Chapter 83
55 vouchers
The secretary gestured politely and held the door open to Darons office, and Marina gave a quiet thank you. Daron was sitting at his desk, his black shirt sleeves casually rolled up as he pored over paperwork, utterly absorbed in what he was reading.
Marina walked up to his desk and spoke softly. “Mr. Zamora, I’m here,” she said.
Daron acknowledged her with a quiet “mm,” his expression unchanged, eyes never leaving the paperwork in his hands.
Marina pressed her lips together, a bit uneasy, and began to explain, “I wasn’t late. Earlier, you were meeting with Ms. Milner, so I didn’t want to disturb you. I waited in the office area until you were available.”
Daron frowned and glanced up at her, and there was a trace of annoyance in those dark eyes of his.
Marina froze for a moment, running through what she’d just said in her head. She couldn’t see anything wrong with it. She’d even been polite about it. He was her boss anyway. So of course, she had to lower herself a little.
“Is something wrong, Mr. Zamora?” Marina asked softly.
Daron was staring at her in silence, so Marina spoke up in a gentle voice, “Is something wrong?”
“Nothing,” Daron replied indifferently, finally turning his gaze away.
Marina noticed that he hadn’t given her any instructions about her job, or even mentioned which department she’d be joining. Unable to guess what was on his mind, she had no choice but to speak up and ask, “Mr. Zamora, which department should I report to?”
Marina thought he would probably put her in the Strategy Department. That way, she could work alongside more high achievers and learn a lot more. She believed that being around exceptional people should also help her grow.
Once she fulfilled the conditions she’d promised Daron and went back to the Finley Group, she was sure she’d be able to put everything she’d learned here into practice..
Daron looked
up and saw the anticipation written all over her face. He said calmly, “Right here.”
Marina froze. “Here?” she blurted out, her voice full of surprise.
‘Isn’t the executive office usually for secretaries and assistants? I’m really not cut out for this, Marina thought, feeling out of place. But Daron just nodded.
Just as Marina was about to speak, the door chime sounded. Daren pressed the button on his desk and said in a low voice.
“Come in.”
Soon, the project manager walked in. His gaze landed on Marina a flicker of puzzlement crossing his eyes before he glanced away just as quickly. “Mr. Zamora, you wanted to see me?” he asked. He stood level with Marina, standing respectfully.
Daron nodded, stood up, and walked over to the small meeting area in his office. Then, the project manager followed him. Marina saw that Daron was holding her proposal, so she got the int and joined them.
Once Daron was seated, he motioned for them to take a seat. Marina waited for the project manager to sit first before taking her own seat. She’d seen him before on a finance channel.
His name was Arnauld Quinn, the project manager at the Zamora Group. If Daron were planning to assign her to the project department, then Arnauld would be her boss. So naturally, she knew to play it smart.
Daron glanced at Marina, who sat there with quiet respect and composure, then turned to Arnauld. This is Marina Finley, the mastermind behind the proposal I showed you yesterday,” he said.
1/3
17:01 Fri, Dec 19 D D
Chapter 83
Arnauld got up right away and offered his hand for a handshake with Marina. “Hello, Ms. Finley Your propond was absolutely brilliant,” he said.
Daron kept it brief, just saying his name, “Arnauld:
Marina immediately shook his hand, her smile humble and war. “Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Huang, Be compared to your business district project, mine doesn’t even come done the said
Daron cast Marina a glance. A flicker of surprise also crossed Arnauld’s eyes. He hadn’t expected Marina to know he was the mastermind behind the Bund business district. That was his breakout project at the Zamora Group, and he’d always taken pride in it.
Their conversation was interrupted by Daron, who sat in the main seat. “You’ll have plenty of time to chat after work he said, his tone indifferent.
Marina and Arnauld quickly sat back down. Daron’s face didn’t show a thing, but one could tell he wasn’t happy, even if he didn’t say a word.
Arnauld sat in place, feeling like he was sitting on a pile of needles. Meanwhile, Marina was already used to Daron’s mood swings by now; it didn’t bother her at all, so she just stayed quiet and minded her own business.
“Since you praised her proposal, she’ll take the lead on the Sicester branch project, Daron said.
“Work with her on the handover,” he added.
Arnauld shot Marina a look, then nodded. “Got it, Mr. Zamora
Even though Marina had just joined the Zamora Group, Daron was already putting her in charge of the Sicester project. She was caught off guard, but didn’t turn it down. After all, she was the one who talked a big game to get into the Zamora Group in the first place. If she backed out now, it would make all her earlier promises look like she was bluffing.
Next, Daron had Arnauld give a brief overview of the Sicester branch project. Marina listened intently, completely focused She was very familiar with Sicester, so she immediately grasped the key points. As soon as Arnauld mentioned the project’s location and direction, she engaged in a smooth, professional discussion with him.
Arnauld was genuinely surprised by how quickly Marina adapted and her sharp sense of the project. He cast a furtive glance at Daron, who was still sitting silently at the head of the table. Deep in those eyes, there was a glimmer of appreciation.
Arnauld maintained his friendly smile as he answered Marina’s questions, but inside, a warning went off in his mind. Marina’s presence might actually put his position at risk.
He’d held onto his role as project manager at the Zamora Group thanks to the Bund business district project, but he hadn’t been able to outdo himself since then. At his age, stuck in that awkward middle ground, he was worried about getting swept off the beach by new blood.
After their initial conversation, Marina already had a good grip on the basics. Arnauld still had work to take care of, so once they wrapped up, he got ready to head out.
But when he reached the door, he stopped, turned back to Daron, and asked, “Do you want me to set up a desk for Ms. Finley in the project department for now? I can have someone handle it.”
Daron shook his head. “No need. She’ll be coming with me to Sicester in three days. Just let her grab any open seat around here for now.”
“Got it,” Arnauld replied, understanding, and made his way out. But as he left, he cast a subtle, wary glance at Marina, His eyes clearly sized her up as a potential threat.
If I can’t get into the Strategy department, then the Project works too, Marina thought to herself when she saw Arnauld,
2/3
17:01 Fri, Dec 19 D D.
Chapter 83
54%
But from what Daron said, he wasn’t planning to put her in either department. It seemed he was waiting to boot her out of the Zamora Group. After all, he wasn’t bothered to give her a desk. It was as if he made her an outcast from the start.
AD
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
