Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 3609

The moment Carson hung up, another call came through from H City. He answered it as he slid into the back seat of his car.

Late that night.

Marina sat on the sofa, her knees pulled tight to her chest. She hadn't bothered to turn on the lights. The only illumination came from the faint glow of the streetlamps outside, casting long, lonely shadows across the room.

She rested her cheek on her knees, her vacant gaze fixed on the window. She felt like a speck of dust caught in the wind—drifting aimlessly, untethered, with nowhere to go.

She suddenly remembered that snowy night when Carson had whispered that their temperature difference meant he could always keep her warm. Looking back, he was wrong. There was no difference. They were the same temperature. The warmth she felt had been nothing but a cruel, shared illusion.

Neither of them could save the other.

*

Carson didn't return until two days later. He had texted Marina constantly, but she never replied. Whenever he called, her assistant answered, claiming she was in back-to-back meetings.

Unable to resolve the crisis in H City quickly enough, Carson flew back to J City early. He drove straight from the airport to the apartment. The moment he unlocked the door, he froze.

The desk on the balcony was gone.

He strode quickly into the master bedroom, then the guest room. The realization hit him like a physical blow: all of Marina's belongings had vanished.

She had moved out.

Just like last time, she had left behind every piece of clothing and jewelry he had bought her. Everything else was gone.

Not a single word of explanation. Not even a goodbye.

A deep sense of dread and confusion clawed at Carson's chest. He called and texted her in a frenzy.

[What happened?]

[Why aren't you answering my calls?]

[Where are you?]

Marina completely ignored him. She turned to Jude and Rhiannon, her voice ringing out clearly. "Since Mr. Foster is here, I have an announcement. My engagement to Mr. Foster is officially off. From this moment on, we have absolutely nothing to do with each other."

Carson's face went rigid. Shock flared in his dark eyes as he stared at her.

Rhiannon gasped. "What? The engagement is off? Since when?"

"Since today," Marina said coldly.

Phoebe's eyes flickered with calculated surprise as she watched the drama unfold. The rest of the family sat in stunned silence until Grandpa Evert slammed his cane down and stood up. "Marina, what kind of nonsense is this? A marriage arrangement is between two families. You don't just call it off on a whim. Is this a joke to you?"

Marina stood her ground, unyielding. "I am absolutely not joining the Foster family, and I am definitely not marrying Carson. Do whatever you want. If you're that desperate, you can knock me out and drag me to the altar yourselves!"

Without waiting to see their outraged reactions, she spun on her heel and marched out the door.

Carson chased after her. He caught up to her in the courtyard, his hand clamping down hard on her arm. "Sia!"

Marina forcefully wrenched her arm out of his grip, her demeanor glacial. "I said everything I needed to say. The engagement is off. We are done."