Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan)
Chapter 1923

Jonathan's gaze fell upon the empty chair, his handsome face as pale and cold as the icy grips of winter.

He made his way to the table, where a tablet lay flickering with life. Its lights danced weakly upon the wall, thousands of images flashing by in rapid succession. So, the video call he'd been on had been nothing but a pre-recorded facade.

The conversation had shifted with such speed that the naked eye couldn't catch the deception.

On his phone screen, Estelle's smile had lost its warmth. "Jonathan, why are you so quiet?"

He looked down at Estelle in the video, his eyes bloodshot and fiery red, and spoke with deliberate pause, "Ella, how could you deceive me like this?"

In the video, Estelle stared back in stunned silence.

Jonathan ended the call and turned to leave in haste.

"Mr. Lamont, what on earth is going on?" Old Wade followed, his voice laced with panic.

Jonathan's breath was chilling as he strode towards the door. Just as he was about to leave, Old Mr. Jarvis hurried over, a flustered expression on his face.

"Jonathan!"

He stopped and turned, his tall frame casting a shadow in the dim light, his eyes slightly downcast. "Mr. Jarvis!"

Old Mr. Jarvis's face was a picture of alarm. "Estelle never went there to be a judge, did she? She lied to you, and she lied to me!"

Jonathan's voice was hoarse with emotion, "I'm going to find her. No matter where she is, I'll bring her back!"

"She's gone to see Gab. She must have gone to find Gab!" Old Mr. Jarvis's usually composed face was etched with panic and regret. "It's my fault. Why did I mention Gab in front of her? Why did I talk about him?"

He began to cough violently, his body shaking with each hack.

"Sir!"

"Mr. Jarvis!"

Both Old Wade and Jonathan rushed to support Old Mr. Jarvis.

"I'm alright," Old Mr. Jarvis breathed deeply, trying to suppress his rising anger.

"Don't worry, I will find her," Jonathan assured him solemnly.

He looked up and instructed Old Wade, "Please take care of him. I must go now!"

"Jonathan!"

Old Mr. Jarvis took another step forward, his voice trembling, "If you find Estelle, please bring her back for me no matter what!"

Jonathan's profile was shadowed against the wall, his feelings unreadable. "I will."

Old Mr. Jarvis continued, "Estelle didn't mean to trick you like this. She did it for me. Don't blame her."

Jonathan nodded slowly, his eyes still downcast. "Don't worry. I'm prepared for the worst."

With those final words, he turned and disappeared into the chilling darkness of the night.

Sitting in his car, Jonathan reached for the steering wheel and realized his hands were trembling uncontrollably. He leaned back in his seat, feeling numb to the world around him.

He was aware of the situation with Gab. On his last business trip to M Country, he had sought news of Gab because Sylvia was there.

It was only upon meeting Sylvia that he learned she too had followed a trail to M Country, only for it to go cold.

Jonathan had his people looking for Gab, and after ten long days, Gab's message finally arrived through convoluted means.

Gab was on a mission and he was no longer in M Country. Due to the secretive nature of his identity, he couldn't surface, but they shouldn't worry.

Jonathan wasn't sure if Estelle had gone to find Gab. He wanted to warn her, yet feared she might act rashly if she knew.

He also noticed Xavier always seemed to be discussing something with Estelle. He had people watch over Xavier, thinking that as long as Xavier stayed in J City, Estelle wouldn't act alone. Yet, she had been bolder than he'd anticipated.

A week had passed; what had she been doing?

He was certain she had been real in their video call two days ago. So, what happened in these two days that prevented her from talking to him?

Sitting in the dark, Jonathan listened to the howling wind outside, feeling as if he were in a freezer. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number, his voice icy as he commanded, "Rally all the firepower at Citadel. I'm on my way!"

If anyone dared to touch Estelle, he would flatten the entire Citadel.