Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan)
Chapter 1547

Zachary was like, "I'm clueless, man. The boss left in the afternoon and didn't show up until midnight."

Damian frowned and said, "Let's not stick our noses into his business, alright? We just do our jobs and make sure he's not pissed." Zachary and the others nodded in agreement.

Xavier had left his smoke upstairs and was about to go get it, but he did a 180 when he passed by the kitchen and headed for the backyard. Norah was busy pruning the withered leaves of the roses. Spotting Xavier, she called out, "Xavier, could you give me a hand with that ladder?" Xavier glanced at the ladder by the wall but didn't budge. With a straight face, he said, "That's not safe; you should quit it!"

Norah chuckled, "It's all good. I'm just going up a couple of steps to trim the leaves up there. They're too lush, and it's affecting the blooming."

"I told you, there's no need to trim up there anymore!" Xavier enunciated each word.

Norah then noticed Xavier's stern expression. Her smile froze as she asked, "What happened?"

Xavier naturally had a cool vibe, which was amplified when he wasn't smiling. He took a deep breath, feeling like he might have overreacted. Trying to lighten the mood, he said in a softer voice, "Nothing; just don't climb that ladder anymore, it's not safe. If you really need help, ask Zachary or Damian."

With that, he turned to leave.

"Xavier!" Norah called him back. She rushed over and grabbed his sleeve, her fingertips turning pale from the grip. "Are you mad? Is it because of what I said yesterday?"

Xavier stiffened, but his voice was unemotional. "No."

"Then why were you fine yesterday, and today you're all grumpy?" Norah bit her lower lip, looking a bit uneasy.

Xavier turned around, his shadow falling on Norah. He looked at her calmly and said, "Norah, are you playing me?"

Norah looked up in surprise. "What?"

"You're going to work at Adrian's company, but you said you liked me yesterday. Am I just your Plan B? Or is Adrian your Plan B?" Xavier's gaze was piercing, as if trying to see through her. Norah's eyes widened slightly. "I agreed to work for Adrian because he just took over the company and needed someone familiar to help. But I'll still come help you at the barbecue shop on weekends." Xavier was still not quite comfortable. "I actually wanted to talk about this with you. You've graduated so you should find a job that suits you. Now that you have, you don't need to come to the barbecue shop anymore."

Norah looked at him with innocent eyes, appearing somewhat wronged. "How am I supposed to chase after you if I don't come here?"

Xavier frowned. "Adrian is a better match for you."

Norah lowered her eyes. "There are many who are suitable for me, but there's only one I like."

Xavier's heartbeat accelerated, but his expression became even more serious: "Your parents wouldn't approve of us either. You could have a perfect future; why choose a difficult path?" Norah turned her head away, her tightly closed lips showing her resolve. "I don't want to discuss right or wrong any more, and I don't want your advice all the time. I won't listen anyway!" After a moment of silence, Xavier said calmly, "Fine, I can't control who you like. Time will tell."

Norah turned to look at him, determination in her eyes. "I'm clear about it! I haven't kept anyone as a backup or deliberately led Adrian on. I've made it very clear that I don't like him, I have someone else I like. This is purely work, there's no personal feelings involved. You don't have to worry about me developing feelings for him because of the prolonged contact. I didn't like him before, and I won't in the future. I'm no the type to change with the wind."

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Xavier's face. "Who's worrying, really?"