Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan) novel Chapter 3493

"Go find some other woman!"

Marina gritted out the words, shoving him away before turning on her heel. She forced herself to walk away with as much icy composure as she could muster.

Only when she was finally out of his line of sight did she allow herself a shuddering breath. Flagging down a passing waiter, she snatched a glass of liquor from the tray and downed it in one gulp.

The harsh burn of the alcohol ironically helped clear her head.

Bypassing the banquet hall entirely, she took the elevator straight up to her hotel room. The second the door clicked shut behind her, she kicked off her heels, padded barefoot into the living room, and collapsed face-first onto the sofa.

Now that the adrenaline was fading, the mortification and self-loathing hit her full force.

How could she have let him seduce her like that?

She despised him. She looked down on him. She wanted nothing more than to cut him out of her life forever!

Snatching her phone from her clutch, she dialed Erin. The call connected almost instantly, and Erin's cheerful voice rang out. "Hey, gorgeous!"

Marina kept her eyes squeezed shut, pausing for a long moment before finally asking, "Can a woman have a physical reaction to a guy she absolutely can't stand? Assuming the guy has a great face and a great body."

Erin didn't even hesitate. "Duh, of course. Men, women—it's all the same. Nobody is immune to a ridiculously hot person."

A wave of immense relief washed over Marina. "Got it. Bye."

"Wait, hold on!" Erin yelled before she could hang up. "Why are you asking me this? Did you take advantage of some poor guy?"

Erin's teasing question flipped a switch in Marina's brain, instantly curing her frustration. "You know what? Yeah, maybe I did!"

Erin burst out laughing. "Don't tell me you hit up a club? Speaking of which, that bar we went to last time still hasn't reopened. Whoever they pissed off behind the scenes must be a real heavyweight."

Feeling a sharp pang of guilt, Marina quickly deflected. "I'm going to take a shower!"

In the bathroom, the hot water cascaded over her stunning curves. Faint, reddish marks bloomed across her skin like scattered rose petals. Leaning her head against the damp tiles, her entire body felt as though it were on fire.

Marina dodged with a laugh. "You can put up with Aunt Charlotte's toxic mouth, so why can't you handle mine?"

Rhiannon froze, slowly lowering her hand.

Marina linked their arms together, her tone turning serious. "It's because you know I love you, so you know I'd never actually hurt you. Aunt Charlotte and the rest of them operate the exact same way—they know you and Dad are too kind and too soft, which is exactly why they keep pushing the boundaries!"

A thoughtful look crossed Rhiannon's face. "You make a fair point. We really shouldn't just roll over and take it all the time."

"Exactly!" Marina beamed.

Rhiannon shot her a sidelong glance. "Are you still living at that hotel?"

"Yeah."

Rhiannon's brow furrowed with concern. "Are you and Carson actually fighting?"