With a gentle smile on her face, Hayley pushed the wheelchair carrying Zara as they turned to leave.
Zara’s gaze fell on Daron. She watched as the butler beside Harris led Daron into the inner hall, and she pressed her lips together.
“Mom, do you think their marriage will last?” Zara asked.
“Do I really still have a chance?”
Hayley looked up at the door to the inner hall and said softly, “No matter what happens, Mom will make sure you reach that position.”
“We both need to truly become part of the Zamora family.”
Zara nodded gently at Hayley’s words.
When Daron entered the inner hall of the winery, he saw Wilbur chatting happily with Harris.
Debby sat beside her husband, occasionally responding to a few words from Verena.
Meanwhile, Victor sat next to Leo, his eyes drifting toward Joyce from time to time.
But Joyce didn’t spare Victor a single glance. When she saw Daron walk in, she quickly stood up, a bright smile lighting up her face as she looked at him.
“Hey Daron, you’re here!” Joyce called out, her voice sweet and lively.
Daron coolly shifted his gaze away from Joyce, then turned to Harris, who sat at the head of the table.
“Grandpa, you wanted to see me?” he asked.
Harris nodded and smiled.
“Since you’re now the head of the Zamora family, and we’re discussing a marriage alliance with the Milner Family, you should be here for this.”
“Come, have a seat.”
Daron nodded and took the seat next to Harris.
Verena smiled. Once Daron was settled, she slipped into the seat beside Victor.
Whether the Zamora family accepted her or not, she was here now because of Victor. She could sit at the table and talk with everyone, which was much better than Hayley, who was still left on the sidelines.
Joyce couldn’t help but let a small smile slip when she saw Daron didn’t just turn his back and leave. Instead, he sat down next to Harris, his face all serious.
‘Who cares if Daron doesn’t like me?‘ Joyce thought, a hint of smugness in her heart.
Under the pressure from the many elders of the Zamora family, he had no choice but to marry her obediently.
This was a fate that no child of these noble families could escape.
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Once Daron was seated, Wilbur spoke up, “Rumors about a marriage alliance between the Milner Family and the Zamora family have been spreading like wildfire lately.”
“If we don’t finalize Joyce’s marriage with the Zamora family soon, it’ll only fuel more gossip and speculation.”
Harris nodded and said in a mild voice, “It’s perfectly reasonable for you to be worried. Honestly, that’s on us. We should’ve cleared
up those rumors right away.”
Everyone present knew exactly who started the rumors about a marriage alliance between the Milner and Zamora families.
The Milner Family had been scheming to climb up to the Zamora family for a long time.
But now, there was no chance Daron would be the one to marry into that alliance.
The Zamora family had officially recognized Victor’s status.
Over the years, Leo and Victor had made the overseas market boom, and the Milner Family was itching to get a slice of that pie.
With Daron out of the picture, Victor was clearly the best match for Joyce in the Zamora family.
If the Milner family ever ran out of options in Vrufield, they could just rely on the Zamora family and make money
overseas.
Moreover, Leo clearly had a soft spot for Victor, the kid he’d raised with his own hands.
Wilbur had his own agenda, too.
Leo, on the other hand, was hoping to use the Milner Family to finally get Victor a shot at the Vrufield market.
Daron had always locked down the domestic business, never letting Victor anywhere near the Vrufield scene.
But they were from Vrufield. There was no way they could stay overseas forever.
Both of them were scheming in their own ways, so when it came to marrying off Victor and Joyce, they were totally on the same page.
Joyce had no idea the Milner Family brought her here today to discuss her marriage to Victor. She was still under the impression she was here to get engaged to Daron.
Watching Daron listen to the elders from both families, Joyce couldn’t help but let a smug smile tug at her lips.
No wonder Marina was stuck guarding the front door today,‘ Joyce thought, a hint of satisfaction in her heart.
Looks like Daron’s already gotten bored with her.’
That’s just human nature, Joyce mused to herself.
That’s just the way things go.
‘Marina actually thinks she’s something special to Daron?‘ Joyce rolled her eyes inwardly.
‘What a joke,‘ she sneered to herself.
Wilbur looked at Harris with the kind of respect one’d expect from someone younger in the family.
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“Harris, there’s no black and white when it comes to these things,” he said. “Now that things have come this far, we’ve got to deal with it, one way or another.”
Harris nodded, his voice low and serious.
“I’ve already spoken with Victor about this, and he’s agreed to marry Joyce,” he said.
“But now, I’m not sure how Joyce feels about it.”
