Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 3158

Hannah sighed. "Who knows? I suppose he's just playing the hero for the Lamonts!"

Mrs. Lucas choked back a bitter sob. "I understand. Regardless, thank you for trying, Mrs. Hanson."

"Don't mention it. I feel terrible I couldn't be of more help. Once Gonzalez is in a better mood, I'll try talking to him again."

"I'm sorry for the trouble!"

Mrs. Lucas hung up the phone, the hatred festering deeper the more she thought about it. From that day on, whenever she chatted with her social circle, she made sure to spit venom about the Hanson family. She eagerly spun tales of Gonzalez's missing years—partying, gambling, sleeping around, and engaging in every vice imaginable. As the rumors snowballed through J City's elite, they eventually escalated to whispers of him being secretly gay, or heavily addicted to hard drugs. Every conceivable bucket of dirty water was thrown on his name.

At first, these rumors only circulated among the wealthy housewives. When Hannah caught wind of them, people would occasionally press her for the truth. She would always stay quiet, offering weak pleas for people to stop gossiping.

However, her poorly acted attempts to "cover it up" only seemed to confirm that Gonzalez was exactly the monster they claimed he was.

*

Gonzalez, naturally, heard nothing of this. He was completely consumed by corporate affairs and endless business dinners. Having just taken over as the head of the company, an avalanche of problems demanded his attention. Yet, he handled everything with flawless precision. Relying on his notoriously ruthless leadership style, he swiftly established absolute dominance. Now, no executive dared to publicly challenge or brush him off the way Trevor Cromwell once had.

But no matter how chaotic his schedule became, he always cleared his Saturdays.

He and Norah had agreed to meet in the afternoons, but he found himself arriving at the bookstore in the mornings, sitting silently, waiting hours just to catch sight of the girl he had been craving all week.

Norah arrived right on time. This week, she was finally able to step out of the car and walk inside on her own.

She brought two small pastries with her, handing a chocolate one over to Gonzalez. "Our family's private chef made these. You can't buy them anywhere else."

Gonzalez completely loathed sweet, creamy chocolate desserts. Yet, right in front of her, he took the spoon and ate the entire pastry in large bites, solely for the reward of her bright, happy smile.

After finishing the dessert and their coffee, the tutoring session commenced.

The bookstore was crowded today, but they claimed a quiet corner, flipping through pages and speaking in hushed tones. Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, landing softly on the girl's luminous, soft features. For a fleeting, blinding moment, Gonzalez thought that if he were asked to die right then and there, he would do it without a second thought.

Between the coffee and the milk tea she drank, Norah soon needed a break.

She closed her textbook and looked at him. "Uncle Gonzalez, review this section. I need to run to the restroom."

"Can you manage on your own?" Gonzalez asked instantly.

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