Chapter 126
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It wasn’t until the car pulled away from the restaurant that Marina cautiously raised her head from Daron’s embrace and asked, “Are you sure they didn’t see me just now?”
Her plan was so close to success. Once she helped Daron secure 80% of Ross Group’s shares, she’d be able to go back to Vrufield at last.
At such a critical moment, Marina thought to herself, ‘I can’t let anything go wrong now.
Daron saw how anxious she was, his eyes flashing with irritation.
His face hardened as he pulled away from her.
“I don’t know,” he replied.
Marina’s eyes widened in panic.
‘Crap, what if they saw me?‘ Marina thought to herself.
‘Those old foxes are experts at causing trouble without ever showing their hand, she worried.
Daron frowned, his jaw tight as he leaned back in his seat, his dark eyes cold.
“Are you that scared someone might see us together?” he asked.
Marina nodded. “Of course I am. Right now, it’s all about mind games. Lavern can’t suspect a thing.”
Daron’s face stayed cold. “Even if he does, so what? Does he really have the guts to go up against me?”
Marina just kept quiet.
Still, that just meant this whole game would drag on even longer.
She just wanted to finish this job and get back to Vrufield as soon as she could.
Seeing her stay quiet, Daron reached out, wrapped his arm around her waist, and pulled her close.
“After everything that’s happened, you’re not still thinking about getting back together with Lavern, are you?” he asked.
His handsome face was right in front of hers, his warm breath washing over her face as he spoke.
He lowered his head slightly, his lips almost grazing hers as he spoke.
Marina froze, not daring to move. The strong scent of alcohol on him was almost enough to make her dizzy, her whole body buzzing with excitement.
Her heart was pounding like crazy.
“Of course not,” she replied.
As she spoke, she instinctively tried to scoot away from Daron, her body automatically leaning back.
Her first thought was that Daron must be drunk.
Otherwise, he’d never get this touchy with her.
But Daron seemed to pick up on what she was thinking. He tightened his arm around her and actually started a
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Chapter 126
conversation.
“I’m going back to Vrufield tomorrow,” he said.
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Marina tried to calm herself, turning her face away to avoid meeting his eyes. “Yeah, I know, I know.”
Daron narrowed his eyes, catching sight of her flushed ears, and smirked. “Weren’t you the one dying to go back with me?”
Marina finally turned to look at him, her eyes lighting up with surprise, but there was a trace of uncertainty in her gaze.
“Will you let me come with you?” she asked softly.
She really wanted to go back and be with Elnora.
But she couldn’t think of any reason Daron would want her around, so she didn’t dare make a fuss or cling to him.
She looked at him with hopeful eyes, and as she turned, her lips brushed against his cheek.
Both of them froze for a moment.
“Uh… sorry,” Marina mumbled awkwardly.
She reached up and brushed the spot on his cheek where her lips had accidentally touched, her eyes full of awkwardness and embarrassment as she took the chance to scoot away a bit.
But just then, the driver swerved, and they ended up right up against each other again.
Marina’s face flushed bright red.
Daron’s throat itched with anticipation, the booze making him bold. He lowered his voice, almost teasing, and murmured, “Of course, as long as you give me a kiss…”
His words were soft, but before he could get the rest out, a sharp ringtone sliced through the moment.
Marina felt like her heart was about to jump out of her chest. That ringtone was/her saving grace. She grabbed her phone in a hurry, not even glancing at the caller ID before picking up.
“Hey, it’s Marina,” she answered.
As she spoke, she placed her hand on Daron’s chest, trying to ease herself away from him.
Lavern’s slurred voice came through the phone.
“Babe, it’s me… I’m drunk, and I can’t find my phone. Can you come pick me up?”
Marina frowned, just about to answer, when Daron suddenly tightened his arm around her and pulled her straight back into
his embrace.
Her nose smacked right into his solid chest, making her let out a muffled little grunt.
“You…” Marina started to protest,
but before she could finish, Daron buried his face in the crook of her neck, holding her close.
“Don’t go. I need to sleep,” he muttered.
Marina was totally stunned.
She hadn’t even processed what was happening when Lavern beat her to it, his voice coming through the phone first.
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Chapter 126
Lavern’s voice was anxious and suspicious: “Marina, where are you? Who’s that guy with you? You…”
Marina had absolutely no intention of picking up Lavern. She was just about to throw a few sarcastic remarks his way when, out of nowhere, Daron, who’d been quietly nestled against her neck, suddenly gave her a gentle bite.
Marina drew in a sharp breath.
Her whole body tensed as the unexpected sensation sent a jolt through her.
On the other end of the line, Lavern went silent for a moment, then totally lost it.
You could hear his screeching rage even through the phone.
Marina frowned, her head pounding from Lavern’s yelling.
Before she could react, Daron’s long, elegant fingers covered her hand, snatched the phone right out of her grip, and chucked it out the window.
Marina watched in disbelief as her phone soared through the air in a perfect arc, disappearing into the traffic in an instant.
She sat there in shock for a few seconds, then reached out and poked Daron, who was still nuzzled against her neck.
“Hey, that was my phone, Mr. Zamora,” she said.
Daron just grunted. “Don’t worry, I’ll buy you a new one tomorrow.”
Marina was left speechless.
‘Rich people really can do whatever they want,‘ she thought to herself.
“Can you let go of me now?” she said as she tried to push him away.
But Daron didn’t react at all. Instead, he just let his whole weight press down on her, practically pinning her in place.
“Mr. Zamora…”
She tried pushing him off with all her might, but it was like trying to budge a human paperweight. Daron was so drunk he might as well have been glued to her.
The driver glanced in the rearview mirror and spoke up softly.
“Ms. Finley, Mr. Zamora looks like he’s totally passed out. He had way too much to drink tonight. If you keep shoving him, he might just throw up all over you, and trust me, that’s not something you want to deal with.”
Marina imagined the mess for a second and instantly stopped pushing/him.
Marina could only let Daron cling to her the whole way, totally helpless.
His head stayed right where it was, his steady breath tickling her neck and sending shivers down her spine. She was stuck there, stiff as a board, barely daring to move the entire ride.
After what felt like forever, they finally arrived at Daron’s place.
The driver pulled the car into the garage.
Marina was just about to finally escape when the driver glanced back at her, looking genuinely troubled.
“Ms. Finley, Mr. Zamora’s really had way too much tonight. There’s no one else around to take care of him, and Garret’s out of town in Sicester. Could I trouble you to stay and look after him for the night?”
Chapter 126
Marina was just about to say no when the driver hurried to add, “On the way back. I heard Mr. Zamora saying he’d bring you along to Vrufield, but he didn’t get to finish his sentence.
“He’s so wasted right now, he’ll be totally out of it tomorrow and won’t remember a thing. If you need someone to vouch for you, I’ve got your back. Sound 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.
