Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 3515

Aunt Charlotte chimed in with a cool, nonchalant drawl. "Didn't you tell your mother you moved back into Carson's apartment? But someone saw you walking out of a hotel today. If that isn't a lie, what is it?"

Marina's eyes immediately darted toward Phoebe.

Aunt Charlotte was quick to defend her side. "Don't look at Phoebe. Someone else sent the photo to your grandmother. You're turning this family into a public laughingstock!"

Marina's voice went dangerously cold. "How is staying at a hotel a laughingstock? I think you're overstepping your boundaries, Aunt Charlotte."

Her grandmother frowned sharply. "Marina, your family is only looking out for you."

Rhiannon added sternly, "Do you always have to be so combative?"

Marina let out a sharp scoff. "So what you're saying, Mom, is that when someone slaps me in the face, I'm supposed to smile and offer them the other cheek?"

Aunt Charlotte's voice hit a shrill pitch. "Who's slapping you? We're merely trying to help! Honestly, your temper is like a stick of dynamite—one spark and you just explode!"

"Mom!" Phoebe gently tugged on Aunt Charlotte's sleeve, playing the peacemaker with her sickeningly sweet voice. "Don't be angry. Let's hear what Marina has to say first. I'm sure she has a perfectly logical reason for staying at a hotel."

She turned to Marina with feigned innocence. "Are you and Carson actually fighting? Or... are you staying at a hotel to spy on someone and gather evidence?"

Her venomous little suggestion instantly painted a scandalous picture for the room: Marina and Carson in a massive blowout, Marina suspecting him of cheating, and her secretly hiding out in a hotel to catch him red-handed with another woman.

The worst part was, it sounded entirely plausible to the rest of them.

Marina couldn't help but laugh out loud. "You really do have a wildly vivid imagination, Phoebe. You managed to spin my staying at a hotel into an entire Sherlock Holmes mystery."

Phoebe maintained a look of utter sincerity. "If you refuse to tell us the truth, we have no choice but to guess. Whenever someone in this family is going through a hard time, we can't just sit back and do nothing. We're a family, after all!"

And just like that, the blame was neatly shifted back onto Marina for supposedly keeping secrets.

But how the hell was this possible?

Marina had definitely been living at that hotel. Phoebe had even heard through the grapevine that Carson had publicly defended a hostess at the Midnight Bar right in front of Marina. Their relationship couldn't possibly be as picture-perfect as they were making it seem!

But if they were putting on an act, it was a terrifyingly convincing one.

Keeping a firm, protective hold on Marina's hand, Carson turned to the rest of the room. His demeanor was polite and impeccably refined. "Grandmother, Mrs. Evert. The air conditioning at my place broke down a few days ago, so Marina was forced to stay at a hotel while repairs were made. She's already moved back in with me. Please, there's no need to worry. I'll take excellent care of her."

With Carson personally corroborating the story and looking at Marina with such undeniable devotion, Rhiannon's face lit up with relief. "It seems we were just overthinking things."

But Aunt Charlotte wasn't ready to let it go. "Then why did someone see Marina at the hotel yesterday?"

Marina pulled out her phone, pulling up the digital receipt for her checkout. "Because I hadn't officially checked out yet. I finally had the time to swing by and take care of the bill. It's truly fascinating that someone immediately snapped a photo to try and stir up drama in our family. I'd love to know who this mystery photographer is. I want to see if she has the spiteful, venomous face of a pathetic gossip whose only joy in life is tearing other people down."