Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 3410

Carson replied almost instantly: [What happened?]

Marina tossed her phone onto the mattress and ignored it.

A few minutes later, it started ringing. She answered.

"Is it an emergency?" Carson's voice was smooth, patient, and completely unbothered by her sudden cancellation.

Marina remained silent.

After a brief pause, he asked softly, "Do you want to get a drink?"

Marina took a shaky breath. "Yes."

*

Carson took her back to the same dimly lit lounge they had taken Erin to. They sat at the sleek marble bar, and Carson ordered her a cocktail.

He sat in silence, watching as she downed three drinks back-to-back. Only when she reached for a fourth did he finally slide the glass out of her reach. He smiled gently. "Alright. Tell me what happened."

His voice was rich and melodic, like the low, soothing pull of a cello. It made it far too easy to want to pour her heart out.

Marina traced the rim of the empty glass, keeping her eyes cast downward. "There's this girl in my family. She's physically fragile but incredibly resilient. She's gorgeous, artistic, sweet, and perfectly obedient. Everyone adores her. Even my own parents constantly compare us, and the final verdict is always the same—I'm a complete failure next to her."

She finally turned to look at Carson, her eyes slightly glazed. "Do you like girls like that too?"

A bitter, self-deprecating smile touched her lips. "Why wasn't Phoebe the one you got engaged to? A wildly handsome playboy and a fragile, multi-talented heiress. It's the perfect romance novel cliché, isn't it? Besides, I know you have a thing for innocent, helpless girls."

Carson let out a soft chuckle. "I'll let you in on a little secret. When the marriage alliance was first brought up, your family's top choice actually was Phoebe. But I turned them down."

Marina blinked in genuine shock. "Why?"

Carson's eyes crinkled with amusement, making him look devastatingly handsome. "You're not like them. You're someone I need a lifetime to figure out."

"Wow," Marina deadpanned. "Your sweet talk is practically an Olympic sport."

Too bad she was bulletproof. His rehearsed lines had absolutely no effect on her.

Carson smiled easily. "See? Flattery doesn't work on everyone. It certainly doesn't work on someone with a spine of steel. Phoebe's whole fragile, people-pleasing routine only works in your house because your family desperately needs their egos stroked. I don't need my ego stroked. That's exactly why I rejected her from day one."

Marina froze. She hadn't expected him to loop the conversation perfectly back around just to validate her again.

And to compliment himself in the process.

She couldn't help but laugh. "Well, your little speech just made me feel a whole lot better. Doesn't that mean I fell right into your trap? I guess I'm just a weak-minded mortal after all."

Carson offered a slow, breathtaking smile. "It doesn't matter what kind of person you are. As long as I like you, that's enough."