Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 3671

By the time Kane Galloway fully lifted the cage out of the box, Marina Evert, despite bracing herself, was completely dumbfounded. Crouched inside the cage was a massive, goofy-looking goose.

Marina stared at it in stunned silence.

Kane looked equally surprised. "Grandpa Wallace said it was something highly valuable. He was worried it might get damaged in shipping, so he asked me to bring it over personally. It didn't make a single sound the entire drive!"

Marina quickly texted her grandfather. *Grandpa, I got the delivery from Kane. But what is the meaning of sending me a giant goose?*

Grandpa Wallace replied almost instantly. *What goose? That is a wild swan!*

Marina turned her head to study the dopey bird in the cage, feeling even more bewildered.

No matter how she looked at it, the bird was just plain silly. Where was the majestic grace of a wild swan?

*Did someone scam you?* Marina typed back.

Grandpa Wallace sent a voice memo, his tone laced with a hearty chuckle. "Can you guess why I had Kane specifically deliver a wild swan to you?"

*Because you got scammed, felt bad throwing it away, and didn't want the headache of keeping it, so you dumped it on me!* Marina replied.

That response must have annoyed him, because he didn't text back.

Kane poured a little water into the cage's tray, looking caught between amusement and exasperation. "It's a good thing I drove here. If he had actually shipped it, this goose—I mean, swan—would have suffocated after two days in a dark box."

The bird stood up, drank some water, and shook out its feathers. Looking instantly revived, it tilted its head back and let out a long, piercing honk.

The hoarse, echoing sound instantly ripped through the restaurant. Every single diner turned their heads to stare at their table.

Marina wanted the ground to swallow her whole.

She hurriedly shoved the cage beneath the table and gave it a light kick. "Quiet. If you honk again, I'm sending you to the kitchen to be roasted!"

Marina flushed with embarrassment. "Please don't take it to heart. He always pulls stunts like this. It gives me such a headache."

She could understand his desire to set her up, but who brought a literal betrothal gift to a blind date?

Sitting at the next table, Summer sneakily snapped a photo of Marina and Kane and posted it to Facebook with the caption: *Excellent people always end up on blind dates with other excellent people. I'm officially jealous sitting at the next table!*

She posted it purely to spite Trixie Bell. The photo only showed Marina's side profile, but anyone who knew her would recognize her instantly.

*

Meanwhile, Carson Foster was stuck at a business lunch. During a lull in the conversation, he pulled out his phone and scrolled through his feed. He stopped on Summer's post, staring at the photo for ten solid seconds before flipping his phone face down on the table.

Someone walked over to offer a toast. Carson didn't even hear what the man said; he just tipped his head back and downed his glass.

After knocking back two or three more drinks, he grabbed his coat and stood up. His handsome face was perfectly composed, a polite smile masking the dark storm brewing in his chest. "Something has come up. I have to step out. Enjoy the rest of your lunch."