Chapter 302
E 55 vouchers
The study door opened, and Harris slowly walked out, leaning on his cane. When he saw Marina standing alone in the hallway, he spoke in a calm, steady voice.
“Ms. Finley, you must realize it now. You and Daron aren’t really a good match anymore,” Harris said.
Marina pressed her lips together, feeling a wave of emotion at his words.
Harris continued, “Daron only married you because you were the first woman I chose for him to marry.
“Back when he was young, he just took it for granted that you’d be the one he’d end up with, so he always saw you as his. That’s just how he is. If something belongs to him, even if he doesn’t care for it, he never lets go.”
Marina listened in silence, her heart heavy with his words.
Harris slowly walked over to her, stopping right in front of her. He spoke in a calm, steady voice, “You need to be prepared.
“Daron’s just acting on impulse right now. If he ever snaps out of it, he might end up divorcing you. Just… try not to let it break your heart, okay?
“I’ve watched you grow up, after all. Even though things got messy when you first came to the Zamora family, no matter what Daron decides, I don’t want you to get hurt because of it.”
Marina didn’t say anything, just looked down.
Noticing her silence, Harris spoke again, his tone still calm.
“Come on, the Zamora family is really lively today, even more than when you stirred things up before. Let’s go take a look,” he said.
With that, he started walking toward the elevator.
Marina didn’t move until Harris was already in the elevator, calling for her to come. Then she finally walked over and joined him inside.
As the elevator doors slid shut, Harris spoke in a low, serious voice.
“Things in the Zamora family are still way too messy. Honestly, most of the young ladies from Vrufield’s big families aren’t really good at handling stress,” he said.
“The biggest advantage Daron gets from marrying you is that you can take all the pressure off him and deal with all the drama, keeping things stable. That’s why I suggested we keep the marriage under wraps. It’s also for your own good. Your grandpa and I go way back, and I don’t want him to give me grief in the afterlife for not looking out for his granddaughter.”
Marina’s hands, hanging at her sides, instinctively twisted together for a moment, but she quickly let go and straightened her back, answering Harris in a low voice.
“Mr. Zamora has helped the Finley family a lot lately. If I can be useful to him, that’s the least I can do in return. No matter what, I’ll always do my part,” she said.
Harris narrowed his eyes slightly at her words, his voice low and serious.
“You really do understand your role here,” he said.
Marina pressed her lips together and spoke softly.
1/4
11:10 am
Chapter 302
55 vouchers
“So when you said in the study that Daron and I shouldn’t announce our marriage yet, you were really just saying it for Daron’s benefit, weren’t you?” she asked.
“You still want me to step up and take some of the heat, don’t you?”
Harris shot her a sidelong look, his tone cool and detached.
“I never said that,” he said flatly.
“You and Daron are already married, Ms. Finley. I don’t want your presence to cause any rift between me and Daron. Just blend into the background here in the Zamora family, like Daron’s aunt.”
When the elevator reached the first floor, Harris made his way out, cane in hand.
As Harris was leaving, Marina spoke quietly, “Harris, you’ll always be on Daron’s side, right?”
Harris didn’t reply, but his steps paused for a moment.
Seeing that, Marina knew what that meant deep down.
In the Zamora family’s living room, Harris’s brothers were all sitting in their own chairs, each one taking turns to call out Daron for refusing to let Victor be added to the family register.
“Daron, no matter what, Victor’s still part of the Zamora bloodline. The only reason he hasn’t been put on the family register all these years is because you were just a kid back then.
“Now you’ve taken over the Zamora Group, and Victor’s always been working overseas. He doesn’t affect your position at all.
“Your grandfather’s getting old, and his only wish is to see Victor added to the family register. What gives you the right to say
no?”
Daron looked at Matthew speaking, his face emotionless and his tone icy.
“Grandpa Matthew, I’m not against adding him to the family register. But I won’t allow him to be registered as my mother’s son. Victor is only a few months younger than me. Doing that would be humiliating for her,” Daron said.
“If you insist on putting him under my mother’s name, then just remove her from the Zamora family register and let the Blanchard family bring her memorial tablet back home,” he added.
At Daron’s words, Matthew banged the table and got to his feet.
“Zamora family matters are handled within our own walls. There’s no reason for the Blanchard family to step in,” he retorted angrily.
“Once your mother married into the Zamora family, she belongs to us in life and in death,” he added.
Harris strode into the living room, looking unimpressed, his voice cool and steady.
“What’s everyone yelling about? All this noise is giving me a headache.”
The butler helped him settle into a chair, and Harris shot a glance at Marina, his tone mild.
“Marina, grab a seat anywhere you want,” he said.
Marina gave a small nod and took a seat right beside Daron.
2/4
11:10 am D D
Chapter 302
55 vouchers
Everyone in the Zamora family watched her do that, their expressions immediately soured.
Edmund, who had barely said a word until now, finally broke his silence.
“So, Daron, are you and Marina together now?” he asked.
Daron was just about to nod when Marina beat him to it, speaking up in a gentle voice.
“Mr. Edmund, Daron and I are already married,” she said.
Her words hit like a thunderclap. Everyone stared at them in utter shock.
Daron frowned, his gaze fixed on Marina, his deep eyes hiding a storm of emotions he couldn’t quite name.
Leo narrowed his eyes, his voice cold and mocking.
“Daron, so that’s why you wouldn’t get engaged to Joyce. It turns out you already tied the knot with Ms. Finley.
“So this whole time, you’ve just been stringing the Milner family along, huh?”
Daron’s stare at Leo was pure ice, not a hint of warmth, his whole presence practically crackling with aggression.
“When did I ever say I was going to get engaged to Joyce? Now I get why everyone thinks the Zamora and Milner families are about to join up, so it’s really you, Dad, laying the groundwork for Victor,” Daron said coldly.
“Dad, if you want to set Victor up with Joyce, just spell it out for everyone instead of making everyone jump to the wrong conclusions,” he added.
The Zamora family elders fell silent, deep in thought as they listened to Daron.
It was Leo who started the whole conversation about a marriage alliance between the Zamora and Milner families.
The Milner family was a prominent name in Vrufield, so everyone just took it for granted that Daron would be the one marrying Joyce.
Leo was using Daron as a cover to let Daron push back against the Milner match, then Leo could swoop in, pretending he was reluctantly taking Daron’s place.
Leo had been scheming behind everyone’s backs.
3/4
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.
