Her disappointment was written all over her face, and Daron, sitting in his chair, gave her a nonchalant glance. “What, planning to sneak into the project team and learn a few things on the sly?” he asked.
Marina jumped in surprise and quickly shook her head. Even though she did have that idea in mind, there was no way she’d admit it. To her, that was a big workplace taboo.
“Mr. Zamora, why would you say that? With you here to guide me, why would I need to sneak into the project team? Just a few tips from you and I’m set,” Marina said, trying to flatter him.
Daron raised an eyebrow and shot her a glance, the annoyance in his eyes easing up. “Good, you know your place,” he replied.
Marina gave a sheepish smile in response. After all those years of coasting and navigating office politics in Sicester, she’d definitely picked up a thing or two. As it turned out, all those old tricks she used to butter up her bosses back in Sicester work just as well on Daron.
Daron stood up from the lounge area and walked over to his desk. Meanwhile, Marina hurried after him, carefully asking, “Excuse me, Mr. Zamora, where am I supposed to sit?”
Daron nodded toward the sofa and coffee table nearby. Marina stopped in her tracks, stunned. She blinked, “Over there?” Daron arched a brow, a teasing glint in his eyes. “What, does this setup not live up to your status, Ms. Finley?” Marina shook her head quickly. “Not at all, Mr. Zamora. Being able to work in your office is honestly a privilege.”
Daron gave an approving nod at her response, then pressed the intercom button and told someone to bring over the Sicester project files.
Soon, the secretary brought over all the files from the project team. Daron sat back in his chair, his gaze was calm. “These are all the meeting notes and documents from every discussion we’ve had about the Sicester project. Now that you’re stepping up, I need you to get a handle on everything fast. We’re both on a tight schedule.”
Marina nodded. “I won’t let you down. Mr. Zamora,” she replied
After replying to Daron, she headed to her makeshift desk and dove right into the stack of files and meeting notes.
Her earlier chat with Arnauld was just a quick overview. At that moment, she needed to get a real grip on those documents if she wanted to figure out what kind of business empire Daron was planning to build in Sicester.
Now and then, assistants and secretaries would come in to report to Daron, but Marina barely even noticed them. She was jotting down notes as she went. She was so caught up that lunchtime came and went without her even realizing.
Carret had arranged for Daron’s lunch to be delivered straight to the office. Since he wasn’t in the office and had no idea Marina was working there, he only ordered enough for Daron.
The delivery guy dropped off the food, and the secretary took it into Daron’s office. Without even glancing at the food, Daron told the secretary to take it over to Marina, who was working at the corner. “Give it to her.
The secretary looked a bit surprised, but even though she was curious, she brought the lunch over and set it on the coffee table near Marina. “Take a break and have some lunch before you get back to work, Ms. Finley,” the secretary said.
Marina looked up from her stack of files and saw the lunchbox with the Silkwind Kitchen logo. She immediately thanked ber
Thank you! How much was it? I’ll send you the money, Marina aid
Silkwind Kitchen was known for its pricey menu. Everyone here was hustling to get by, so Marina didn’t want to mooch off
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The secretary quickly waved her hand, shot a glance at Daron sitting at his desk, and spoke in a low voice. “Mr. Zamora actually gave you his lunch.”
Marina paused, a little flustered, and whispered, “Is that really okay? You should give it back to Mr. Zamora. I can order something myself or grab a bite in the pantry.”
After seeing Joyce, Marina realized even more that she had to remember her own position. She was just a nobody working for Daron. So she shouldn’t be breaking the rules or overstepping her boundaries.
The secretary looked a little uncomfortable. “Why don’t you go talk to Mr. Zamora yourself?” she suggested.
Marina nodded, just about to get up and bring lunch back to Daron, when someone pushed open the office door and walked in. It was another one of Daron’s assistants.
“Mr. Zamora, looks like we have to get Bayview One’s food. Ms. Milner ordered this especially for you,” the assistant said.
Daron didn’t even look up, his voice cool and detached. “Just leave it,” he said.
“Got it,” the assistant replied, respectfully carrying the food into the partitioned area. He did a double–take when he saw Marina and the secretary already there.
That was when Marina realized her temporary desk was actually Daron’s usual lunch spot. Embarrassed, she hurried to shove her files aside to make room. She couldn’t help but feel utterly insignificant.
The assistant then started taking out the food from the basket, carefully arranging each dish on the table.
Marina glanced at the table, noticing how every dish was plated on fancy porcelain, then looked at the takeout box from Silkwind Kitchen sitting next to her.
Silkwind Kitchen might be an upscale restaurant in Vrufield, but compared to the spread from Bayview One, even its logo seemed a bit out of place.
Marina and the secretary exchanged a look. Any confusion the secretary had was gone.
As it turned out, Daron was saving the special lunch Marina had ordered for him, and just handed off part of his meal to Marina since she hadn’t ordered anything herself.
When Marina saw half the coffee table covered in dishes, she quietly gave up on the idea of returning her lunch to Daron. The meal she got was just the extra food he didn’t need. By eating it, she was actually helping him out by taking care of the “leftovers.” So it wasn’t really out of line.
Once everything was set up, the assistant and the secretary headed out together, both respectfully saying, “Enjoy your lunch, Mr. Zamora,” as they left.
Marina gazed at the delicious spread in front of her, all fancy dishes that clearly weren’t meant for someone like her. This was the kind of meal one would see at a royal party. Ordinary people like her were thrilled at the sight of it.
Most people could only dream of eating like this, but for Daron t was just another day at the office. She quietly looked away, then turned her attention to the lunch Daron had graciously passed down to her.
Daron got up from his desk and walked over. Marina instinctively tried to dodge him, quickly getting to her feet. “Maybe! should just go eat with the secretary and the others outside.”
Daron shot her a cold glance, his voice flat. “No need.”
“Your face isn’t so bad, it wouldn’t ruin my appetite.” he said dryly
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Marina just stared, lost for words. She’d forgotten that Daron only ever played the gentleman for Joyce. For everyone else, he never bothered with sugarcoating anything.
She’d forgotten that Daron only ever played the gentleman for Joyce. For everyone else, he never bothered with sugarcoating anything.
She let out a silent sigh, forced a smile, and sat back down.
Daron raised an eyebrow, taken aback by how thick–skinned she was, but didn’t refute it.
Seeing that he wasn’t going to say anything else, she just kept quiet and started unpacking her lunch. Now that she truly felt just how far apart she and Daron were, Marina didn’t dare sass him like she used to back in Sicester.
Marina was determined to be the kind of leading lady who knows how to play the game, bide her time, and back up her colleagues when it was right.
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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.
