Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 3167

Adrian playfully played along. "Are you going to charge a fee?"

"Absolutely!" Lorelei flashed a deeply seductive smile, her full red lips curving as she shot Adrian a blatant wink. "Just buy us dinner tonight, and we'll call it even!"

In that instant, Adrian completely understood why Gonzalez hadn't wanted Norah anywhere near this woman.

The group bantered back and forth as they hiked. Along the way, Norah and the others learned that Lorelei's friend was named Whitney Arden.

After a decent stretch of hiking, Gonzalez glanced back. "Are you tired?"

Norah actually felt perfectly fine, but she didn't want Gonzalez to endure the grueling task of carrying her heavy wheelchair any longer. She seized the out. "Just a little."

Gonzalez unslung the wheelchair, unfolded it smoothly, and let her sit down.

Watching the way his lean, powerful muscles shifted under his shirt as he bent over, Lorelei subtly licked her lips. She stepped closer, feigning concern. "What happened to your leg, Norah?"

"Just recovering from a fracture," Norah explained with a smile.

Lorelei nodded knowingly. "Oh, then you definitely need to be careful out here."

Further up the trail was a wide river that carved straight through the valley. The water wasn't particularly deep, but the rapids were incredibly fierce. Even a strong swimmer would be in serious danger if they fell in.

To continue up the mountain, they had to cross a long suspension bridge spanning the rushing water.

The bridge was a popular photo spot for thrill-seekers. It wasn't solid; the wooden planks were spaced nearly a foot apart, exposing the treacherous drop below.

The river thundered down the mountain, crashing violently beneath the swinging bridge before winding its way down the valley.

Adrian jogged ahead to inspect it. Coming back, he looked at Norah with concern. "The rest of us will be fine, but with your leg, taking steps that wide is going to be way too dangerous."

"I'll carry you across!"

Before the words had even fully left Adrian's mouth, he stepped forward to scoop Norah up. Yet, in the exact same second, Gonzalez was already bending down.

Both men arrived at her side simultaneously. Completely ignoring Adrian's existence, Gonzalez swept Norah into his arms in one fluid, dominating motion and started walking.

Adrian's eyes widened in sheer disbelief as he glared daggers into Gonzalez's retreating back.

So why did she always have this lingering impression that he was incredibly fierce?

On the far side of the bridge, Sara watched the man effortlessly carry Norah across. She reached out and patted Adrian's shoulder with a dramatic sigh. "Don't feel too bad, Adrian. You lost fair and square."

Adrian scoffed. "Who said I lost?"

Sara chuckled. "I'm just saying, losing the race to carry Norah wasn't a total embarrassment on your part."

Adrian shot her a sideways glare. "If you like Gonzalez so much, why aren't you chasing him?"

"I'm already sprinting at a hundred-meter dash pace!" Sara sighed dramatically. "But unfortunately, I'm just an amateur, and he's clearly a national champion. I can't catch him!"

Adrian couldn't help but laugh at her analogy. "I'm rooting for you!"

Sara rolled her eyes. "Instead of cheering, why don't you try distracting him for me?"

With that, she confidently stepped onto the bridge.