hapter 156
Atila seached out to help Martha, but her hand huing awkwardly in the air. She forced awry simile and asked, Daron, are you anard I’ll hurt her
Darda’s red glance was enough to make his answer crystal clear.
Mila’s face Thore for a split second.
Just then, Joyce gently interjected, “Ms. Finley serius a little tipsy. It might be better for her to rest in a room and wait for us ther. It’s way too noisy here.
Mila nodded in agreement, flashing a smile. “Come on, Daron, we’ve known each other for ages. You know me better than that. Do you really think I’d dare hurt Marina with all these people around?”
Marina might have been tipsy, but she was still clear–headed enough to know exactly what was happening.
Tm not going anywhere,” she said firmly and promptly shrugged Mila’s hand off.
The Gill sisters were so jealous of her and Elnora that Marina knew it was likely they would take this chance to pull a stunt.
Marina would have to be completely out of her mind to head off to the lounge with Mila.
Additionally, Marina had drunk so much tonight that there was no way she would be able to stay clear–headed. Staying by Daron’s side was the safest. After all, Marina knew he’d never leave her hanging.
Seeing that Marina had made her stance clear and since she was currently half draped over Daron, who looked fiercely protective, Mila had no choice but to back off and pull her hand away.
Mila took a quiet breath, masking her irritation. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Zack watching her with a scrutinizing look.
It was obvious he thought Mila might hurt Marina, who’d had a bit too much to drink.
Mila frowned.
‘It’s his problem if he’s still hung up on Elnora. But does he really want to look after Marina too, just because she’s Elnora’s sister?‘ Mila thought.
Her hand at her side clenched just
a
little.
Mila could not believe that Zack did not step in for her at all when Marina was putting her on the spot earlier, especially since she was Zack’s fiancée.
Mila felt her blood boil. If the party wasn’t still ongoing, she’d have confronted Zack and asked him what he really meant by all this.
Regardless, the party continued.
Amidst the noisy crowd, Marina’s mind was slowly slipping away under the haze of alcohol. She lifted her head, her chin nestled against Daron’s shoulder, and mumbled, “Daron, you have to take me with you when you leave, okay?”
Daron leaned in, their faces now just inches apart.
Meeting her trusting gaze and seeing her delicate, beautiful face, Daron hummed softly in response, “I won’t leave you here.”
With Daron’s promise, Marina finally felt at ease and leaned comfortably against the couch, her worries melting away.
17:50 Wed, Dec 31
Chapter 156
AM
Daron adjusted his seat and settled in beside her. One moment she was chatting with him, the next sheil drifted off, eyes closed. He couldn’t help but let a soft, resigned simile play on his lips.
He subtly shitted his shoulder closer, and Marina, half–asleep, instinctively nestled her head against him.
Jover had been watching Daron closely the whole time. When she saw him deliberately lean back on the couch just so Marina could rest against him, she felt her breath hitch.
She’d known Daron for years. Never once had she seen him like this.
Joyce took a deep breath, trying to look away from Daron and Marina, but her gaze kept drifting back to him, no matter how hard she tried.
On the other hand, Kara had whipped out her phone earlier and had managed to catch some of Daron’s sneaky but adorable
actions on camera.
She ran a social media account with a decent following, so it was normal for her to vlog her activities. Watching the footage, Kara could not help but grin to herself as she shipped Daron and Marina together.
Finn shot her a wary look, leaned in, and said in a low voice, “What are you grinning about? Doesn’t your mouth hurt from smiling so wide?”
Is she secretly seeing someone behind our backs?‘ Finn wondered.
When Finn saw the footage, he raised an eyebrow.
Marina and Daron looked like a perfect couple. After all, they looked good together, and their opposing demeanors complemented each other well.
Finn chuckled and said softly, “Send it to him and make him pay for it.”
Kara clicked her tongue. “A shot like this deserves to be saved for the perfect moment. Milking him just once is not nearly enough.”
Finn burst out laughing. “No wonder Mom and Dad didn’t bat an eye when you decided to be a headhunter.”
Kara was born to be a dealmaker. Whenever she spotted a chance, she’d go all out to cash in.
By the time the party finally broke up, it was already creeping into the early hours.
At first, everyone was caught up in the games, but as things dragged on, Zack started drinking on his own, even though he hadn’t lost any games.
Everyone could tell he was starting to get a little tipsy.
Finn could read Zack like a book. It was likely that Zack was regretting his relationship with Mila.
‘It’s just human nature. People always crave what they can’t have, but once they get it, it’s never as amazing as they thought it’d be, Finn thought.
Finn was the first one to spot trouble brewing between Zack and Mila, and he’d even warned Zack not to mess things up. But at the end of the day, this was Zack’s own choice.
And now, Zack was choosing to act like this. Mila and Zack will just end up making each other miserable in the long run.
‘What’s the point?‘ Finn wondered.
Finn figured Zack was totally lost when it came to relationships.
Chapter 150
Maybe the (Tark, barily’s toxic trait was just like that Zack’s tailier also had plenty of women outside the marriage. But There she wony Eimera would ever let Zack push her svend.
#1 Zack thought that he could have the kind of happy life his dad had, juggling women left and right. Firi was sure that there was my way that was ever going to work
Mhla snatched the glass out of Zack’s hand, forcing a smile “Zack, don’t drink so much”
Zack frowned, glaring at her with clear annoyance. “Give it back.
Mila’s smile faltered.
eing things were about to blow up. Finn shot a look at Daron, who happened exchanged a look, both knowing what needed to be done.
Zack. it’s getting late. We should head out,” Finn said.
Zack didn’t try to stop them and just nodded. “Alright.”
glance up at the same time. They
Daron didn’t say another word. He just bent down, scooped Marina up into his arms, and headed out.
Finn grabbed Kara and headed out with her.
“My sister’s drunk, so I’ll get her out of here first,” he said.
“Wait, what? Drunk? Me?” Kara blinked in confusion.
I’m not even buzzed, come on!‘ she grumbled to herself.
Finn frowned and shot her a glare.
“Fine, whatever,” Kara muttered, finally giving in.
She still wanted to stick around for the drama. After all, it’s not every day you see a couple at each other’s throats on the first day of their engagement.
But it was obvious that her brother and the rest had zero interest in sticking around to break up the drama.
So Kara could only tag along after Finn, muttering under her breath.
Once Finn and Daron made their exit, everyone else quickly followed suit, saying their goodbyes as they headed out.
Joyce strode out of the bar, watching Daron carry Marina away.
“Daron, my driver had to take the night off. Our homes are in the same direction, so I’ll hitch a ride with you,” Joyce declared. She wasn’t asking. She was simply informing Daron of her decision.
B
AD
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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.