As Harris spoke, his eyes landed on Joyce.
Joyce froze for a second, her eyes filled with disbelief.
She whipped her head around to look at Daron, but he was just sitting there, calm and collected, like he was watching from the sidelines.
She took a deep breath, forcing her gaze away from Daron and landing on Victor, who was sitting across from her, smiling at her. Her hands at her sides clenched into fists.
Joyce hadn’t even spared Victor a glance since she walked in, and now that she heard she was to be matched with him, she just couldn’t accept it.
“I…” Joyce faltered.
Debby firmly took Joyce’s hand, looked up at Harris with a reassuring smile, and said, “Joyce would be more than happy to.”
“If she didn’t want this, she wouldn’t even be here right now.”
After Debby finished speaking, she gave Joyce a sharp look, the warning in her eyes crystal clear.
Joyce clenched her hands so tight in her lap, biting down hard on her lip.
On the way over, her father had already warned her. If she couldn’t keep it together and dared to make a scene today, he’d send her overseas to live with Jake.
Her father had spelled out exactly what “being with Jake” meant.
Jake was a real bastard.
If he found out she’d lost her standing in the Milner Family, he might not even bother being polite, and might even start offending her without restraint.
The Taylor Family had gained considerable influence in politics over the years.
Ever since Jake’s aunt married into the Milner Family, the Milners had benefited greatly from that connection.
If Joyce ended up marrying into the Taylor Family, the ties between the two families would only grow deeper, and the Milners would stand to benefit even more.
Still…
Jake was seriously lacking in both looks and height.
Joyce looked up at Victor, who was sitting across from her. He actually resembled Daron a little. She clenched her jaw, forced herself to nod, and then looked up at Harris, her voice barely above a whisper.
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“I’m willing,” she said.
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Harris nodded at Joyce’s answer and said, “Since you’re both on board, let’s make this official as soon as possible.”
“Leo, you take care of the arrangements.”
Leo nodded. “Yes, Dad.”
“Once Victor completes the ancestral rites tomorrow, I’ll discuss the exact announcement date with Wilbur. We can announce both Victor’s return to the Zamora family and the engagement together at the party. How does that sound?”
Wilbur nodded in agreement. “Alright.”
Once the marriage talk was over, Joyce and Debby stepped out of the inner room together. Verena followed, giving Joyce a gentle, almost motherly smile.
“Joyce, we’re family now…”
Verena reached out to hold Joyce’s hand, but Joyce jerked her hand away, clearly not interested.
“Mom, I’m really not feeling well. I just want to go home,” Joyce said, barely hiding her frustration.
Debby nodded, knowing Joyce had been barely keeping it together. If she stuck around any longer, she could snap any minute now.
“Alright, I’ll have the driver take you,” Debby replied.
Joyce nodded and made a quick exit from the party hall.
When she reached the door, she saw Marina still standing there, cool and collected, like nothing could shake her. Joyce’s chest tightened with frustration.
She stormed over and stopped right in front of Marina, shooting her a vicious glare.
“Marina, don’t get too cocky,” Joyce spat. “Even if I can’t marry Daron, you’ll never be the one!”
Marina was stunned.
‘Do they all think I’m here just to take their crap?‘ Marina thought.
“You’re mistaken, Joyce,” Marina replied, her tone icy. “Daron and I were already set to be together when I was seventeen. It was never your turn, and it never will be.”
Joyce’s face twisted with anger. She shot her hand up, ready to slap Marina, but Marina snatched her wrist before she could even get close.
“Joyce, this is the Zamora family’s winery. There are cameras everywhere,” Marina said coldly. “You sure you want to start something here? Or is your face all healed up from last time? Not sore anymore?”
Joyce’s face changed in an instant, her eyes boring into Marina with a fierce glare.
“I knew it! You did it on purpose last time!” Joyce accused, her voice sharp.
Marina gave a faint smile and nodded.
“Yeah, I did it on purpose. So what? What are you gonna do about it? You really wanna make a scene here?”
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As Marina spoke, she released Joyce’s wrist and shot a glance toward the entrance of the party hall. “Debby seems to be looking at you over there. I’ve heard that compared to you, she prefers her adopted daughter because she’s more well- mannered and more like a proper heiress.”
Hearing this, Joyce’s body trembled slightly. She looked toward where Debby was, bit her lip hard, then quickly lowered her head and hurried away.
Before leaving, Joyce shot Marina one last nasty glare, her eyes full of venom.
‘Don’t get ahead of yourself. There are plenty of people just waiting to take you down.”
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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.
