Chapter 183
Lavern saw the resolve in Marina’s eyes, and panic was written all over his face.
“Marina,” Lavern called out.
He had always been sure Marina would never leave him.
But ever since he found out she was the second daughter of the Finley family, that certainty
Now, the way Marina looked at him was completely unfamiliar, and his confidence was crumb…
With Daniel there, Marina finally broke free.
She walked past Lavern with a blank expression, her eyes cold and indifferent.
Lavern’s face froze as she passed by. He instinctively reached out to stop her, but Daniel cut him off.
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waver.
He didn’t care that they were standing in the middle of the company lobby. Lavern, who was always too proud to admit his mistakes in front of others, now sounded genuinely anxious.
“Marina, I didn’t mean any of that. I was just upset. I know you’d never get involved with Mr. Zamora. I was just scared of losing you and said things I shouldn’t have,” Lavern pleaded.
But Marina didn’t even pause at his words, her indifference clear as day.
She headed straight for the elevator and waited for it to arrive.
Lavern’s little drama today was seriously getting on her nerves.
Marina was racking her brain for ways to steer clear of Lavern around the office.
The elevator doors slid open, and Marina stepped inside. Right then, a message from Robert popped up on her phone.
Robert: [Ms. Finley, just as you expected, Jasper started making his move last night.]
Robert quickly sent over a bunch of files and information.
As Marina read through the messages, her lips curled into a subtle smile, and her eyes glinted with a trace of amusement. ‘Looks like everything’s falling right into place,‘ she thought to herself.
‘Yara just doesn’t have Lavern’s composure, Marina mused to herself.
‘If Lavern gets hauled off for questioning now, what will Yara do then?‘ she wondered.
Lavern couldn’t take his eyes off Marina. Suddenly, she glanced up at him, a faint smile flickering froze in surprise.
It had been ages since Marina had smiled at him like that.
He instinctively stepped forward, but then saw Mari smile became even more radiant.
ross her lips, and he
pick up her phone. He had no idea who she was talking to, but her
Lavern had seen that look on Marina’s face plenty of times before.
It was the kind of smile she only ever showed when she’d just sealed a deal or when her plans finally came together.
He frowned, a restless frustration bubbling up inside him.
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Chapter 183
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Lavern took a few steps forward, trying to go after Marina, but Daniel stepped in and blocked his way,
Lavern drew in a sharp breath, his gaze turning icy while he spoke. “Move! Do you really think I won’t fire you?”
Daniel’s face stayed perfectly calm, unfazed by Lavern’s threat, ll standing firm in front of him. “Mr. Ross, you don’t have the authority to fire me. I don’t work for you or the Ross Group?
Lavern’s face went stiff, and it finally hit him. There was no going back with Marina,
She’d even hired a bodyguard just to make sure he couldn’t get close to her.
Lavern gritted his teeth and started to walk away.
Daniel kept a close watch on him, not letting him make a move Lavern’s expression darkened, looking downright grim.
“I’m just heading back to my office. Are you seriously stopping me, too? Is this really what Marina told you to do? Lavern snapped.
Daniel finally dropped his arm, his face as calm as ever.
“My job is to make sure no other man harasses or interferes with Ms. Finley at work,” Daniel replied.
‘No other man?‘ Lavern wondered, the words echoing in his mind.
Lavern’s expression shifted.
‘Is someone else after Marina too?‘ he thought, a hint of unease creeping in.
‘Daniel wasn’t just here to keep me away from her?‘ Lavern realized, doubt flickering in his mind.
That realization finally made Lavern feel a little less bitter. He’d barely taken a few steps when someone suddenly called out to him.
“Lavern…” a familiar voice rang out.
Lavern turned around, only to see Yara walking in from outside the building.
A flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes, quickly replaced by a guarded, warning look. “What are you doing here?”
After Shawna caused such a commotion at the class reunion yesterday, Lavern really didn’t want to see Yara right now. He was worried Marina might get suspicious.
So seeing Yara show up here, he instinctively recoiled.
Yara felt a sting in her heart at the way Lavern looked at her, the rejection cutting deeper than did expected. Her voice dropped to a whisper as she spoke.
“Ms. Gill said she wanted to ask you about Marina, so I came looking for you,” Yara murmured.
Only then did Lavern notice the woman standing next to Yara.
Mallory’s gaze landed on Lavern, her eyes sizing him up with a hint of scrutiny.
“So you’re Marina’s boyfriend from Sicester?” Mallory asked.
He’s decent–looking, but compared to Daron, he doesn’t even come close. No wonder Marina’s hanging onto Daron now that she’s got the chance, Mallory thought to herself.
‘Seriously, next to this guy, Daron is just top shelf,‘ she mused.
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Chapter 183
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Lavern noticed the blatant disdain in Mallory’s eyes and couldn’t help but frown.
“Who are you?” he shot back.
Mallory gave him a haughty look, her voice full of arrogance as she introduced herself.
“I’m Mallory Gill, the Gill family’s second young lady from Vrufield,” she declared.
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The Gill family wasn’t exactly filthy rich in Vrufield. They’d only managed to carve out a place years, thanks to their connection with the Milner Family.
ves in recent
So when Mallory introduced herself, Lavern couldn’t immediately place which Gill family she meant.
But since she mentioned Vrufield, Lavern was careful not to offend her.
Yara had only done some digging on Mallory after getting home last night. Noticing Lavern’s polite but slightly lost expression, she quietly reminded him.
“Coco Cafe has gone viral nationwide, opening hundreds of stores in just two years. The Gill family runs that,” Yara explained in a low voice.
Lavern finally got it.
“So you’re Ms. Gill. Sorry, I didn’t catch on sooner,” Lavern said, putting on his most polite face.
He offered his hand for a handshake, but Mallory didn’t even bother to look at it. She just said, calmly, “This isn’t the place to talk. I need to ask you something.”
She walked right past Lavern without a second glance.
Lavern’s eyes flashed with irritation, but he swallowed his pride and pulled his hand back.
If he could build a connection with the Gill family, his future would look a whole lot brighter.
These days, young people are drawn to cafes, and Lavern had been considering breaking into that industry himself.
“Ms. Gill, please, follow me,” Lavern said politely.
As he spoke, he stepped ahead of Mallory, gesturing for her to follow as he led her toward the elevator.
Yara quietly followed behind Lavern.
Once they got to the elevator, Lavern came to a halt.
He noticed Yara still tagging along behind him, so he lifted a hand to gently stop her from fo
“Yara, you should go back,” Lavern told her.
Yara started to say something, but Mallory cut her off, sounding as arrogant as ever. “Just head back. Whatever else, I’ll discuss with Mr. Ross. Too many people knowing isn’t a good thing.”
This time, Mallory was dead set on making
sure Mari
never got close to Daron again.
Even if she couldn’t end up with Daron herself, or if Joyce snatched him away first, there was no way she’d let Marina take advantage of the situation.
