Marina didn’t rush or slow down, just walked confidently to her car.
Arnauld and his assistant both turned to look at her, looking a bit stunned.
The assistant practically ducked behind him, like she thought Marina was about to throw a punch.
Everything went quiet for a second.
Marina kept a gentle smile on her face. Noticing everyone’s eyes on her, she said softly.
“Go ahead,” she said. “Don’t mind me.”
Arnauld’s eyes flickered with discomfort, but he managed to stay composed and respond to Marina.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Finley. My assistant was out of line and caused you trouble for no reason. I apologize on her behalf,” he said.
Marina’s impression of Arnauld, the so–called elite in the project world, was completely shattered. But she kept her smile and spoke in a calm, distant tone.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll be heading out,” she said.
With that, she pressed the unlock button on her car keys.
The car lights flashed, and his assistant quickly tugged at Arnauld’s sleeve, eyes landing on the dashcam mounted in Marina’s car.
They’d gotten carried away, and with this spot being so tucked away in the parking lot, they’d blurted out things they really shouldn’t have.
Marina walked up to the driver’s side, opened the door, and got in.
Arnauld and his assistant were still standing there, frozen.
Seeing they weren’t moving, she gave the horn a quick tap.
Only then did they step back, letting her go.
Marina started up the car, pulled out, and turned the wheel.
But just then, Arnauld reached out and grabbed the passenger side window.
Marina slammed on the brakes and shot him a sideways look. Her gaze lost its earlier warmth, replaced by a cold sharpness.
“Do you need something else, Arnauld?” she asked.
He was about to ask her to delete the dashcam footage, but the cold edge in her eyes made him lose his nerve. Whatever he wanted to say just got stuck in his throat.
“No, it’s nothing. I just wanted to apologize to you again, Ms. Finley,” he then said, trying to sound earnest.
“Hey…” Arnauld called out, glancing back at his assistant.
She dragged herself over, clearly reluctant. She was just about to start apologizing when Marina raised her hand, stopping
her cold.
“No need,” Marina said flatly.
1/4
Chapter **
“Mr. Zamora already handled her for what she did. An apology won’t change anything. Honestly, I use tolerance She homewreckers, so I really can’t accept any apology, she added.
With that, Marina floored it and sped away.
Marina hadn’t wanted to get on Arnauld’s bad side, especially since she was new at Zamora Groupi
But the assistant who got fired was his lover, and from the way they acted around each other, it was clear they’d been involved with each other for quite some time.
Either way, Arnauld was already holding a grudge against her.
Even if she hadn’t meant to, she’d already made an enemy of him.
Honestly, it was better this way. Better to have an enemy you can see than get blindsided by someone lurking in the shadows.
The assistant watched Marina’s car disappear, her eyes burning with frustration and indignation.
“What’s she so cocky about? She’s only just joined the company she muttered under her breath, ready to start ranting
But before she could say another word, Arnauld shot her a cold, warning look.
“Come on, let’s go. Do you want to embarrass yourself even more?” he said, his voice low and stem.
Colleagues were starting to clock out, and if anyone saw them like this, the gossip would spread like wildfire through the office.
There were a few colleagues in the company who were good friends with his wife, and he’d do anything to keep her from finding out about what was going on with his assistant.
His assistant, looking totally defeated after being scolded, trailed after him. “Arnauld, does this mean I can’t transfer to another department after all?” she asked, almost pleading.
“Yeah,” he said, not even bothering to look at her.
Arnauld’s face fell. Marina didn’t accept his apology, and she didn’t even bother with fake niceties. She clearly had zero interest in trying to win him over.
No doubt, everything he’d said to his assistant just now had been recorded by her dashcam.
If he ignored Daron’s orders and kept her around, trying to sweep things under the rug, Marina would for sure hand the evidence straight to Daron without a second thought.
At a moment like this, there was no way he’d risk it.
His track record over the past few years was nothing special.
Marina might be new, but if Daron was personally mentoring her, she had to be someone he really valued.
He figured she was probably gunning for his position.
As soon as Marina stepped inside the Finley family home, she was greeted by the animated chatter coming from the courtyard.
She stopped in her tracks, a strange sense of unreality washing over her.
Maybe it was because things had been so quiet every time she came back. Now, with all this commotion, she just wasn’t used
to it.
2/4
Chapter 88
Tomorrow was the homecoming banquet Elnora had arranged for her.
The decorators and their crew were busy setting up every corner of the estate, with Gauri giving directions from the sidelines.
Marina watched the scene in the courtyard, and for a moment, it felt like she’d traveled back in time.
Whenever there was a holiday or festival, the Finley Estate would always be buzzing with life.
Gauri turned around, still bossing the workers around, and called out to Marina.
“Hey, Marina, you’re back! Elnora asked you to drop by her study Gauri said.
“Sure, I’ll head over now,” Marina replied.
As Marina walked inside, she spotted a crew fixing up the ceiling and called out softly, “Take care up there.
She headed straight for the study.
Elnora was sitting at her desk, looking over a list. When Marina walked in, she lifted her eyes and spoke in a cool, casual voice.
“Here’s the guest list for tomorrow. Check if I missed anyone, or if there’s someone you want to invite, just go ahead and add them,” Elnora said.
Marina took the list and started looking it over.
Most of the people she knew were already on the list.
But when she spotted both the Taylor and Gill families on there too, she couldn’t help but groan inwardly.
Just thinking about how Jake had cornered her at the restaurant that day made her stomach turn.
Elnora noticed the change in Marina’s expression and glanced down at where Marina was looking on the list.
Back before Marina left Vrufield, Jake had been trying to woo her
Things got pretty awkward between them at the time.
“We haven’t sent out the Taylor family’s invitation yet. If you don’t want them there, I can skip it,” Elnora said.
Marina shook her head, her voice calm and collected.
“The Taylors have been climbing the ranks in Vrufield these past few years. And with all my old classmates coming tomorrow, it’s bound to get back to them,” she replied.
Jake is the type to hold a grudge and never let things go. He’d probably try to mess with us at work if he felt snubbed,” Marina thought.
‘But with a crowd like that at the banquet, there’s no way he’d try anything,’ she reassured herself.
Besides, Daron already had his dad drag him home that day. I bet he got a serious talking–to. Maybe even more. He’ll definitely think twice before acting up again.
Elnora glanced at Marina’s composed expression and nodded slightly,
“If you’re good with this, I’ll send out the invitations,” Elnora said
Marina nodded softly, then glanced at the notes at the bottom of the list.
3/4
Chapter 88
Zamora family, Milner family, Clark family, and Grant family.
These four families are basically the absolute top dogs in Vrufield right now.
“Did you send them invitations too?” Marina asked.
Elnora nodded. “Yeah, I sent them all. But honestly, don’t expect anyone but Daron to actually show up.”
These days, the Finleys weren’t even on the radar of the four big families in Vrufield anymore.
Honestly, those families would probably just toss our invitations aside without a second thought.
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.
