Chapter 357
Chapter 357
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Daron stared at the ended call in silence. After a moment, he rubbed his brow, a trace of dimness passing through his deep black eyes.
After a brief rest, a call came in from the Zamora mansion.
Daron’s brows furrowed as he answered.
The old butler’s voice came through the phone right away.
‘Mr Daron, Mr Harris wants to know when you’ll be home. We’re waiting for you to start dinner,” the butler said.
Daron’s voice was cool as he replied, “I’ll be back soon.”
The butler quickly added, “Alright, drive safe. Mr Harris also said that if you can’t bring Ms Finley back, there’s no need to force it.”
Daron didn’t say a word.
After what happened at the ancestral hall, I’ve already pissed Grandpa off. He must’ve guessed Marina wouldn’t be coming home with me tonight, so he’s just rubbing salt in the wound,‘ Daron thought.
It feels like I’m cursed today. Everyone’s out to get me,‘ he grumbled to himself.
Not receiving a response, the butler awkwardly hung up.
*****
At the Zamora mansion, Harris was sitting in his chair. When he saw the butler hang up the phone, he shot him a look.
What did he say?” Harris asked.
The butler shook his head. “Mr Daron didn’t say anything.”
Harris picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and raised an eyebrow, looking pretty pleased with himself.
Meanwhile, Hayley was bustling around the kitchen, making sure tonight’s dinner would be perfect.
Once everything was settled, she stepped out.
The Zamora family’s children had gathered upstairs in the entertainment room, while the elders chatted in the living room downstairs.
Edmund was playing chess with Harris.
Matthew would occasionally stand behind Edmund, chiming in with a tip or two.
Hayley’s sisters–in–law were huddled together, discussing which luxury jewelry brand had just launched new pieces.
Hayley glanced over at Matthew, but didn’t see Zara anywhere. She couldn’t help but be a little surprised.
In the past, Zara had always been best at currying favor with Matthew.
She understood that among everyone in the Zamora family, Matthew was the most arrogant and ditticult to please, so she
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Chapter 357
always tried every trick to win him over.
Over the past two years, Matthew’s attitude toward her had softened a bit.
But today, Zara wasn’t there to keep Matthew company while he played chess.
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Just as Hayley was about to look for her, she heard someone upstairs asking Zara for a favor, “Zara, could you go get me a glass of water?”
It was Matthew’s eldest granddaughter, Tiana Zamora.
Zara replied in a gentle voice, “Okay.”
Hayley’s brows knitted together.
The Zamora mansion had an elevator installed between the living room and the second floor a couple of years back. Sure, Zara could use it to come down, but it was still inconvenient for her because of her legs.
Moreover, the mansion was never short on staff. Tiana could easily have asked a servant to bring her water, yet she deliberately ordered Zara around, clearly treating her like a maid.
Hayley kept her expression neutral. Noticing someone approaching the main hall from outside, she turned to get some
water.
When Zara stepped out of the elevator, Hayley walked over with the glass of water, her voice gentle.
‘Here you go, be careful, it’s hot,” Hayley said.
Zara took the glass from Hayley, catching something more in Hayley’s gentle eyes.
Her lips curved into a bright smile as she looked up at Hayley.
Thanks, Mom. I’ll take this up to Tiana,” she said.
Hayley nodded, reminding her, “Be careful.”
Zara gently nodded and stepped into the elevator.
Kathy gave Hayley a look, then simply resumed her conversation with the others.
Zara and Hayley had always kept their heads down in the Zamora family, always humble and accommodating. After all these years, they’d both gotten used to Hayley quietly looking out for Zara from time to time.
Just then, Daron walked in, and everyone greeted him as he came through the door.
‘Daron someone said.
Another said, “Hey, Daron, you’re back?”
Daron gave a slight nod, his gaze landing on Harris, only to meet the old man’s smug, gloating look
Hayley walked over and gently took the suit jacket draped over Daron’s arm. In a gentle voice, she asked, “Where’s Marina She didn’t come back with you. She’s not upset, is she?”
Just as Hayley finished speaking, a sudden commotion erupted from upstairs.
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Tiana’s voice rang out, sharp and cutting. “Zara, are you out of your mind?”
Right after Tiana’s furious outburst, Zara’s voice trembled, full of panic and submission.
“I’m sorry, Tiana, I didn’t mean to, I…” Zara stammered.
But her apology was quickly drowned out by the chaos.
“Tiana’s hand is burned! Quick, run it under cold water!” someone shouted.
“Oh my god, that’s huge! It must hurt so much!” another voice exclaimed.
“Zara, what’s wrong with you?” someone else snapped.
“Hurry up and bring the first aid kit!” someone else called out.
Amidst the chatter and chaos, Zara found herself pushed out of the way.
Tiana’s mom rushed upstairs, and Hayley was right behind her, looking anxious.
The elders paused their chess game and glanced upstairs.
Harris called out, “What happened?”
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The butler quickly replied, “Tiana’s hand got burned. It seems Zara was bringing her some water, and something went wrong.”
Harris frowned, his voice grave and authoritative. “Call the family doctor to check on her.”
Matthew’s brows knitted, his voice sharp and full of annoyance as he snapped. “Tiana’s supposed to meet Darren from First National Bank tomorrow. If she’s injured and can’t go, that’s going to be a mess.”
“What’s up with this adopted girl? After all these years in the Zamora family, she still doesn’t know her place?” he added.
Daron frowned, glancing over at Matthew.
Matthew let out a cold snort, meeting Daron’s eyes. “If Tiana can’t meet Darren tomorrow, you owe me an explanation, Daron. Zara’s just your adopted sister, but Tiana’s your blood cousin.”
Daron kept his cool. “It wasn’t on purpose. Why make a big deal out of it?”
Matthew was fuming. “She was the one who brought Tiana the water, and look what happened…”
Daron cut him off bluntly. “Then why was Zara the one getting Tiana’s water in the first place?”
“Is Tiana bossing Zara around like she’s a servant again? There’s a whole house full of staff, does she really need to treat Zara like that?” he added.
As Daron spoke, he gave the servants a sharp look.
Everyone just bowed their heads, avoiding his gaze.
The butler, who managed all the staff, stepped up, speaking with extra caution. “The children don’t like having the staff nearby while they’re playing, so I sent them all downstairs.”
With a respectful bow, he added, “It was my mistake, I didn’t make sure they had enough water upstairs, and that’s what
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caused all this.”
The butler had been with the Zamora family for decades.
Harris knew full well it wasn’t the butler’s fault, but his voice was still cool as he spoke.
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“Enough. It was just an accident. Are you so busy shielding your own that you have to make my staff the scapegoat?” he said.
Even though Matthew was clearly annoyed, he kept his mouth shut after Harris spoke.
Daron, having made his point, turned and went upstairs.
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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.
