Marina could feel the constant warmth radiating from Daron’s hand on her waist.
Her whole body felt like it was burning up, her cheeks and even her ears were practically on fire.
Her fingers trembled as she held her breath, hurriedly tying his tie for him.
Daron was still talking on the phone, shooting her a look every now and then.
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Once Marina finished tying his tie, she let go in a hurry and stepped back, putting some space between them.
His hand on her waist fell away naturally.
He ended the call, put his phone away, and glanced at the tie she’d just tied for him, his brows immediately furrowing.
The tie was totally askew.
His eyes narrowed. “Do it again.”
Marina gave an awkward smile and quickly said, “Mr. Zamora, I’m really not that good at this…”
But Daron didn’t even let her finish. He interrupted, sounding totally unfazed, “You’re not going to the Finley family until you get it right.”
That line nailed her weak spot.
Marina swallowed all the excuses she’d been about to make.
She pressed her lips together, forcing a wry smile. “Alright, I’ll do it now.”
Daron arched his brow and stepped right up to her.
Marina took a deep breath and zeroed in, tying his tie with all the focus she could muster.
This time, for once, Daron played along–he leaned down, getting close enough so she didn’t have to stretch on her tiptoes.
But then…
The closer he leaned in, the more that subtle body wash scent seemed to fight for her attention, flooding her
senses.
Marina felt like even her own scent was drowned out by Daron’s presence.
Her heart was racing before she even realized it.
The more she tried to fix the tie, the worse it seemed to get.
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Chapter 92
家
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After two failed attempts, both shot down by Daron, Marina finally caved. She looked up at him with a pleading expression, almost ready to beg for mercy.
“Mr. Zamora, my skills really don’t get any better than this,” Marina said, sounding defeated.
Daron didn’t respond right away. He just stared down at the crooked tie, as if debating whether to let her off the hook.
Marina took a deep breath, deciding to sweet–talk him with a promise.
“I swear I’ll practice tying ties when I get home. Next time, I’ll make it look amazing for you, Mr. Zamora,” Marina said.
Hearing that, Daron stopped looking at the crooked tie and shot her a glance.
Marina quickly gave him a genuine smile, making her eyes look as sincere as possible.
“Alright, we’ll leave it at that,” Daron said in his low voice.
Marina let out a huge sigh of relief.
‘Looks like making promises really does the trick, Marina thought to herself.
*****
At the Finley family estate, Daron and Marina still hadn’t returned. Elnora was making the rounds, greeting guests with her usual calm and composed demeanor, not letting a single hint of worry show on her face.
Since the main guests hadn’t arrived yet, the attendees were standing around in small groups, gossiping.
“Rumor has it the Finley family and the Zamoras are back in business together, but looks like the Zamoras didn’t even bother to show up tonight,” one guest whispered.
“When Marina left Vrufield, she broke off her engagement with the Zamoras, and that drama was the talk of the town. The Zamoras never got over that humiliation. They haven’t teamed up with the Finleys in years. Honestly, I bet Elnora’s just throwing out smoke and mirrors,” another guest chimed in.
“Come on, who in Vrufield doesn’t know what’s up with the Finleys right now?” someone else added.
“I doubt the Zamora Group would ever work with the Finleys again, unless…” another guest said, trailing off.
He paused for effect, making everyone turn to look at him.
“Unless what?” someone pressed, their voice dropping a notch.
They were curious, but also a little worried the Finleys might actually have found a way out of their mess.
The guy who started the gossip kept everyone hanging, then finally cracked a grin and teased, “Unless the Finleys give Mr. Zamora a wife as compensation.”
Everyone around let out a collective scoff.
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Chapter 92
(49]
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“With the Finleys in such a mess, honestly, even if Elnora tried to offer herself up as Mr. Zamora’s wife, he’d still turn her down,” someone snorted.
Meanwhile, Marina and Daron were standing at the entrance to the front courtyard of the Finley family estate, hidden from view by a traditional decorative screen.
The guests gossiping had no idea that Marina and Daron were right behind them.
Marina listened to their gossip and teasing, feeling a heavy weight in her chest.
She glanced at Daron, his expression unreadable and cold, and watched as he strode out from behind the screen without a word.
Marina hurried to follow him.
As soon as they showed up, the group that had been mocking the Finleys went quiet for a second. One of them quickly recovered and stepped forward, putting on their best polite face.
“Mr. Zamora, welcome!” the person said.
Once someone broke the ice, the rest of the crowd started making their way over to Daron.
Elnora was standing nearby. When she saw what was happening, a faint, almost imperceptible smile tugged at her lips. She raised her champagne glass in a subtle toast toward Marina and Daron.
Just then, a waiter approached with a tray of champagne flutes.
Daron, without missing a beat, picked up a glass of champagne and handed it to Marina.
Marina reached out and accepted it.
“Thanks,” she said.
Daron gave her a brief glance, then picked up another glass, lifted it in a subtle toast toward Elnora, and finished it in one go.
Elnora, who had been tense all night, finally relaxed. She took a small sip of her champagne, then turned to start chatting with the other guests.
She didn’t bother to go over and greet Daron, nor did she try to butter him up or flatter him in any way.
Elnora knew perfectly well that as long as Marina was there, Daron would automatically get pulled into the
game.
Even without any special attention from the host, Daron was still the most sought–after person at the party.
Marina stuck close to Daron the whole time, just like Elnora had told her to.
Elnora didn’t even have to introduce her–people just came up and greeted her like they were old friends.
There was no sense of distance at all; it was as if Marina had never left Vrufield for ten years.
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Chapter 92
Elnora was so right, Marina thought to herself.
Anyone standing next to a man like Daron would instantly benefit from his aura.
It was obvious that everyone at this party was there because of Daron.
Soon enough, Daron was surrounded by the city’s most influential figures.
Everyone was quietly speculating about Marina and Daron’s relationship, but no one brought it up, fnuteed, they kept the conversation focused on business and the latest trends.
Marina just listened quietly.
Daron wasn’t usually much of a talker. When he glanced down, he saw Marina next to him, totally absorbed and soaking up every word like she was in class.
He arched his brow with a hint of amusement and started sharing more than he normally would.
When the conversation paused, Marina looked up at him, her eyes hungry for answers.
She was desperate to get a handle on the latest trends in Vrufield, picking up on any key info she could from their conversation.
Seeing her like that, Daron let out a small laugh. “Still want to hear more?”
Marina nodded eagerly.
And she wasn’t the only one–the rest of the group couldn’t help but nod along too.
The whole scene was kind of hilarious, but it actually made perfect sense.
Daron reached out and gave Marina’s forehead a playful flick. “This is just some drunk talk, nothing to take seriously. If you really want to learn more, you’ll have to put in some real effort.”
That little flick suddenly made things between them feel a bit more intimate.
Marina stared at him, a little dazed, her heart suddenly tightening for no reason.
‘What’s up with him?‘ Marina wondered.
He knew full well that she and Elnora were using him, and yet he still went along with it, like he didn’t care at
all.
17:54 Sat, Dec 20
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.
