Chapter 189
Marina froze for a moment, unsure how much of her conversation with Mallory Daron had overheard. She gave him an awkward smile.
Daron looked at her expressionlessly, his voice low.
“Want to be my mistress?” he asked.
‘So he really did hear it, Marina thought, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Marina looked sheepish and gave an awkward smile. “Mallory has a crush on you, so she always sees me as her imaginary rival. I only said that to get under her skin.”
Daron’s expression darkened as he fixed his gaze on her.
“Should I praise your talent for making things up?” he asked.
Marina shook her head immediately.
“No, no, really, that’s not necessary,” she said.
She could feel Daron’s intense vibe and hurried to switch topics.
“Mr. Zamora, I’ve brought all the documents. Should we discuss them in your office?” she asked.
As she spoke, Marina pulled the documents from her bag and offered them to Daron.
Daron glanced at the documents but didn’t take them. Instead, he turned and walked into his office.
Seeing this, Marina quickly followed, already pitching her plan as she walked in after him.
Daron settled into his chair, while Marina stood off to the side with the deference of a corporate underling before her boss.
After she finished, Marina stood by, quietly waiting for Daron to weigh in.
But Daron didn’t bother to take the documents from her.
Just as Marina was about to set the papers on the desk, Daron raised his hand to block her, his voice cool and
distant.
“Are you sure you understand what will happen to Lavern Ross once the audit department of Zamora Group starts their investigation?” he asked.
Marina nodded. “I know exactly what will happen.”
Zamora Group would claw back every cent of the scammed investments and see to it that Lavern Ross lands in jail.
12:16 Mon, Jan 12
Chapter 189
That’s just how the Zamora Group’s audit team rolls. They’ve always been ruthless.
Once they find a problem, mercy isn’t even in their vocabulary.
Even when an executive who’d worked for Daron’s grandfather for over a decade got caught, Daron didn’t hesitate to have him thrown in jail.
Daron shifted to the side, those dark, penetrating eyes locking onto Marina like he was trying to see straight through her soul.
His eyes were sharp and assessing, and Marina got the message instantly. She leaned forward and set the documents on his desk.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Zamora. No matter what the audit team digs up, I won’t try to hold them back for any reason, and I’ll do everything I can to help,” she said.
Daron finally tore his gaze away from her and turned his attention to the documents Marina had placed on the desk.
“You sure about this?” he asked.
This time, he didn’t bother to study her expression.
Marina nodded. “I’m sure.”
Only then did Daron reach out and pick up the documents, his voice icy and emotionless.
“I’ve already given you your chance. Once the audit team gets involved, don’t even think about regretting it,” he warned.
Marina stood to the side, her tone firm. “I won’t regret it.”
Daron glanced up at her.
Marina looked completely at ease, not a hint of discomfort on her face.
Her answer was rock–solid, like Lavern was just some corporate rat stealing from the company, nothing more than a stranger to her.
“You’re pretty ruthless,” Daron said.
Just like when she broke off their engagement all those years ago.
Marina pressed her lips together and spoke quietly, “I gave him plenty of chances.”
From the moment she found out he was cheating until their wedding was almost here, Marina kept giving Lavern chances. She was waiting for him to confess, waiting for him to come clean. But all she ever got was lie after lie.
Daron’s brow furrowed as he continued reviewing the documents, not pausing for a second.
12:16 Mon, Jan 12
Chapter 189
Daron read in silence, while Marina stood by, quietly waiting.
It wasn’t until Daron finally closed the file that she finally spoke.
“What do you think, Mr. Zamora?” she asked.
Dator
gave a curt nod. “Looks good,”
Marina breathed a sigh of relief. “I’ll have Robert keep digging
Daron just gave a quiet “Mm.”
Seeing that Daron looked preoccupied and wasn’t up for conversation, Marina figured she’d better ask herself.
“When’s the audit team coming to Ross Group? Just want to be prepared on my end,” she said.
Daron said quietly, “Once I’m back in Vrufield tomorrow, I’ll give them the heads–up. They’ll come to Sicester with me.”
Marina nodded. “Got it.”
Daron gave a slight nod and sat there in silence, brooding in his chair, his thoughts unreadable.
Noticing this, Marina said quietly, “I’ll head back to Ross Group then.”
Daron nodded.
Marina stepped out of Daron’s office, but at the doorway, she paused and turned to look back at him sitting in
his chair.
He was already watching her, and when he saw her stop, his grip on the documents tightened noticeably.
The papers were starting to crease from how hard he was gripping them.
“Something else?” he asked.
Marina bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke up. “Mr. Zamora, do you still have any doubts about me?”
She knew she’d be working with Daron a lot in the future, so Marina really hoped there wouldn’t be any tension between them. No matter where she ended up, whether it was Ross Group, Zamora Group, or even back at Finley Group.
After all, the project was just getting started. If Daron already had reservations about her, their partnership would only get more awkward, and the rift between them would keep getting wider.
Daron met her gaze, his response cool and distant.
“No,” he said.
Marina gave a small nod. “Alright. If you ever have any advice for me, Mr. Zamora, just let me know.”
12:17 Mon, Jan 12
Chapter 189
Daron gave a quiet “Mm.”
20
Marina turned to leave, and just as she pulled the office door open, Daron’s deep voice rang out from behind
her.
“Back then, when you called off our engagement, did you ever care what I thought?” he asked.
Marina stopped in her tracks, her grip on the doorknob unconsciously tightening.
She hadn’t asked Daron.
Back then, they hadn’t even met face–to–face. She’d just watched him from a distance and somehow caught feelings she had no business having.
Honestly, they were basically strangers.
‘He didn’t even want to marry me, so breaking it off was probably the best outcome for him, right?‘ Marina thought.
‘Asking him… Does it really matter?‘ Marina thought to herself.
When Daron mentioned the engagement, it instantly dragged Marina back to those unhappy days.
That familiar sting she hadn’t felt in ages crept back into her heart.
She let out a silent breath, acted like she hadn’t heard a thing, and slipped out the door.
As she pulled the office door shut behind her, she could just barely catch Daron’s low, slightly aggrieved voice.
“It’s really unfair to me,” he muttered.
Lavern did her dirty by cheating on her, embezzling money, and even trying to take over Ross Group, the company she built from scratch.
And yet, Marina kept giving him chance after chance.
As for Daron, he never even realised what he’d done wrong, and Marina was hell–bent on breaking off the engagement, even threatening to end her own life, never giving him even one chance to fix things. It was really unfair.
Marina ignored him and walked out like she hadn’t heard a word.
Daron tore his eyes away from her retreating figure, his chest tight and heavy. Annoyed, he flung the documents aside.
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.
