Chapter 345
ཁལ་་་
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Marina wore a faint, almost imperceptible smile as her gaze settled on Hayley. To make it easier for Hayley to talk to Daron, she pulled the phone away from her ear and hit the speaker button.
There was a brief pause before Daron’s voice came through, cool and indifferent.
“I’ll be back soon,” he said.
Hayley pressed her lips together, a surge of anger rising inside her as she saw how calm and composed Marina looked.
Realizing Marina had made the call on purpose just to watch her scramble to defend herself earlier, Hayley’s hands clenched tightly at her sides.
“Okay, I’ll wait for you,” Hayley replied.
After replying to Daron, Hayley sat back down on the couch.
Marina ended the call without saying anything more to Daron.
Hayley gave Marina a look.
“Why’d you hang up so fast? What if Daron wanted to say something else?” she asked.
Marina stayed calm and sat down across from Hayley.
‘If he needs to say anything else, he’ll call back,” she said.
‘Plus, he already said he’s coming home soon, so he can say whatever he wants when he gets here,” she added.
Hayley frowned, her hands twisting even tighter together. She couldn’t stand how Marina never had to humble herself in front of Daron.
She’d been part of the Zamora family for years now.
Even though she hadn’t spent much time with Leo, she always had to keep her head down around him.
After Leo moved overseas, he’d still call the old family home now and then.
If she were the one picking up, she’d always wait for Leo to finish, even if the conversation had run dry, and wouldn’t hang up until he did.
She even found herself doing the same thing with Daron sometimes.
But when it came to Marina, she didn’t even hesitate to hang up on Daron, and that really rubbed Hayley the wrong way
Hayley shot Marina a look but didn’t say anything else.
Marina might look all gentle and obedient, but underneath, she was just as proud and sharp as anyone, maybe even more
- SO.
Marina had called Daron on purpose just now, and it almost made her lose her cool.
Marina sat on the couch, not even bothering to acknowledge the calculation and suspicion in Hayley’s eyes.
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When Daron walked in, she shot a quick look at the doorway.
Hayley got up the moment she heard the sound and walked over quickly.
“Daron,” she called out.
Her voice was suddenly soft and kind, a far cry from the icy way she’d spoken to Marina earlier.
Daron gave a slight nod, but his gaze went straight to Marina, who was still sitting on the couch.
Hayley glanced over at Marina, who was still sitting there, not even bothering to get up and greet Daron.
She said, frowning, “Marina, Daron’s back.”
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Marina looked up at the mention of her name, saw Daron changing his shoes, and smiled at Hayley as she replied.
“Of course I know, Aunt Hayley. Daron just said on the phone he’d be back, didn’t he?”
At Marina’s words, Hayley’s smile stiffened.
Next to Marina’s calm, her own warmth felt almost over the top.
Daron caught the awkward look in Hayley’s eyes.
“Aunt Hayley, you said on the phone you needed to talk to me about something. What is it?” he asked coolly.
Hearing that, Hayley’s smile finally returned.
“I wanted to talk to you about the family reunion tomorrow,” she spoke in a gentle voice.
“Grandpa Harris said I should come along with you guys,” she added.
Even though Hayley was the current Mrs. Zamora, she’d never gone to a family reunion before.
Mostly because Leo wouldn’t let her go, and Harris never said she should come along, either.
So she’d never once taken part in it.
“Why do you think Grandpa Harris set it up like this?” Hayley asked, her voice carrying a hint of nervousness.
There was a trace of anxiety in her eyes as she spoke.
“He probably wants to officially recognize you as a family member and add your name to the family records,” Daron answered calmly.
“After all, you and Leo have been married for so many years,” he added.
Hayley took a deep breath, lifting her head to look at Daron, her voice tinged with anxiety.
“If that’s what this means, are they trying to have Victor as my child in the family records? Daron, I really don’t want that.”
she said.
“I’d rather my name never show up in the Zamora family records than have Victor as my child,” she added.
Seeing how anxious Hayley was, Daron replied in a calm voice.
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Chapter 345
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“Aunt Hayley, don’t worry. Victor won’t be your child. Grandpa has already made it clear. Victor will be an adopted son.”
“As for your name, it’s being added because you’ve earned that place,” Daron added.
At that, Hayley’s eyes turned red. She quickly lowered her head to wipe away the tears at the corners of her eyes.
“Honestly, none of this really matters to me. I never even thought about having my name in the Zamora family records,” she spoke softly.
“But I still want to thank you for making this possible for me. At least now, I know I have a place,” she added.
The Zamora family had a system in place to provide financial security for its members, allowing them to receive guaranteed annual dividends.
But that amount was insignificant compared to everything Hayley had already gained from the Zamora family over the
years.
Hayley kept her expression neutral, but inside, her heart was racing with excitement.
All these years, even though she and Leo had a marriage certificate, she’d always felt her place in the family was never truly recognized.
After all, when Leo’s cousins got married, their wives‘ names were immediately added to the family records beside their husbands, while she and Leo only had a marriage certificate to show for it.
Marina watched Hayley cry tears of joy, but she didn’t show much emotion herself.
Hayley had looked after Daron for years, so it made sense he’d help her out like this.‘
But still…
Marina took a deep breath, trying to swallow that tiny bit of annoyance inside.
Really, it wasn’t worth fussing over.
Just as Daron said, Hayley had earned this.
Marina got up from the couch and headed upstairs.
Daron shot her a look, then turned to Hayley.
“Aunt Hayley, from now on, if you need anything, just come find me at the office,” he said.
Hayley looked a bit taken aback, then nodded. She glanced at Marina heading upstairs, and it clicked for her.
“Okay,” she said.
“Actually, the real reason I came by today was to bring Marina a gift,” Hayley added.
She turned to Marina with a smile, calling out to her.
“Marina, are you going upstairs to rest?”
Marina paused, turned around, and nodded.
“Yeah, I’m going to rest now. You two can talk, don’t mind me,” she said.
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Chapter 345
Hayley pressed her lips together, a trace of caution in her eyes.
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“Hold on a sec. A jeweler delivered some pieces to the house today, and I spotted a set that I thought would suit you perfectly, so I brought it for you.
“Want to give it a try?” she said.
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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.
