Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 3675

"You don't get to decide what is and isn't my business," he murmured, his lips curving into a dangerously soft smile.

Marina stared at him, bewildered. "Didn't we already make things clear?"

Carson gave a slow, deliberate nod. "We did. And I genuinely spent the last few days trying to convince myself to let you go. But today, seeing you sit there on a blind date with another man... I realized I couldn't do it. When you looked at Kane, the jealousy almost made me lose my mind."

Marina froze.

Carson leaned closer, closing the distance until they were mere inches apart. He gazed down at her. "I was wrong about Giselle. I've never been in a situation like that before, and I handled it terribly. But you carry some of the blame for this too!"

Marina's temper flared. "How is any of this my fault?"

"You constantly acted like you didn't care about me at all. And now, because I made one mistake, you've completely condemned me to hell. You haven't left me a single shred of leeway. It isn't fair."

Marina let out a cold scoff. "Is this how all men justify their screw-ups?"

Carson's brow furrowed. His self-righteous tone vanished, replaced by a low, rough edge. "I'm not justifying it. I was wrong, and I admit it. But you can't hand me a death sentence over one mistake. I'm filing an appeal. I'm requesting a retrial."

"My court is the Supreme Court," Marina said icily. "Once the verdict is handed down, there are no appeals."

"Can't you use that favor you still owe me to commute it to a suspended sentence?" His eyes were dark and pleading. "Watch my behavior. Give me a chance to rehabilitate myself."

Marina turned her head away, her voice resolute. "No."

"Don't be so cruel." He leaned down, resting his forehead heavily against her shoulder. "Do I really have to prove my loyalty by dying for you?"

Her heart gave a painful jolt, but she gritted her teeth and shoved him away. Her eyes were like ice. "Just having you near me makes me sick. We are done. Get out! I'm finding a new apartment as soon as possible. It's best if we never see each other again!"

Carson stumbled back two steps, staring at her for a long, heavy moment.

"Stop pretending you're this heartless. You have feelings for me. I know you do."

With that, he spun on his heel and walked out, letting the door slam shut behind him.

Marina stared at the closed door, a suffocating wave of frustration washing over her.

*

Marina took a sip. The crisp, clean taste carried a faint, lingering floral note that soothed her mind. She nodded slowly. "This is truly priceless."

Miranda looked pleased. "As soon as the blossoms bloomed, I wanted to call you over. But I was worried you'd be too busy with work, so I waited until today."

A rush of warmth filled Marina's chest. "Thank you."

Miranda shook her head gently. "You're the one keeping me company. I should be thanking you!"

She took a delicate sip of her tea before asking, "Has Kai been causing you any trouble lately?"

"No," Marina replied.

Miranda's expression turned serious. "You need to be careful of Rowena Croft. Years ago, she knew how to hide her true colors and play the victim. But recently, she's become increasingly unhinged and reckless, acting like someone with nothing left to lose. Especially now that Kai has been severely injured, her mental state is only going to deteriorate further. Please, watch your back. I'll put pressure on her through the Croft family to make sure she thinks twice before pulling any stunts."

Listening to the underlying warning in her words, Marina couldn't help her curiosity. "Do you know the Croft family?"

Miranda's tone was perfectly flat. "Rowena Croft is my aunt's daughter. She is my cousin."