Valerie's heart skipped a beat when she saw Gabriel willing to chat with her. "Ms. Jarvis is such a sweetheart. I asked her if you had a girlfriend, and she said, 'At his age? How could he not?' She's got a real sense of humor!"
Gabriel's smile faded slightly. At his age?
"She loves her jokes, that one! Always stirring the pot," Valerie chuckled.
Gabriel offered a polite dismissal, "You should go find your dad. I've got things to do. Excuse me!"
Valerie felt a pang of disappointment, but before she could find another excuse to chat, Gabriel had already turned and walked away.
She couldn't help but wonder, what did the girlfriend of such an outstanding man look like?
*
Meanwhile, Estelle was on a video call with Old Mr. Quintin.
Old Mr. Quintin seemed a bit disgruntled. "I sent him a video call, and he didn't pick up. Has he lost his mind with excitement?"
Estelle laughed, "He's got guests, Grandpa. He's hosting. I'll let him know to call you back when he's free."
"It's nothing urgent. I just wanted to hear him brag a bit," Old Mr. Quintin chuckled.
Evelyn came over to say hi to Estelle.
Estelle mentioned, "We'll head back after the New Year. If you're bored, you could ask Sophia to keep you company."
Evelyn replied, "Sophia already went back to B City. Didn't you know?"
Estelle was surprised; Sophia hadn't mentioned it to her.
Old Mr. Quintin chimed in, "Sophia seemed troubled the day she left. The day after, Jason also went back. What exactly happened?"
Estelle recalled calling Sophia that night and hearing her crying. The next day, she asked Jason, and he mentioned a small spat with Robin.
After Josiah's wedding, Estelle had returned to C City a day later, expecting Sophia to stay until New Year's as usual. She hadn't expected her to leave so soon.
Evelyn frowned, "But what about you, Grandpa?"
Old Mr. Quintin's gaze dimmed, "I'll wait here for your mom. What if she comes back? I can't have her return to an empty house on New Year's."
Touched, Evelyn said, "Then I'll stay too. I'll wait with you for mom."
"It's okay. Go on. If your mom comes back, I'll let you know right away," Old Mr. Quintin reassured her lovingly.
Evelyn hesitated, not saying a word.
......
The Jarvis Family
Mr. Jarvis only entertained guests in the morning. After lunch, he was unwavering in his routine: a nap, some fishing, or a game of chess.
After lunch, Mr. Jarvis went for his nap, and Gabriel finally found some free time.

Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan)
Thank you for the updates....
Finally some storyline on Gab... Will he reach on time for Sylvia? Thank you for the updates....
Please fix chapter 2553…we’re missing the total encounter of Sylvia entering the fight that began in chapter 2552. BTW, thanks for the updates....
Thanks for the updates....
Thank you for the updates. Glad that Gabriel is coming back....
It’s time for Gabriel to make his way back to Sylvia so that they can become a couple and not give Eugene false hope that he has a chance with Sylvia....
Thank you for the updates....
Thank you for the updates...
Up...
Thanks for the updates....