Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan)

"Absolutely, owning up is no big deal!" Marina continued to pour herself another glass of wine. "Oh, and about that kiss from the first round I lost, don't take it to heart." "I've said it before, if you ever need anything, I'm your guy," Carson replied with a smile, raising his glass to her.

But Marina suddenly frowned. "Why did you even open your mouth to kiss?"

Carson, caught off guard by her bluntness, nearly choked on his drink and coughed before replying, "You kissed me first. I just couldn't help myself. That's not on me!"

Marina eyed him skeptically. "You mean, that wasn't intentional?"

"Absolutely," Carson confessed. "My own fiancée comes at me with a kiss, and you expect me to play saint? No way!"

Marina looked at him, a mix of embarrassment and annoyance in her eyes.

Carson poured her another drink. "Come on, we're adults here. No need to be so uptight. Remember, I did you a favor. If I had pushed you away, playing Mr. Nice Guy, wouldn't you have lost face?" Thinking it over, Marina had to admit he had a point.

Especially in front of Susanna. If Carson had rejected her, Susanna would've been way too pleased with herself!

"Let's drop it," Marina said after taking a sip of her wine, suddenly adding, "I'm kinda hungry!"

"Didn't eat dinner?" Carson asked.

"Just got caught up talking and didn't feel it until now," Marina said, heading to the kitchen and opening the fridge, "Let's see what we've got." The fridge was bare except for some water and soda.

"What do you feel like eating? I'll call the kitchen staff," Carson offered, pulling out his phone to look up the number for the villa's service team. Marina chuckled. "I'm craving some BBQ!"

"Marina!" Carson looked at her incredulously. "Where am I supposed to find BBQ at this hour?"

She laughed it off. "Just kidding. Anything's fine, as long as it fills me up."

After a moment's thought, Carson made a call to the kitchen.

Half an hour later, just before

midnight, in the villa's backyard,

Carson had set up a grill and start

barbecuing the assortment of food delivered from the kitchen.

Wrapped in a coat, Marina sat beside him, her face alight with joy. "Thank you, truly. This means a lot!"

Carson glanced at her. "Feeling better about it now?"

She knew What he meant. Under the firelight, her face flushed a beautiful shade of red as she tried to play it cool. "Oh, please. Mr. Foster, you're so handsome, I bet loads of women would die for a kiss from you."

Carson smirked. "So, should I consider letting you spend the night? That'd be a story for your resume, huh?"

Marina was taken aback, her face turning even redder, as she retorted, "Aren't you the modest one!"

As Carson turned back to brush some sauce on the squid, he couldn't help but chuckle softly.

The night lights always made

everything look more beautiful, and Carson, already a handsome man looked even more striking under the glow. Marina couldn't help but steal glances, eventually forcing herself to look away.

*

After her shower, Estelle was scooped up from the bathroom by Jonathan and laid on the bed, where he hovered over her.

Just as they were about to kiss, Estelle suddenly pressed against his shoulders, "What's that smell?"

He cupped her face, kissing her again, his voice husky, "Never mind that."

The balcony door was left ajar, letting in a rich, enticing aroma.

Distracted by the scent, Estelle pushed Jonathan away and wrapped herself in a bathrobe, heading out to the balcony.

From the second floor, she had a perfect view of Carson's backyard and the source of the delicious smell.

Jonathan joined her, leaning on the railing with a frown. "Who does BBQ this late at night?"

Estelle looked back at him with a smile. "Now I'm hungry too!"

He eyed her, his gaze filled with a mix of adoration and resignation.