Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 3166

Adrian froze.

Gonzalez was the man Norah had cared about more than anything—the man she had loved the most.

Refusing to back down, Adrian met Gonzalez's icy stare and delivered a blunt reminder. "The past is in the past."

Holding his beer, Gonzalez replied coolly, "Is it? Before we left this morning, I gave Mr. Lamont my word that I would take full responsibility for Norah's safety."

He shifted his gaze back to Norah. "Tell him yourself."

Seeing Gonzalez use her grandfather's authority against her, Norah's annoyance flared. "It was just polite small talk. You don't have to take it so literally."

"I wasn't joking," Gonzalez stated flatly.

Sensing the escalating tension, Sara quickly jumped in to play peacemaker. "Actually, Norah really shouldn't be drinking. Tell you what, I won't drink either. I'll have juice with you!"

She pulled out a container of freshly sliced watermelon and unveiled a portable juicer with a theatrical flourish. "Freshly squeezed watermelon juice. Pretty awesome, right?"

Norah, who had been glaring at Gonzalez, was instantly distracted. "You brought a juicer camping?"

"Yup! Bought this mini one specifically for the trip. Let's see if it actually works." Sara started tossing the fruit inside.

Norah leaned in, eagerly helping her operate it.

The minor standoff dissolved into the background.

Adrian turned away, tipping his head back to take a massive gulp of his drink, a suffocating ball of frustration sitting heavy in his chest.

Once the juice was ready, Sara handed the first glass to Gonzalez. "Watermelon juice and red wine. A perfect pairing!"

"Thank you," Gonzalez accepted it smoothly.

Norah poured a glass and handed it to Adrian. "I already taste-tested it. It's really sweet!"

Gonzalez glanced over his shoulder, his eyes locking onto the glass in Norah's hand. A dark, stormy cloud passed over his features.

Seeing Gonzalez's reaction, Adrian's foul mood vanished in an instant. A triumphant, brilliant smile spread across his face, and he shot Gonzalez a deeply smug look.

"My job is just to make sure you know when your opinions are completely wrong, and then fix them for you."

Norah went utterly speechless.

Watching her smile completely freeze over, Gonzalez couldn't help but turn his head to hide the distinct upward curve of his lips.

Up ahead, two women walked toward them, both sporting off-the-shoulder crop tops and denim cutoffs. Trendy and seductive, it was Lorelei and her friend.

Adjusting her sun hat, Lorelei waved at the group. The designer gemstone bracelet on her wrist caught the sunlight, flashing brilliantly. "Hey everyone! Heading up the mountain? I know the best routes."

She was overwhelmingly persistent. This time, factoring in Norah's feelings on the matter, Gonzalez didn't bother shooting her down and tacitly allowed them to tag along.

Wisely avoiding Gonzalez's terrifying aura, Lorelei flanked Norah and Adrian. "We've been here at least five times. What about you guys?"

"First time!" Norah answered cheerfully.

Lorelei arched a perfectly manicured brow. "Then I'm fully qualified to be your private tour guide!"