Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 3512

A tight knot formed in Marina's chest. "You know this isn't about Kai," she said, her voice strained.

Carson gripped her shoulders, gently turning her to face him. He tilted his head slightly, his fingers lifting her chin. "I didn't hide it from you on purpose, and I certainly didn't do it to make a fool of you," he said quietly. "I know how much you love manga. If I had told you the truth from the start, you would have been forced to make an impossible choice right then. I wanted you to finish your project. That's the only reason I kept trying to stop you two from meeting."

Marina looked up at him, her eyes filled with lingering doubt.

He pulled her back into his arms. "Marina, let's stop fighting."

She pushed against his chest, resisting his closeness. "Aren't we perfectly fine right now? We aren't arguing, so what's there to make up for?"

"We're not fine. We're not fine at all. My Marina isn't smiling anymore." He turned his head, pressing a lingering kiss to her temple. "I just want to see you smile. I'd rather you insult me or even bite me, as long as it means you're happy."

For some inexplicable reason, a sudden wave of emotion hit her. A lump formed in her throat, a profound sense of grievance washing over her as her fingers instinctively tightened in the fabric of his shirt.

"Why do you even care if I'm happy or not?"

"I care. When you're happy, I'm happy. When you're upset, it drives me out of my mind."

Her heart skipped a beat, but she forced a defensive edge into her voice. "Save the sweet talk. I'm not falling for it."

Carson's gaze darkened with raw sincerity. "Think about it, Marina. From the very beginning, whenever it came to you, haven't I done absolutely everything in my power to protect you?"

"When you accused me of using you the other day... it honestly broke my heart."

"Marina, how could you ever think that of me?"

His words made her look down. An ache spread through her chest, like an invisible hand was squeezing her heart.

Carson held her tighter. "When you said I was nothing compared to Kai... I couldn't sleep the entire night."

"Marina, in your heart, am I really worse than him?"

A stray tear that had been clinging to her lashes finally slipped down her cheek. She turned her head away, shaking it slowly. "I only said that because I was angry."

Feeling the dampness against his shirt collar, a predatory gleam flickered in his eyes. His voice dropped to a husky whisper. "Then between the two of us... who is better?"

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