Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan)
Chapter 1838

Bidding a tender farewell to her parents, Morrison embraced Magdalen and stepped out the door, settling into the flower-adorned carriage that would take her to the Langston estate. Estelle and Sophia, along with a few bridesmaids, climbed into their respective vehicles.

The procession, swollen by the Sampson family's generous wedding gift, stretched down the entire street, a caravan so grand it caught the relentless gaze of the media, eager to cover every moment of the couple's nuptials.

Perched in her seat, Estelle received a video call from Old Mr. Jarvis. She tapped to answer, and his chuckling visage filled her screen. "Estelle, I'm already at Old Mr. Quintin's place. We'll be heading to the hotel soon. Whereabouts are you now?"

Before she could reply, Old Mr. Quintin wedged himself into the frame. "Estelle, it's your mentor!"

Old Mr. Jarvis glanced over with a look of mock distaste. "The girl has lost her memory? Needs you to introduce yourself specially?"

Old Mr. Quintin's face soured as he retorted, "I'm just worried your big head is hogging the screen so Estelle can't even see me!"

"She doesn't want to see you at all!"

"Nonsense, Estelle adores me the most!"

"Is a mentor closer than a grandfather?"

Watching the two seniors bicker on screen, Estelle couldn't help but wonder if these old friends turned playful rivals might end up causing a scene at Magdalen's wedding.

After a moment, with Old Mr. Jarvis fully engaged in their spat, Estelle hadn't managed to get a word in. She closed the video call, leaving the dispute to carry on without them.

The driver, overhearing the lively exchange, chuckled and asked, "Your grandpa? Quite the character, isn't he?"

Estelle stifled a laugh and glanced down at her phone, at the last message from Jonathan that still sat unread from yesterday morning.

Opening the chat, she began to type, [On my way to the Langston estate. Have you made it back yet?]

Her fingers hesitated, then meticulously backspaced, erasing every word. Jonathan must be tied up with something important; he'd surely be rushing if he could. She decided not to press him further and add to his stress.

She closed WhatsApp and set aside her phone, turning to gaze out the window.

Upon arriving at the Langston estate, she witnessed Magdalen and Morrison were smiling with Langston parents by their sides. The couple had been together for so long that the Langstons had long since embraced Magdalen as their own daughter. The tenderness and affection in their eyes were unmistakable.

After photographs and a brief respite with sweets at the estate, they proceeded to the hotel.

The Langston wedding reception was set at Stellar Palace, a hotel owned by the family itself, stylized like a castle garden. As the cars rolled through the gates and past the castle, they emerged into a breathtaking floral sea that Morrison had orchestrated for Magdalen.

From the day their wedding date was set, Morrison had been meticulously planning, and now the garden was ablaze with tulips imported from around the world, transforming the space into a fairy-tale vision. Magdalen was momentarily stunned by the sight, her pulse quickening as she turned to Morrison. She remembered a day, on the cusp of her final exams, when Morrison had come over to tutor her. While he was explaining a problem, she had doodled a tulip in her textbook, which he caught. Blushing, she had offered her hand for him to reprimand.

But as Morrison held her hand, noticing another tulip drawn in her palm, he couldn't help but smile. "Fond of them, are you?"

Without thinking much of it, Magdalen had said, "Someday, I want our wedding to be in a garden filled with nothing but tulips."

At the time, they weren't officially a couple, and his face had turned red as he threatened, "Keep talking nonsense, and I'll add two more sets of problems to your homework!"

She could still recall his flustered expression back then, but he had held onto her words all this time.

Morrison, his eyes a hidden depth behind his glasses, gazed at her with a soft intensity. "In the realm of love, you are the bravest. It's only right that I repay your courage with my deepest devotion."