Chapter 417
When Calista finished seeing Zara off and returned upstairs, she saw Marina coming out of Garret’s office.
Her expression immediately soured.
As Marina walked past her, Calista stepped forward to follow her.
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‘Some people use work as an excuse to flirt and show off. No drive, no ambition, just holding our team back. If I were them, I’d be way too ashamed to stick around,” Calista sneered.
Marina paused, glanced sideways at Calista, and said coolly, “Are you talking about me?”
Calista shrugged, “If the shoe fits, Marina, then yeah, I’m talking about you.”
A flicker of amusement crossed Marina’s eyes as she replied softly, “So you think I’m just a pretty face? Well, thanks for the compliment.”
With that, Marina turned and headed back to her desk.
Calista took a deep breath, her eyes full of irritation.
I’ve never met anyone as shameless as you,” she snapped.
Marina shot back, “Well, now you have.”
Calista’s face turned livid.
ust then, Garret stepped out of his office. Spotting Marina, he called out, “Ms. Finley, come to my office.”
Calista’s face darkened, her eyes grew misty, looking like she was about to burst into tears.
Marina picked up on the vibe from Calista’s expression and smirked, a knowing look flashing across her face. ‘So that’s what her problem is. Calista has a thing for Garret,‘ she realized.
Marina walked right by Calista without a second glance, making her way to Garret’s office.
Calista bit her lip hard, let out a soft snort, and marched back to her desk.
Garret called Marina in to sort out some project stuff.
They spent quite a while going over things in his office.
As Calista knocked on the door, the conversation between Marina and Garret was just wrapping up.
She pushed the door open, and Marina immediately got up from her chair.
Seeing the vibe between the two, Calista bit down on her lip, jealousy simmering beneath the surface.
As lunchtime rolled around, Marina, Garret, and Chloe headed to the cafeteria together.
They got there early and snagged a table in the corner
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At the next table, some folks from other departments were busy gossiping about the latest online rumors involving Daron and Zara.
One of them said, “Did you guys catch the latest scoop?
Turns out, the girl who was seen strolling hand–in–hand with Mr. Zamora in Frency has finally been revealed.”
When the topic came up, Garret and Chloe both glanced over at Marina.
They knew all too well that when Marina went to Frency for the Finley Group, Daron actually chased after her.
That trip was when things between Daron and Marina really started to change.
No one expected people to dig it up this fast.
Marina overheard the gossip, too. She frowned slightly, but accepted the fact calmly. There was no point in getting worked up about it.
She knew that sooner or later, people would find out about her and Daron.
It was getting revealed much earlier than she’d planned for.
“Of course, I saw it,” one of the gossipers snickered.
“I can’t believe it was Miss Blanchard who was out shopping with Mr. Zamora in Frency,” another gossiped.
“Actually, when Miss Blanchard first showed up at the Zamora Group, I thought her suit looked kind of familiar. Took me a minute to realize I’d seen it in the news before,” someone chimed in.
“Miss Blanchard was supposed to intern in our department, but thanks to some mysterious force, she got transferred to the executive office instead,” another whispered.
“Looks like Mr. Zamora wanted Miss Blanchard right under his nose,” someone else added with a knowing grin.
As the chatter from the next table kept coming, Garret and Chloe didn’t look happy.
Just as Garret was about to say something, Marina shot him a look and shook her head, stopping him.
Garret had no choice but to sit back down.
Chloe looked just as annoyed.
It was like they both knew exactly what was going on, but couldn’t say a thing. All they could do was watch the rumors spiral out of control.
Zara and Daron hardly ever even spoke to each other.
The only time they’d have any real conversation was maybe during those big family gatherings at the Zamora mansion,
Daron had never even gone shopping with Zara, not once. They honestly had no idea how these wild rumors even started.
“But isn’t Miss Blanchard basically Mr. Zamora’s sister? someone asked.
“Miss Blanchard’s just the adopted daughter in the Zamora family, another replied.
“And Mr. Zamora’s mom passed away years ago. The word is, his current aunt, who came over from the Blanchard family to
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take care of him, never had kids of her own, so she ended up adopting Zara,” someone else chimed in.
“This is so ship–worthy. It’s like a CEO romance novel come to life,” one of them gushed.
“Don’t let Mr. Zamora’s icy exterior fool you. I bet he’s super gentle with Miss Blanchard when no one’s watching, another whispered.
“The Blanchard family planned this out. Honestly, I think the ‘adopted daughter‘ thing is a cover. Maybe the Zamora matriarch picked her out to be Mr. Zamora’s future wife,” someone gossiped.
“I heard these rich families love to set up marriages super early, so they can raise the kids together from the start,” another chimed in.
“Actually, I heard someone even called off an engagement with Mr. Zamora,” someone whispered.
Everyone at the table was stunned, their curiosity instantly piqued.
“Who in their right mind would dare dump Mr. Zamora?” someone blurted out.
“Oh, my god, who was it? Bet she is kicking herself now,” another person gasped.
Marina’s grip on her fork tightened a little.
Luckily, the one spreading the rumor didn’t know the whole story. She leaned in and whispered, “Honestly, I’m not sure, but a few years ago, there was talk going around.
“When my sister married into her rich in–laws‘ family, she got to hear all sorts of juicy stuff. That’s how I heard about it.
“I’ll check with her next time I see her and come back to spill the tea.
“But my sister and her husband are having a messy breakup right now, so I’m not even sure if she remembers any of that drama.”
The others looked a little let down, but mostly, they were itching with curiosity, hoping she’d text her sister right away and spill the latest gossip.
After all, the rumor that Mr. Zamora once had his engagement called off? That was a bombshell.
Everyone was dying to know which family could be so clueless as to let a marriage into the Zamora family slip through their fingers.
The girl who started the gossip couldn’t take all the nagging anymore. Everyone kept bugging her, so she whipped out her phone, about to call her sister right then and there.
Garret suddenly stood up, glanced over, and called out, “Where’d you even hear that? I’m out of the loop on this.
“Where’d you even hear that? I’m totally out of the loop on this.”
The girl who was about to call her sister stiffened, her expression shifting instantly as soon as she spotted Garret
Who at Zamora Group didn’t know Garret’s status?
Put on the spot by Garret, she went pale and stammered, “Uh…maybe I remembered it wrong.”
They were just swapping gossip, never thinking Garret would catch them red–handed for tossing out a rumor they couldn’t
even confirm.
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Chapter 417
Everyone knew Garret was Daron’s go–to guy and Harris’s grandson.
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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.
