Chapter 297
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Maybe it was because she’d heard that name from Bella last time, but Marina couldn’t help but get a weird feeling inside.
She bit her lip lightly, trying to calm herself down.
So her last name is Blanchard. She must be Daron’s cousin, Marina thought.
She really shouldn’t be catching feelings out of nowhere.
Marina looked away from Daron, absently wiped her hands, and made her way upstairs.
Daron heard her moving, shot her a quick look, then turned his gaze away.
After Marina finished changing upstairs, Daron finally stepped into the walk–in closet.
He still had his phone in hand, though the call was just about to end.
“Alright, see you at home in a bit,” he said.
With that, he hung up.
Marina took Daron’s outfit for today out of the closet and hung it up. When she saw him hang up the phone and heard his parting words, she breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
So it really was just his cousin after all, Marina thought to herself.
“How about this one for today?” Marina asked.
She looked up at him.
Since it was just a family dinner, there was no need to go overboard with formal wear. Something a bit more laid–back might actually make it easier to bond with everyone.
Daron nodded, letting Marina take the lead with his outfit selection.
“Alright,” he said.
Marina took the clothes off the hanger and handed them to Daron. She glanced at the time and said, “I’ll wait for you at the
door.
She didn’t ask who Zara was, and Daron didn’t mention her either.
It was like that call had never even happened between them.
While Marina was waiting for Daron downstairs, she got a call from Kara.
“Marina! Did you and Daron seriously go and get your marriage license? Are you guys really married now? Kara practically
shouted.
Kara had just heard Finn mention it at dinner. At first, she thought Daron was just joking around, but then she remembered how close Finn and Daron were, and started to wonder if it might actually be true.
Kara barely finished her meal before she was blowing up Marina’s phone, desperate to get the real story.
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A flash of surprise flickered in Marina’s eyes.
“How did you find out?” she asked.
She thought, ‘Daron already confiscated my marriage certificate.
Marina had meant to text Kara about it, but got busy and totally forgot. Plus, since Daron wanted to keep things under wraps, she ended up keeping it a secret for now.
Still, she hadn’t expected Kara to hear about it anyway.
Hearing Marina’s answer, Kara instantly realized it was true. She huffed, clearly annoyed.
“Marina, how could you keep this from me? We’ve grown up together, and you didn’t even tell me about something this huge.
“When Finn mentioned it at dinner, I was totally stunned!”
Marina immediately apologized in a gentle tone.
“Kara, I’m really sorry. I swear I didn’t mean to keep you in the dark. There was a reason for it.
“Plus, we’re keeping the whole marriage thing on the down low for now, so I had to keep it from you too.”
Kara was fuming. “So when you say ‘keep it from everyone, does that include me too? Am I just some outsider to you?
“And yet my brother knows?”
Marina could tell from Kara’s tone that she was genuinely upset, so she quickly said, “Seriously, you’re not an outsider. I wanted to tell you myself but just hadn’t gotten the chance before Finn found out.
“I was actually thinking about asking you out for dinner sometime soon, just so I could finally spill the beans.”
Marina’s apology was spot–on, and it finally got Kara to chill out.
“Fine, I’ll let it slide this time,” Kara said.
Kara snickered wickedly.
‘Come on, besides the whole marriage bombshell, you gotta have some other juicy details for me, right?
“Like, how’s married life? And Daron… spill it, girl!”
“Hey! Finn, what are you doing?” Kara yelped, her words cut off mid–gossip.
And before Kara could finish, something suddenly happened on her end.
Marina glanced up as Daron came downstairs, letting out a quiet sigh of relief. She was secretly grateful for Finn’s well- timed interruption. He’d totally bailed her out of a seriously awkward moment.
With Kara’s never–ending need to get to the bottom of everything, Marina would’ve been totally stumped if Kara kept grilling her with Daron standing right there.
“Kara, do me a favor and keep this between us, okay? And let Finn know not to spread it around. I’ve got something to handle here, so I gotta run, talk later,” Marina said.
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Kara agreed right away.
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She said, “No problem, your secret’s safe with me. And I’ll totally keep Finn from running his mouth.
“But next time we meet up, you better spill all the spicy bedroom secrets.”
Marina’s ears burned at Kara’s teasing. She muttered a shy “Yeah,” and quickly hung up.
Daron walked over to her, reached out, and gently pinched her earlobe.
“Why are your ears so red? Did Kara tease you with something blush–worthy again?” he asked softly.
Marina shook her head quickly, a little flustered. “She didn’t say anything, I swear.”
As she spoke, Marina glanced up at Daron, her eyes a little puzzled.
“Kara heard about our marriage from Finn. Was it you who told him?” she asked.
“No,” Daron replied almost instantly, his eyes giving nothing away.
Confusion flickered in Marina’s eyes, but she still totally believed Daron.
Daron just wasn’t the type to lie about stuff like this. Besides, why would he even need to?
“That’s so strange. How did Finn even find out?” Marina muttered to herself.
She started heading toward the door.
Daron followed behind her, watching as she slipped on her shoes. He was still wondering how Finn had caught wind of their marriage, so he said casually, “Finn’s always been sharp. He probably just figured it out on his own.
“Or maybe he just happened to see us that day at the registry office. Either way, don’t sweat it. He’s not the type to spread it
around.”
Marina nodded, feeling at ease. She knew she could trust the Gross family. They weren’t the type to gossip.
Still, she couldn’t help but worry that if word got out, it might stir up drama for Daron.
“Alright,” she said.
If Daron said it was fine, Marina figured she could just let it slide,
At the mall, Marina had heard that Mrs. Zamora was absolutely obsessed with jewelry,
She was a total jewelry collector, always on the hunt for the next piece to add to her collection.
So Marina decided to pick out a couple of jewelry sets for her today.
As they reached the entrance of the jewelry store, Daron’s phone rang again. It was Garret
“Hold on a sec, I need to take this,” Daron said.
Marina knew things were getting pretty intense over in Frency lately, so she just nodded, not wanting to interrupt.
“Go ahead, I’ll just head inside and take a look,” she said.
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Daron nodded and swiped to answer.
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Marina used Kara’s VIP privileges to enter the VIP showroom, where only select clients could check out the exclusive collections.
Turns out, today was the launch of their latest collection.
Right as she stepped inside, a sales associate approached her with a friendly smile.
“Ms. Finley, Ms. Gross already let me know you’d be coming. I’ll be assisting you today,” the associate said.
Marina thanked her softly and, guided by the associate, her gaze settled on the signature piece in the display case.
“Let me see this one,” Marina said.
“This one…”
But before she could finish, someone beat her to it. Fair, slender fingers were already pointing at the exact necklace Marina had been eyeing.
Marina turned around and found herself face–to–face with a stunning young woman.
She was rocking a chic skirt set, her long black hair falling effortlessly over her shoulders. There was this calm, fresh energy about her, quiet but full of youth.
The girl’s eyes met Marina’s, her smile gentle and a little apologetic, her voice soft and refined as she spoke.
“You like this one too? Go ahead, you can have a look first. I’ll wait,” the girl said.
Since the girl was so nice about it, Marina figured she’d return the favor. She flashed a friendly smile and said, “Sure, you go first.”
The girl didn’t stand on ceremony anymore. She thanked Marina and asked the associate to show her the necklace.
Marina pursed her lips and quietly shifted her gaze to another display.
Just as Marina was about to check out another piece, the sales associate suddenly straightened up, her whole demeanor shifting to one of deep respect. She bowed slightly toward the entrance of the VIP room and greeted, “Good morning, Mrs. Zamora.” 97
