Chapter 396
A flicker of jealousy crossed Calista’s eyes before she turned her gaze to Zara.
Zara’s face went pale as she stared intently at the dozen or so cups of bubble tea on Marina’s desk, her eyes filled with mixed emotions.
Calista leaned in close to Zara and whispered, “Zara, don’t take it to heart. She’s trying to show off in front of you.
“Seriously, in Vrufield, everyone knows Mr. Zamora is loaded. Does her boyfriend even stand a chance against Mr. Zamora, your brother?”
Garret was Daron’s right–hand man and his cousin, so Calista didn’t dare step out of line around him. She kept her voice so low that only she and Zara could hear.
Zara forced a faint smile, pulled her gaze away from Marina’s desk, and said quietly, “I get it, Calista. Let’s keep our heads down and not let these petty things mess with us.”
Calista nodded and went back to her desk, picking up her bubble tea out of habit. Right then, Marina glanced up at Garret with a smile and started to speak.
“Garret, could you do me a favor and thank my boyfriend for me?” she said.
Garret flashed a flattering smile and replied, “Ms. Finley, I think it’s better if you thank him yourself.”
He paused for a moment, then added, “Just a friendly reminder. He appreciates something more tangible.”
Marina raised an eyebrow, looking a bit exasperated. ‘Was Garret saying that on Daron’s orders?‘ she thought, and she couldn’t be sure.
“Alright, got it,” she replied.
Garret’s lips curled into a faint smile as he turned and walked away.
Calista had been listening in on their conversation, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was some chemistry between Garret and Marina.
After Garret walked away, Calista kept her eyes on his back, and a crazy idea suddenly popped into her mind.
‘Wait, could Marina’s boyfriend actually be… Garret?‘ Calista thought, her heart skipping a beat.
Calista took a deep breath, shooting Marina a look that was pure venom.
She’d been secretly crushing on Garret for years.
She’d clawed her way up from the very bottom to the executive office, all just to be a little closer to Garret.
Garret was the guy of her dreams, her ideal type.
He had a great sense of humor and endless patience.
‘If Marina is Garret’s girlfriend… Calista’s thoughts were spinning out of control.
She clutched her bubble tea cup so hard that it nearly cracked, her eyes practically blazing with jealousy and obsession she could barely hide.
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Chapter 396
Zara glanced sideways and caught Calista completely entranced, her gaze glued to Garret as he walked away
“Calista…” Zara said gently, pulling her back to the present.
Zara’s timely words made Calista snap out of it, and she quickly looked away.
Calista forced herself to regain composure, shot a glance at Marina, then turned to Zara, squeezing out a sale for brizd more painful than cheerful.
“I’m fine, Zara, Calista replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
Zara knew exactly what was going on in Calista’s head.
Back when Calista found out Garret was part of the Zamora family, she begged Zara to take her over to the Zamora residence, hoping for a chance encounter with Garret.
But Zara had always been on the fringes of the Zamora family.
Garret was Harris’s grandson.
If Calista’s feelings for Garret got too obvious and the Zamora family caught wind of it, both Zara and Hayley would be in trouble.
Back then, when Bette figured out Calista had a crush on Garret, she made Hayley send Zara overseas for school
That was the only reason Calista finally stopped bugging Zara to take her over to the Zamora residence for a glimpse of the high life.
All these years later, Zara had nearly forgotten about the whole thing. She never thought Calista would still be carrying a torch for Garret.
Zara shifted her gaze away from Calista, sneaking a quick, silent look over at Marina.
She’d been worried Calista might end up playing both sides.
But now, it was clear Calista had set her sights on Marina as her main enemy.
Honestly, that worked out perfectly for Zara.
If Calista saw Marina as her rival, she’d be way more invested in taking Marina down
Calista forced herself to concentrate on her work, but she couldn’t help sneaking glances at Marina, her eyes drawn over again and again.
Zara got up at the right moment, bent to Calista and whispered in her ear, “Don’t start overthinking. Let me go and see what’s going on.
Calista looked up at Zara, biting her lip, her eyes shining with emotion.
“Zara, you’re the best,” Calista whispered.
Zara gave her a warm, reassuring smile.
“Of course, we’re best friends,” Zara said with a grin.
Calista nodded, her eyes following Zara as she walked off toward Daron’s office.
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Chapter 396
Garret went right into Daron’s office just then.
As soon as Zara stepped into Daron’s office, Calista’s heart was left hanging in midair.
She was desperately hoping Zara would come back with some good news for her.
She hoped nothing was going on between Marina and Garret.
When Zara walked into Daron’s office, Garret had just wrapped up his report to Daron about delivering the bubble tea to
Marina.
Zara bit her lip, a hint of nervousness flickering in her eyes as she walked over and spoke softly, “Daron, can I talk to you for a moment? Just the two of us.”
Daron shot Garret a look, and Garret instantly knew what was up.
Garret made himself scarce and slipped out of the office.
As soon as the door closed behind him, Zara immediately apologized.
She said, “Daron, I didn’t mean to ignore Marina.
“When Calista ordered bubble tea, Marina wasn’t in the office, so she got left out. When Marina came back, I tried to give her my bubble tea, but she wouldn’t take it.”
Zara was sure Daron wouldn’t just send Marina bubble tea out of the blue.
Marina must’ve said something to him to make him react that way.
No matter what Marina had said, Zara thought it was way better to admit her mistake first than wait for Daron to confront her.
Right now, she held the upper hand.
If Daron came looking for her, she’d lose the advantage.
As Daron listened, he suddenly remembered Marina sitting right next to him, her eyes glued to the bubble tea shop outside, zoned out and lost in her own world.
Marina hadn’t said a word about what went down in the office.
Seeing Daron remain silent, Zara instinctively bowed her head.
“Daron, I’m sorry. Honestly, it’s all my fault for not having planned this properly. I should’ve double–checked the list and made sure Marina was included,” Zara admitted.
As Daron listened to Zara, his gaze grew cold.
He thought, ‘So that’s what Marina was feeling when she stared at that bubble tea shop.
‘Loneliness. Pure and simple.
They were basically leaving her out in the cold.
‘Intentional or not, that’s what happened.
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Chapter 396
In that moment, she must’ve realized she was being treated differently by them
Daron shot Zara a sharp look, his eyes carrying a frosty edge.
“Zara, you definitely handled this wrong,” he said, his tone cool and firm
Zara had thought that by admitting her mistake first, Daron would forgive her
But instead, he didn’t mince words. He told her flat out she’d messed up
His eyes were full of reproach, and he didn’t bother to hide it.
Zara took a deep breath, her chest tight with pent–up frustration she couldn’t release. The suffocating feeling refined a go
away.
AD
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.
