Chapter 321
When Marina heard Bette compliment her, a flicker of embarrassment and awkwardness flashed in her eyes.
The moment she stepped out and saw Bette waiting at the door, Marina had already seeled herself for a tough time.
After all, she’d already ticked Daron off that morning, and with Bette being his sister, she was sure to have Daron’s back.
But to Marina’s surprise, not only did Bette not blame her, she even seemed impressed by what Marina had done
Marina was somewhat puzzled.
Bette caught Marina’s confusion and said quietly. “I was against you being with him before, mostly because I was really annoyed about you calling off the engagement back then.”
“But seeing you with him now, and how you can actually handle him, it honestly makes me feel pretty good”
Honestly, the main thing was that, aside from Marina, there was probably no one else who could really keep Hayley and Zara under control.
After all, Marina is basically running her marriage with Daron like it’s a business deal.
With fewer personal distractions, she’s naturally immune to all the little schemes Hayley and Zara try to pull
No wonder Elnora was so confident back then. Besides Marina, no one was more suited for Daron.
Bette knew all about Joyce’s condition, both her physical and emotional state.
After Joyce got lost as a kid and was later found by the Milner Family, she became extremely sensitive. She could maintain a graceful image most of the time, but she absolutely couldn’t handle any kind of provocation or pressure.
If Joyce ever married into the Zamora family, with Hayley and Zara always acting sweet and innocent while secretly tormenting her, it wouldn’t take long before Joyce broke down completely.
Hayley and Zara never wanted Daron’s marriage to be harmonious.
The messier Daron’s marriage got, the better it was for them.
Of course, as a woman herself, Bette could easily see through Zara’s little schemes.
Back then, when Bette caught on to Zara’s schemes, she brought it to Hayley’s attention and laid it all out for her.
Hayley made it clear she would never let Zara mess with Daron, so she shipped Zara off overseas.
Zara pleaded with Bette not to spill the beans to Daron about her crush, begging her to keep it under wraps and swearing she’d change.
She was only eighteen or nineteen, experiencing her first feelings of love and liking the wrong person. Bette could understand that.
As long as Zara kept her nose clean and didn’t stir up trouble, Bette had no intention of ratting her out to Daron.
Once Hayley shipped Zara off to study abroad for a few years, that whole drama blew over.
Over the years, Zara had actually kept her head down and stayed out of trouble.
She just sent a few friendly messages to Daron now and then, like a good little sister. She never crossed any lines after that.
10:07 Sat, Feb 21 %
Chapter 321
Now, Daron and Marina had made it official and got their marriage license.
And it was Daron himself who made sure the whole thing happened.
Bette knew Daron better than anyone that if he didn’t actually care about Marina, there’s no way he would’ve made it official
with her.
Everyone thought Daron just got played by Elnora’s mind games.
But Bette knew the real story.
Back then, Daron had his back against the wall. Marina kept dodging him, and Elnora was always steering her away from him. If Daron hadn’t made a move, Marina might’ve just listened to Elnora and ended up marrying some other guy,
Marina listened in silence as Bette spoke.
Seeing Marina stay quiet, Bette’s lips curled into a faint smile. She reached out and gave Marina’s shoulder a gentle pat
“If you’re treating this marriage like a job, then make sure you do it well,” Bette said.
“As long as Daron doesn’t ask for a divorce, you’re in this role all the way to retirement.”
As she spoke, Bette leaned in a little, lowering her voice to a whisper.
“Don’t worry, the Blanchard family will always have your back. Zara doesn’t stand a chance of taking your spot.”
“Just watch out for their sneaky moves,” she added.
Marina glanced up at Bette, a mix of curiosity and uncertainty flickering in her eyes.
Bette just smirked, her voice tinged with a bit of arrogance. “If Hayley was as clear–headed as you, she wouldn’t be so desperate to play the boss at the table.”
Marina couldn’t find the words to respond.
‘So, is this role I’m playing now really just the setup the Blanchard family had planned for Hayley all along?‘ Marina wondered to herself.
Back then, Hayley was placed in the Zamora family specifically to keep Verena from ever having a shot at power.
Even though Leo never touched Hayley, she still managed to hold her ground in the Zamora family by being the one who raised Daron.
There was no way the Zamora family would ever kick Hayley out.
If she hadn’t adopted Zara and hadn’t tried to push Zara and Daron together, the Blanchard family would’ve always supported her.
Now, Marina had stepped into the very role the Blanchard family once scripted for Hayley, making sure Zara never had a shot at climbing to the top.
Every one of these old–money families really knew how to play their cards and balance power.
In the end, it was all just about self–interest.
Marina looked up at Bette, her tone even as she spoke. “I’m not really the type to stick with one job for too long. If I ever stop enjoying it, I might just quit.”
“Or maybe I’ll get shown the door before I even get the chance to resign. So I doubt I’ll be able to hold onto this gig for a
J:07 Sat, Feb 21 X
Chapter 321
lifetime, like you did.”
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Right now, the Finley Group was in a tough spot, and her marriage to Daron was the key to holding the line for her family.
No way was Marina going to let herself become the Blanchard family’s pawn.
At twenty–seven, Marina was finally making her seventeen–year–old self’s dream come true.
But sooner or later, dreams would eventually come to an end.
She just had to make sure she didn’t lose herself before the dream ended.
Bette raised an eyebrow, a faint smile tugging at her lips as she spoke softly, “You’re overthinking it.”
“The Blanchard family never meant for you to be a pawn.”
“The Blanchard family will back Daron no matter who he marries, except Zara. You, someone else…it doesn’t matter. As long as it isn’t Zara.”
Marina fell silent.
It made sense.
After all, Zara was the daughter Hayley adopted, defying what the Blanchard family wanted.
The Blanchard family saw right through Zara’s intentions.
Still, after all those years raising Daron and never having kids of her own, the Blanchard family wouldn’t just kick Hayley out. They’d just keep her under their thumb, making sure she gave up on those ambitions.
Seeing Marina stay quiet, Bette kept pushing her point.
“Aunt Hayley isn’t nearly as gentle and kind as she pretends to be. No matter what, the fact is, you and Daron were married. Even if you two ever get divorced, do you really think she’ll let you off easy?”
“As for her adopted daughter Zara? Trust me, she’s not the type to let things go. As long as you’ve got someone backing you up, they won’t dare come after you. But if you’re ever left without support, just think about what they might do. So, Ms. Finley, you’d better not quit this job too easily.”
“Of course, unless the Finley family has fully recovered by then, but that’ll probably take at least two or three years.”
With that, Bette let go of Marina’s shoulder.
Marina’s expression grew serious as she remembered how Zara had pulled that stunt earlier today, hurting herself just to get Daron’s attention.
If Zara could be that cruel to herself, she would be far crueler to her romantic rival.”
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.
