Yara spoke with such gravity that her father, Jasper, couldn’t possibly ignore it.
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Only after Jasper gave her an explicit promise to erase all traces from before did Yara finally hang up.
Yara suddenly sensed someone’s gaze on her. She looked up and spotted a woman on the second–floor staircase, immaculately dressed.
The woman was dressed head to toe in luxury brands. Even her earrings looked like they cost a small fortune.
Yara paused, startled and about to leave, when the woman on the steps spoke softly, her voice carrying a subtle chill. “I heard everything you said on the phone.”
Yara’s expression stiffened for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure while she questioned calmly. “And what exactly did you hear, miss?”
Mallory regarded Yara with a haughty, dismissive gaze from the top of the stairs, her eyes brimming with arrogance and contempt.
“I heard everything. And I happen to know Marina personally,” Mallory said.
Yara figured it wouldn’t be a big deal even if some stranger overheard her call.
But to her surprise, this woman actually knew Marina.
Mallory didn’t miss the flash of guilt and panic in Yara’s eyes while she descended the stairs.
Mallory was about to head out when she caught Marina and Daron’s names, so she stuck around and overheard enough to get a sense of what was going on between them.
Just to be sure, she decided to ask.
“Who is Lavern?” Mallory asked. “Is he Marina’s boyfriend back in Sicester?”
Yara had a knack for reading people, and from the look on Mallory’s face, she could tell this woman wasn’t her enemy. If she were anyone’s enemy, it’d be Marina’s, not hers.
“Yeah, they’ve been together for seven years,” Yara replied.
Mallory’s eyes went wide in shock. “Seven years? Wait, you mean they’re still dating?”
Mallory’s eyes flashed with a twisted mix of loathing and smug satisfaction.
Yara caught the look on her face and nodded right away, not a hint of hesitation.
“Yeah,” Yara replied.
“They were planning to get married just recently, but for some reason, Marina called it off at the last minute,”
Yara added.
Chapter 180
Mallory bit down hard, her face twisted with a mix of mockery and bitterness.
“Why else? She obviously traded up for Daron!” Mallory sneered,
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Yara’s eyes flashed with confusion. She still had no clue how Marina managed to hook up with Daron. But looking at this woman, dripping in luxury from head to toe, Yara figured she might have the inside scoop. So, she decided to make the first move and see what she could dig up.
“Miss, this isn’t really the best place to talk. How about we find somewhere more private?” Yara suggested.
Mallory sized her up. Yara might’ve been dressed to impress, but she still had that unmistakable provincial vibe. The necklace and earrings she wore looked like cheap knockoffs, definitely not the real deal.
Normally, Mallory wouldn’t give someone like her the time of day, let alone bother with a conversation.
But since Yara seemed to know everything about Marina’s time in Sicester, Mallory just smirked with a hint of contempt and figured she might as well make use of her. So she nodded.
“Alright, let’s talk in my suite upstairs,” Mallory said.
Yara just smiled and followed Mallory up the stairs.
*****
Marina couldn’t figure out how Daron could have such a temper.
Daron stayed silent the entire ride, right up until they got out of the car.
She kept quiet too.
Eddy pulled the car into the garage.
Daron was the first to open the door and stride out, not even bothering to look back.
Marina watched him walk away, feeling a wave of helplessness wash over her.
As Marina was about to get out, Eddy leaned over and said quietly, “Ms. Finley, maybe try coaxing Mr. Zamora a little. He’s really not that hard to win over.”
Marina just murmured “oh” and slipped out of the car.
By the time Marina stepped out of the car, Daron was already in the elevator.
She paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and headed over. When she got to the elevator, she noticed the doors hadn’t closed yet.
Daron was still inside, holding down the open button with his long fingers, his expression stormy as he waited for her.
Marina slipped into the elevator and quietly thanked him as she stood by his side, her voice barely above a whisper.
Chapter 180
“Thanks,” Marina murmured, feeling a bit awkward.
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Daron gave her a sidelong look, pressed the button for their floor with his long, elegant fingers, then withdrew
his hand.
“I was starting to think you’d lost your voice,” Daron said, his tone laced with sarcasm.
Marina bit her lip and replied softly, “No.”
Daron raised an eyebrow at her. “So, you’re not mute, just ignoring me? What is it, still got your mind on that boyfriend of yours?”
“He’s not my boyfriend, he’s already an ex. We broke up,” Marina replied calmly.
Daron snorted coldly, his eyes sharp as he stared at her.
“Couldn’t bear to end it? Still hung up on him?” Daron sneered.
Marina shook her head. She wasn’t hung up on him at all.
Lavern was the one who broke off their seven–year relationship, not her. So if anyone’s still clinging to the past, it should be Lavern, not her.
Seeing Marina with her head down, Daron just felt a wave of irritation stuck in his chest, like he couldn’t breathe.
The elevator doors opened on their floor.
Daron stepped out with a cold look on his face, not even glancing back.
As he walked out, Marina heard him speak in that deep voice of his.
“Back then, when you wanted to break off our engagement, you sure weren’t so soft–hearted,” Daron said coldly.
Marina froze, looking up in shock at Daron’s back.
It wasn’t until the elevator doors slid shut, putting Daron out of sight, that Marina quickly hit the open button and stepped out.
Daron had already gone inside, leaving the front door wide open.
Marina took a deep breath and walked in, spotting her slippers still sitting by the entrance.
She was sure she’d put them back in the shoe cabinet before she left, so clearly, Daron must’ve taken them out for her when he swapped his shoes earlier.
Marina gently bit her lip, telling herself she had to explain to Daron why she went to the class reunion tonight.
Their investigation had stalled. They still didn’t have enough solid evidence to nail Lavern.
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Their files weren’t enough to recover the missing money from Ross Group, so they had to shake things up and bait the Slav family into making a move, hoping it would give them something new to dig into.
Shawna showing up at the restaurant tonight was no coincidence. Marina had made sure she got the tip–off.
Even those photos Shawna had of Lavern and Yara together, Marina was the one who gave them to her as proof.
Marina kicked off her shoes, slipped into her slippers, and headed inside, steeling herself for the conversation ahead.
Daron was already in the master bedroom.
Marina quietly walked over and saw the door slightly ajar. She was just about to knock when she heard Daron’s voice from inside.
“I’ve been single for ages, guess it’s time to settle down. Just set it up for me,” Daron said.
“Alright, I’ll drop by in two days,” Daron added.
“Okay,” Daron replied.
Marina paused. Joyce Milner’s birthday was in two days.
She let her hand fall, turned around, and quietly walked away.
‘Did it really matter whether I explained or not?‘ Marina thought to herself. ‘It wouldn’t make a difference anyway.‘
Daron hung up, turned around, and saw someone walk by his bedroom door.
Marina had just gotten back to her room and hadn’t even made it to the bathroom when she heard a knock at the door.
She took a deep breath, steadying herself, and then opened the door.
“Is there something you need, Mr. Zamora?” Marina asked, her voice calm and composed.
She did her best to keep her voice steady, not letting any emotion slip through.
Daron lowered his gaze, looking at her quietly.
“Got something you want to say to me?” he asked.
His tone was cool and even, all that anger from the car ride had faded away.
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.
