Marina stared at him, her gaze steady. She could see the anger simmering in his eyes. She sighed lightly, really unable to fathom his emotional changes.
“Got it,” she replied in a flat tone.
In this marriage, she only needed to be an obedient puppet.
Daron caught the cold look in her eyes and frowned, his tone cold and firm.
“You clearly didn’t understand me.”
“I’ve never even considered divorcing you, so you’d better drop any idea of leaving.”
He gave her a hard look, then took her hand and pulled her along toward the exam room.
Marina watched Daron walk ahead, her brows knitting together.
She parted her lips, but in the end, she just kept quiet and said nothing.
If he really never thought about divorcing her, then even if Hayley handed him the divorce papers, he wouldn’t sign them.
She’d already checked the terms earlier, and Daron’s name wasn’t on the divorce agreement at all.
When they reached the exam room, Marina stopped at the door.
She paused right there.
She wasn’t hurt at all. Even the ache from when she fell earlier was already gone.
‘I’m fine,” Marina said.
Honestly, there was no need for any exam at all.
Daron lowered his gaze to her, his voice cool and steady.
Just because you say you’re fine, does that make it true?” he asked.
Saying nothing more, he waved a doctor over for a full check–up. Only after the doctor said she was perfectly fine did Daron finally lead her out of the exam room.
On the way back to the ward, Daron shot a look at Marina, who was quietly trailing by his side, and said in a low, serious
Lone
“Why didn’t you say something when you fell?” he asked.
I don’t have eyes in the back of my head. If you don’t speak up, how am I supposed to know you tell
Marina looked up at him, her voice quiet and steady
“If you saw me fall, would you really have dropped Ms Blanchard and picked me up instead?” she asked.
“My injuries weren’t as serious as hers. In that situation, would you really have put her down for me?”
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11:22 am
Chapter 316
Daron’s brows drew together as he listened, his voice low and serious.
“If you never call out to me, how would I ever get the chance to show you what I’d choose?” he said.
Marina was silent for a few seconds, then deliberately looked away from Daron, her tone indifferent.
“Arguing over things that never even happened is pointless,” she said.
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Daron lowered his gaze, his eyes calm as he watched her. Then, without another word, he walked past her and headed straight for Zara’s ward.
The ward was eerily quiet, not like how lively it was before Bette and Marina showed up.
Zara was resting quietly in bed, while Hayley was busy organizing Zara’s things.
The doctor said Zara should stay for three days under observation.
When Marina and Daron came back, Zara, lying in bed, immediately brightened up.
Hayley looked over at Marina, concern in her voice as she asked, “How did the check–up go?”
Marina answered calmly and politely, “Thanks for caring. Everything’s fine.”
Zara visibly relaxed, her voice tinged with guilt.
“Good thing you’re alright, Ms. Finley. If you’d gotten hurt because of me, Daron would probably be mad at me for days,” she said.
Marina’s lips curved into a faint smile as she replied in a calm voice. “Daron dotes on you. He’d never stay mad at you, Ms. Blanchard. You’re overthinking it,” she said.
A flicker of panic flashed in Zara’s eyes, and her gaze darted straight to Daron, like she was scared Marina might see right through her.
But Daron didn’t spare Zara a single look. His eyes were locked on Marina, his face all seriousness.
Marina spoke with total composure, like she meant every word, no hint of double meaning at all.
Noticing Daron’s eyes on her, Marina’s lips curved into a faint smile as she asked, “What’s wrong?”
Daron answered, his voice cool and distant. “It’s fine.”
Bette got up from her seat, checked the time, and said coolly. “The main house called earlier to ask about the situation. Since Zara needs to stay in the hospital and it’s nothing serious, we’ll head back to the main house now.”
Hayley didn’t try to stop them, just nodded with quiet dignity.
“Alright, go on,” she said.
“Tomorrow is the Zamora Group’s annual gala, and there’s a lot to handle. Daron still needs to go back and discuss things with the family elders.”
“I won’t be going back with you. Zara doesn’t have anyone else here, so I’ll stay and look after her, Hayley said.
Daron nodded, then put his arm around Marina and started to leave.
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11:22 am
P
พ
Chapter 316
Zara, lying in bed, let out a soft sigh and spoke in a low voice.
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“Sorry, Daron. Since I got hurt all of a sudden, I probably won’t be able to make it for the opening performance with you tomorrow. But at least you’ve got Ms. Finley by your side. Maybe she can play the piano with you instead?”
Marina had looked over the gala schedule and knew Daron was set to perform a piano piece.
But when she checked the program, she saw it was a famous duet.
She figured it would be Bette teaming up with Daron.
After all, they were twins. It made perfect sense for the siblings to perform together.
But to her surprise, the original duet partner for Daron was actually Zara.
While Marina was still lost in thought, Daron gave a slight nod and replied. “Yeah, just rest up and get better.”
Zara nodded and lay obediently on the hospital bed. Before closing her eyes, she glanced at Marina and forced a harmless smile, polite yet tinged with a subtle, hard–to–read emotion.
Hayley walked them out, and once they were outside Zara’s ward, she spoke softly. “Daron, let’s not tell anyone at work about Zara being my adopted daughter for now.”
“She’s injured, and it’ll probably be a month before she’s back to normal. I just want her to feel comfortable and happy at the office, like she does with us.”
“If people find out, they might start acting differently around her, so let’s just treat her like we always do.”
Daron nodded, accepting Hayley’s request. “Alright.”
Hayley gave them a warm smile, told them to drive safe, and then went back into Zara’s room.
Bette glanced at the closed door, let out a sarcastic chuckle, and looked over at Daron.
“Zara’s been studying abroad for years, but every time she comes back to Vrufield, she always shows up at Zamora Group to see you. The staff at HQ are pretty much the same as ever, so what’s the point of that unnecessary reminder from Aunt Hayley?”
“Honestly, she’s gotten more and more obsessed with curating her own persona lately.”
Daron frowned, obviously not happy with Bette’s comment.
“If someone can stick to the image they’ve built for themselves, even if it’s just a role, what’s wrong with that?” he said firmly.
Bette raised an eyebrow, shot Daron a look, and replied coolly. “If it’s just a persona, how do you know when it might cause trouble?”
Marina felt Daron’s arm around her tighten just a little.
Daron and Bette treated Hayley and Zara in completely different ways.
Even if Bette was his own sister, Daron wouldn’t stand for anyone badmouthing Hayley.
No wonder Hayley was so confident when she handed Marina those divorce papers.
Her lips quirked slightly as Marina looked up at Daron, her tone even as she steered the conversation elsewhere,
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11:22 am
Chapter 316
POE
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“Zara just suggested I play the piano duet with you at the gala. But I don’t want to stir things up, so I’d rather not. Maybe you should pick someone else for the duet…”
Before Marina could finish, Daron’s expression turned stormy as he cut her off.
“You don’t need to worry about going on stage. I’ll make other arrangements,” he said.
Marina bit her lip, feeling a mix of emotions she couldn’t quite name. Still, she managed a smile, nodded, and replied quietly, “Good.”
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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.
