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9:39 am P
Chapter 307
Who in their right mind would let go of a wife who made life so easy and kept everything in order?
Even if he didn’t love Hayley and even if he didn’t care about her one bit, he still couldn’t bring himself to divorce her.
Seeing that Leo didn’t answer Hayley, Verena realized he’d never had any intention of marrying her.
All these years, from the day Wilhelmina passed away to when Hayley entered the Zamora family, Verena had always known the answer in her heart.
But she just couldn’t accept it. She couldn’t stand the thought of spending so many years by Leo’s side and never gaining any real status in the family.
So she was willing to do whatever it took to get Victor recognized as a Zamora. Even if she could only be recognized as Victor’s birth mother within the Zamora family, at least she’d have some standing and wouldn’t be left with nothing.
“Leo…” Verena’s voice was soft, almost trembling, as she called his name.
She sounded hurt and so careful, like she was afraid of being rejected again.
Leo let out a heavy sigh, his eyes lingering on Hayley’s determined expression. For some reason, Wilhelmina suddenly came to his mind.
Even on the day Wilhelmina passed away, she still showed up at his office, divorce papers in hand.
She slammed those papers onto his desk, her gaze just as fierce and unyielding as Hayley’s right now.
Still, when it came to looks, Hayley just couldn’t hold a candle to Wilhelmína.
Even after all these years, he’d still see Wilhelmina in his dreams every now and then.
He really did care about Wilhelmina. Back when he first married her, he was honestly happy.
But later on, for reasons he couldn’t quite put his finger on, their relationship just hit a rough patch.
Wilhelmina was always causing drama with him.
Sometimes she’d bring up divorce, other times she’d actually go over to Verena’s place and beat her up.
She seemed to take pleasure in making his life hell, never tired of stirring up trouble for him.
So, not long after they got married, once Wilhelmina gave birth to Bette and Daron, they turned into bitter spouses, always at odds with each other.
Whenever Leo didn’t want to come home, Wilhelmina would go pick fights with Verena, stirring up trouble just to get under
his skin.
Back then, Wilhelmina’s constant torment left Verena so miserable that she ended up struggling with depression.
It wasn’t until Wilhelmina died in a car accident that all the chaos finally came to a stop.
Leo knew Verena’s personality all too well. If she ever officially became part of the Zamora family, her temper would put Wilhelmina’s to shame and she’d be even more impossible to handle.
When Leo didn’t answer, Verena’s eyes welled up with tears. She turned away, quietly dabbing at the corners of her eyes.
Any other time, she’d play hard to get, pretending to give in just to get her way,
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Chapter 307
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But right now, she knew if she backed down, there’d be no coming back. This time, it would be for real.
Leo was definitely waiting for her to give him an out, to hand him a way to save face.
But there was no way she was going to be the one to say it.
Leo understood her better than anyone, and she knew him just as deeply.
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In the end, it was the butler who came out from the kitchen, walking over to Harris with small, careful steps, and spoke in a soft voice, “Mr. Harris, lunch is ready. Shall I bring out the dishes now?”
Harris nodded, his voice deep and steady.
“Bring out the dishes,” he said.
“Everyone, let’s head to the dining room. Whatever we haven’t settled today, we’ll talk about it next time,” Harris added.
With that, Harris stood up from his seat and turned to Durif sitting beside him, smiling.
“Come on, Durif, it’s been ages since we sat down and shared a drink together,” Harris said.
Durif smiled and nodded.
“Alright, since we’ve got the chance today, let’s have a little drink together,” he replied.
Harris and Durif walked toward the dining room, chatting and laughing together.
Everyone else just tagged along after them.
Zara hurried over to Hayley, looping her arm through Hayley’s, her eyes filled with concern.
“Mom, are you alright?” Zara asked softly.
Hayley gently shook her head, reaching out to pat Zara’s hand, her voice soft.
“I’m fine. Let’s go have some food,” Hayley replied.
Just then, Daron handed the folder to Hayley, his voice low and steady.
“Aunt Hayley, you should hang onto these shares. Grandpa gave them to you. Why would I ever take them back?” Daron said.
Hayley nudged the folder toward Daron without taking it, her voice gentle.
“What’s mine is yours,” she said softly.
“I gave them to you, so you should keep them. These shares are just sitting idle with me, but in your hands, they’ll really be put to good use. I’m your aunt, but I’ve always been half a mother to you. Everyone’s watching these shares like hungry wolves. If I hang onto them, I’ll just be inviting trouble,” Hayley added.
Verena could feel the sting of Hayley’s sarcasm, and she pinched her fingertips hard, trying to keep her composure.
She’d put up with Wilhelmina’s torment back in the day.
But who would’ve thought that quiet Hayley would take this chance to kick her while she’s down?
Her chest heaved as she struggled to keep her cool, a flash of defiance flickering in her eyes.
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9:40 am PO
Chapter 307
Hayley didn’t even bother to look at Verena. She said coolly, her tone flat and distant.
“Let’s go have lunch,” Hayley said.
Without waiting for a response, she strode off toward the dining room.
Daron glanced at the shares in his hand, then looked over at the so–called “family of three standing across from him, a flash of coldness flickering in his eyes. Without another word, he took Marina’s hand and walked toward the dining room.
With Daron holding her hand, Marina bit her lip and glanced up at him as he walked ahead.
“Sorry, I guess I didn’t really help at all,” she said softly.
She’d hoped that going public with their engagement would take the heat off the others and put it all on her, but it barely changed anything.
