Chapter 314
Marina felt like her heart was blocked and numb, leaving her powerless.
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Seeing the trace of curiosity in Bette’s eyes, she briefly closed her own and spoke softly, “I guess I’ll have to let you down. Bette. I’ve pretty much forgotten everything my grandpa taught me.”
Bette frowned, her gaze displeased as she looked at Marina.
“Is that so? Then what value do you have to Daron?”
Marina looked up at Bette and replied calmly, “Value? Isn’t it obvious? I’m just the one who gets in the way of the bullet for him.”
Bette smirked, raising an eyebrow, and said thoughtfully, “Is that how you see yourself?”
Marina looked down, refusing to meet Bette’s gaze.
Bette’s eyes reminded her so much of Daron’s.
For some reason, Marina felt like Bette could see right through her.
“That’s right,” Marina said, her tone flat.
“From the very start, I set my place. To me, being Mr. Zamora’s wife is just a job.”
Bette stood a little taller than Marina,
Since she couldn’t see Marina’s face with her head lowered, Bette leaned down a little, bringing her eyes level with Marina’s.
Marina pulled herself together, looked Bette straight in the eye, and said softly, “Do you have any more advice for me, Ms. Blanchard?”
Bette gave a faint smile and said, “I wouldn’t call it advice. Just a reminder. If you’re going to treat being a wife like a job. you’d better give it your all.”
‘If you do, my brother will make sure you’re taken care of.”
As she spoke, she patted Marina’s shoulder and added softly, “Honestly, compared to Joyce, I actually think you’ve got more potential”
With that, Bette started to leave.
After a few steps, she paused and slipped something into Marina’s hand.
‘Let’s go, we’ll check out what’s happening at the hospital together.”
Marina glanced down at her hand. It was a string of pearls.
Her eyes flashed with confusion, but she stepped after Bette, leaving the side courtyard behind.
Once they got to the courtyard, Marina finally pulled out the strand of pearls and looked it over.
The broken end was perfectly smooth, like something had snipped it clean, not just worn out over time
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Chapter 314
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Marina clenched the string of pearls in her hand, recalling how Bette had conveniently brought up her pregnancy right before everything went down.
Bette had done it on purpose.
She wanted Marina to pick up on how strange Hayley and Zara were acting.
Marina took a deep breath and quickly caught up to Bette.
Noticing Marina’s anxious steps, Bette said calmly, “Looks like you’re not as naive as I thought.”
With that, she opened the car door and motioned for Marina to get in..
Marina took a deep breath, bent down, and slid into the passenger seat.
Bette closed the door for her, walked around the front of the car, and slid into the driver’s seat.
Marina bit her lip, glanced at Bette, and asked quietly, “Bette, why did you remind me?”
Marina knew Bette wasn’t exactly fond of her.
So when Bette handed her the string of pearls that proved Zara had faked her fall, Marina was genuinely puzzled.
‘I lost a bet to your sister, and got stuck having to grant her a favor. This was her request,” Bette said.
She said it through clenched teeth, clearly annoyed.
It was like losing to Elnora was the most humiliating thing ever for her.
Marina fell silent for a long moment, staring out the window as her eyes stung with unshed tears.
Elnora had already foreseen just how hard things would be for her after getting married.
‘Thank you.”
Her voice was so choked with emotion, and it tugged at the heartstrings.
Bette shot her a sideways glance, noticing the red nose and the tear–stained eyes. She looked so pitiful that it was hard to put into words.
Even Bette, tough as she was, couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for her.
“Watch your back in the Zamora family. My aunt never had any kids, but she still managed to keep her place there. She’s no pushover, Bette warned.
Marina gazed out the window and just nodded quietly. “I know.”
Bette heard her, started the car, and drove off toward the hospital.
When they arrived, Zara had already finished all her tests and was lying in bed, snacking on an apple that Hayley had peeled.
for her.
Her foot was already in a cast, and she was chatting with Daron about some funny stories from her time studying abroad, mostly jokes from her finance major.
Every now and then, she’d pause, wincing from the pain, but she pushed through it and kept chatting with Daron
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11:22 am
Chapter 314
“If you’re not feeling well, why don’t you rest for a bit?”
Whenever she paused, Daron noticed her face would go pale and suggested she rest.
Zara gave a brave smile and shook her head.
“I don’t want to rest. Every time I close my eyes, it feels like the pain just gets worse everywhere,” she said.
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“Daron, talking to you really helps take my mind off the pain. So, how did you and Ms. Finley end up getting married?”
“Was it some wild romantic story that made you go against everyone just to be with her?”
Marina stopped in her tracks when she heard Zara’s question.
Seeing Marina pause, Bette stood silently by her side, watching the emotions flicker across her face.
After Zara spoke, Daron stayed quiet for a long moment.
Just as everyone was sure he’d stay silent, Daron finally broke the silence, his tone cool and even.
“Romance? There was none. It was just a calculated decision,” he said.
Zara gasped, unable to hide the disbelief in her voice.
“Really?” she asked.
“I always thought you stayed single all these years because of Ms. Finley. I heard you two had an engagement, but she ended it. That’s not something you just forget,” Zara said.
Hayley’s gentle voice chimed in next.
“Of course it’s true.”
“Ms. Finley is gentle and level–headed. After everything the Finley family went through, she’s become even more calm and composed. These days, most of the old families have few heirs, and the young ladies are all spoiled rotten.”
“Given the Zamora family’s current situation, Ms. Finley really is a good choice. It’s just too bad that even after she announced your marriage in front of everyone today, it still couldn’t stop Victor from being added to the family register.”
As she spoke, Hayley let out a soft sigh and said quietly, “Daron, looks like you made the wrong move this time,”
The air in the room went dead quiet.
Daron lifted his gaze to Hayley, silent and guarded.
Hayley gave him a gentle smile and said softly, “Daron, I’m not blaming you. I just think it wasn’t worth throwing away your own marriage just to keep Victor out of the Zamora family.”
Daron let out a quiet sigh, his voice cool and distant. “Don’t trouble yourself over me. I know what I’m doing.”
Zara jumped in, trying to lighten the mood with a cheerful smile. “Daron’s always been good at steering clear of trouble. He’ll sort everything out in the end.”
Daron just gave a low “Mm,” not saying much but clearly agreeing.
Marina stood outside the door, a cold shiver shot up from her feet, snapping her wide awake and making her mind razor-
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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.
