster's gaze burned into Marina Evert. "Yes, we're friends."

"What a coincidence!" The realtor laughed. "Must be fate!"

"It certainly is," Kai said with a meaningful smile.

"I'm not buying the apartment," Marina interrupted abruptly. "Sorry to bother you."

She apologized to the realtor and walked out, her assistant trailing behind in total confusion.

The realtor stood frozen. He thought he had snagged a wealthy, decisive buyer. How did everything go south so fast?

Kai frowned slightly and took long strides to catch up with her.

"Sia!" he called out just as she reached the elevators.

The assistant glanced between the two of them, quickly taking the hint. "Ms. Evert, I left something in the apartment. Let me go grab it."

She scurried off, leaving the two of them alone in the quiet hallway.

Kai stared at Marina's profile, his voice heavy. "You're backing out just because it's my place? Am I a monster? Do you really have to avoid me like the plague? Is it that serious?"

"We have a clear conscience," Marina replied, "but if the wrong person sees us, it's bound to stir up gossip."

After overhearing the women at the Foster estate whispering behind her back, she knew the truth rarely mattered. Rumors could easily turn into lethal weapons.

Kai locked eyes with her. "If I were Carson's full-blooded brother and we were close, would you still care about the gossip? Deep down, you look down on me too, don't you?"

"Everything has context, Kai," Marina said calmly. "Your identity and your relationship with Miranda and Carson Foster mean we can't just act like normal friends. If you keep obsessing over this, you're only going to hurt yourself."

When he returned home, his mother, Rowena Croft, was in the kitchen making soup. Seeing him, she asked, "Have you seen Marina lately?"

Kai's eyes flickered. He sank onto the sofa. "No," he said flatly.

Rowena frowned, letting out a cold scoff. "I thought she was a woman who valued loyalty. Turns out she's just an opportunist. The second she found out you were illegitimate, she drew a line in the sand."

"Sia isn't like that," Kai said firmly.

Rowena stared at him in shock. "Are you really falling for her?"

Kai lowered his eyes. "What's the point? She's Carson's woman."

"If you like her, fight for her! You're an illegitimate son. If you don't fight, do you really think anyone is going to just hand things to you?" Rowena sat down beside him, gently rubbing his shoulder, though her voice dripped with bitterness. "No one in the Foster family respects us. They secured a brilliant girl like Marina to be Carson's fiancée, but when it comes to you, they'd brush you off with some nobody from a second-rate family. We have to fight for what's ours!"