Chapter 195
Her voice was calm and composed. Daron’s gaze turned icy as he looked back at her.
She looked at him with bright eyes, even forcing a small smile his way, as if she was in a great mood.
Daron stared at her smiling face for a few seconds, a hint of irritation flashing in his eyes.
“Is that really enough to make you so happy just because I’m letting you take care of this?” he asked.
Marina’s forced smile faded a bit, and she bit her lip lightly.
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“Mr. Zamora, you letting me take care of this means you trust me. Isn’t that something to be happy about?” she replied.
Even though she didn’t feel trusted by Daron at all, she figured it was best to say something pleasant to keep him satisfied.
But instead of looking pleased, Daron just gave a cold scoff and strode past her without a second glance.
As he walked by her, he murmured in a low voice, “So you really plan on making excuses for Lavern?”
Marina looked at him calmly, almost saying something, but ultimately stayed silent.
Daron didn’t trust her. Even if she talked herself hoarse, he still wouldn’t believe a word she said.
Actions spoke louder than words. She’d prove with what she did that she’d handle Lavern’s embezzlement strictly by the book.
Once she could lay her achievements out in front of him, there’d be nothing left to say.
To Daron, her silence just looked like she was feeling guilty and had nothing left to say.
He stopped in his tracks, shooting her a cold and sharp look. Disdain and contempt flashed in his eyes.
“With a bad mind like yours, I don’t think you will succeed,” Daron sneered.
With that, he tore his gaze away from her and walked off.
Marina turned to watch him walk away and fired back, “Why don’t you mind your own business for once? You’re so bored you have to meddle in everything.”
She was really angry to the extreme.
Daron stopped dead in his tracks and shot her a look.
Marina glared right back, looking like she was about to start a shouting match with him.
Daron fixed her with a cold and sharp stare, then he turned and was about to walk out.
Before he left, he said, “I should’ve known better than to expect anything from you.”
Marina’s eyes suddenly grew misty with tears.
Only after the sound of footsteps outside had completely faded did a single tear slip down her cheek, as if someone had stabbed her right in the heart.
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Chapter 195
She took a deep breath and forced her emotions down. She slumped into her chair and started sorting through the evidence.
She thought, I must let Daron know the truth. I’m not blinded by love!
After Daron walked out of Marina’s office, his frown never once eased.
He stood at the elevator, face dark and brooding, radiating an aura so intimidating that no one dared come close to him.
A passing employee saw that Daron hadn’t even bothered to press the elevator button, so he gathered his nerve and hit it for him.
“Mr. Zamora, you forgot to press the elevator,” the employee said.
Daron glanced at the open elevator doors, then shot the guy a chilling side–eye, his look sharp enough to make anyone freeze.
“Aren’t you sharp,” he said, his tone laced with icy sarcasm.
The employee immediately picked up on Daron’s irritation, nervously ducking his head, completely baffled about what he’d done wrong.
He wondered, ‘Was Mr. Zamora not pressing the elevator button on purpose?
‘Is he waiting for someone? Who could it be?‘
The employee shot a look at Marina’s office door, which was still wide open.
Suddenly, it all made sense to him.
‘Mr. Zamora was clearly waiting for Ms. Finley to see him off, but I pressed the elevator button. Now he’s got no choice but to leave alone, the employee thought, feeling a little awkward.
At this point, all he could do was offer a humble apology, looking sheepish.
“Sorry, Mr. Zamora, my bad. I swear it won’t happen again,” he said, head down.
Daron shot him a sideways look, not bothering to make a scene. He just said coldly, “You’re smarter than Ms. Finley,”
The employee gave an awkward smile, kept his head down, and didn’t dare respond to Daron’s backhanded praise.
“Mr. Zamora, you’re too kind. Ms. Finley must be smarter than I,” he replied quickly.
Daron’s compliment was really a dig at Marina.
He thought, ‘Even though Daron was the one who transferred me to Ross Group, now I’m just another employee under
Marina.
‘So of course, I can’t just accept praise that made me look better than Marina.
That is a huge no–no in the workplace.
Daron just let out a cold scoff and didn’t say another word.
Only after the elevator doors slid shut did the employee finally straighten up, letting out a quiet sigh of relief
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Chapter 195
Daron’s vibe was so intense that most people couldn’t even handle it.
After getting his nerves under control, the employee walked into Marina’s office to report to her.
Marina sat in her chair, going through the files one after another, trying to spot any flaws in them.
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Lavern wasn’t the type who took risks. Aside from the Slav family, he for sure had backup plans stashed somewhere else.
Marina took the files from the employee, listening as he updated her on the progress while she scanned through the documents.
After a while, she looked up at him and asked seriously, “If you had something you absolutely couldn’t let anyone find, where would you hide it?”
The employee paused, thinking it over for a moment.
“I’d definitely hide it in the safest place I know. Somewhere I trust completely,” he replied.
Marina furrowed her brows.
“The safest place would be somewhere you trust, surrounded by people you trust, and where even the person you trust wouldn’t go poking around in your things,” she muttered under her breath.
The employee nodded, agreeing with her.
“That’s right,” he said.
Marina was deep in thought, her brows furrowed as she tried to figure it out.
Lavern would never trust Shawna completely.
He did trust Yara, but he’d already put some evidence in the Slav family.
If Yara had most of the evidence against him, he’d be putting himself completely at her mercy.
Lavern and the Slav family kept each other in check, both holding leverage over the other.
If Yara had even more on Lavern, she wouldn’t have to act so humble around him.
So there’s no way Lavern would ever let Yara hold anything over him.
Marina was deep in thought when suddenly, a lightbulb went off in her head. She jumped up from her chair.
The new villa! She’d been in such a hurry to sell it back then, she hadn’t even bothered to clear out most of their stuff.
After she left Ross Group to focus on her health, she pretty much kept out of the company’s affairs, giving Lavern all the respect he wanted.
The villa had two studies. One they both used, and a smaller one tucked
away
on the
top
floor.
She hardly ever went near that part of the house.
Lavern sometimes worked in the study on the top floor as he didn’t want to bother her rest.
The most dangerous place was always the safest. Lavern was so confident she’d never find out about his embezzling from Ross Group, he probably treated that area as his personal comfort zone for hiding secrets.
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.
