Chapter 131
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“Oh.” Marina nodded, a little lost. She’d started the conversation, but now she had no idea how to keep it going.
“Anything else you want to ask?” Daron looked at her, clearly patient.
Marina shook her head. “No.”
She gave a couple of awkward laughs, echoing weirdly in the car.
Things just got even more awkward.
Daron looked away from her, and there was a trace of resignation in his dark eyes.
Suddenly, the car took a sharp turn, and Marina lurched toward Daron, completely caught off guard.
Her face landed right against his suit pants; the position was beyond awkward.
Marina’s breath caught, and she could clearly feel Daron’s body tense up slightly.
“I–I’m sorry,” she stammered.
She tried to scramble up, but the car took another sharp turn, and she was thrown right back at him.
Luckily, at the last second, Daron lifted his leg a bit, absorbing some of the impact, but it still didn’t stop her face from pressing right up against his suit pants. Awkward didn’t even begin to cover it.
Marina’s cheeks burned bright red, as if she’d been knocked senseless from embarrassment.
Daron didn’t say a word, his body tense, glancing down at her with an unreadable expression.
In that moment, Marina could feel something unexpectedly firm beneath her cheek…
Her face went beet red, and she frantically tried to sit up, only for the car to swerve again.
Marina could have cried; seriously, what was up with Eddy’s driving today?
At the last second, Daron reached out and caught her face–maybe he was just scared she’d crash into him again.
Daron called out, “Eddy.”
His voice was low, with a sexy rasp to it.
Eddy, who was driving, quickly steadied the wheel and said with a smile, “Sorry, sir. I had to swerve to avoid an electric scooter, so the turn was a bit sharp. Are you and Ms. Finley alright?”
Marina was speechless.
‘Alright? Trouble? This is a total disaster, Marina thought to herself.
She awkwardly got up and scooted to the far end of the car, putting as much distance as she could between herself and Daron, her smile more tragic than cheerful.
“N–no, it’s nothing serious,” Marina mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper.
Daron gave her a brief, almost indifferent glance before looking away, then, trying to act casual but clearly flustered, crossed one leg over the other.
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Chapter 131
‘Why does it feel like the car’s turned into a sauna?‘ Marina thought, her cheeks still burning.
The car pulled up to the VIP entrance at the airport.
Before Eddy could even get out to open the door, Marina slipped out as soon as the car stopped.
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She took a deep breath of fresh air, finally feeling a bit more at ease. After calming herself down, she waited quietly off to the side, waiting for Daron to get out.
Just like last time, Marina was traveling light, Nothing but herself and a handbag.
Eddy wasn’t heading back to Vrufield with them, so when he pulled out the suitcase, Marina instinctively took over the job of pushing Daron’s suitcase.
Seeing this, Eddy quietly said, “This suitcase is pretty heavy. You’re just a kiddo; not sure you’ve got the muscle for it. Maybe you should…”
Before he could finish, Marina gave the suitcase a quick lift with one hand. “It’s fine, not that heavy.”
Eddy just stared, lost for words.
Marina shrugged, “Plus, it’s got wheels. Super easy.”
If she just trailed after Daron empty–handed, doing nothing, that would be way more awkward.
So she decided to keep herself busy, just to take her mind off all the awkwardness.
Eddy could only shake his head, watching the two of them walk into the airport together.
‘Seriously, at this rate, will Mr. Zamora ever settle down?‘ he wondered.
‘He’s already thirty–two. Give it a few more years and he’ll be past his prime, still single.
Marina was walking ahead, pushing the suitcase in front of Daron. Neither of them said a word, but at least the atmosphere wasn’t nearly as painfully awkward as it had been in the car.
As they reached the VIP entrance, Marina suddenly felt something warm against the back of her hand.
Daron gently tapped the back of her hand with his palm.
Marina glanced sideways at him, confusion flickering in her eyes, but she still let go of the handle.
Right after she let go, Daron grabbed the handle himself and walked right beside her.
Marina caught on to what he meant, pursed her lips, and felt her heart/suddenly go a little haywire. She dropped her gaze, forcing herself to steady her nerves, and by the time she looked up again, she’d managed to compose herself.
Once aboard the plane, Daron put on his sleep mask and kicked back in his seat to rest.
*****
Marina sat quietly beside him, watching his peaceful face as he slept. Before she knew it, she ended up dozing off herself.
Her dreams were all over the place.
She was seventeen again, watching her parents fight as their marriage fell apart, and her mom quietly sobbing, wanting to take her away from Vrufield.
Her mom said, “Marina, if you stay, this family will just bury you. Your sister’s the one Grandpa actually cares about. She is
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Chapter 131
the real heir. You? You’re just here to be married off.”
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She kept going, “So what if you have a crush on him? Does he even care about you? Do you really think you can compete with your sister? She’s so perfect, she outshines everyone. Next to her, you’re invisible.”
Her mom cried, and Marina cried with her.
Her mom threw her diary that packed with all her girlish secrets, straight into the fire pit.
The blaze roared in the fire pit, lighting up her tear–stained face and making her look almost radiant in the glow.
A stray spark jumped out and landed on the back of her hand, making her flinch and snap awake. The first thing she saw was Daron’s ridiculously good–looking face, and for no reason at all, her heart twisted painfully.
She glanced down at her hand, still caught in Daron’s grip, and for a split second, that old sting from the fire years ago felt painfully real–like the past and present had collided.
She yanked her hand back from Daron’s palm, clutching her hand to her chest like it’d just been scorched.
Daron saw her acting like he’d just crossed some line, and with a slight frown, he said in a low voice, “You were clawing at the leather seat so hard, I thought you were gonna punch a hole through it. I was just trying to avoid a bill for damages.”
Marina glanced at the armrest and, sure enough, there were a few nail marks. Her cheeks flushed as she tried to rub them away, as if that would erase the evidence.
Daron looked away from her, sounding almost offhand. “So, did you break too many hearts and now the nightmares are coming for payback?”
Marina shook her head.
“No.”
Daron glanced down at her hand, just now realizing there was a faint burn mark on the back of it.
“How’d you get that?” he asked.
Marina paused for a moment. The scar had faded so much over the years, she could hardly remember how it happened.
She never thought he’d notice.
“It’s been so long, I forgot,” she replied.
Daron saw she wasn’t being honest, his brows drawing together slightly, a flicker of annoyance passing through his eyes.
While she was dreaming, her nails were digging so deep into the armrest, it was like she was trying to claw her way through it.
Her anxious, furrowed brows and those barely–there sobs–just hearing them made his chest ache for no reason.
From what he knew, Alyssa adored her, and after Marina moved back to Sicester with her mom, life was pretty good, no real psychological trauma or anything.
If there was any, maybe it all came down to that failed relationship with Lavern.
Daron’s expression darkened as he watched her turn away, gazing out the window. Even her slim back couldn’t hide how lost she looked. He drew in a sharp breath, frustration bubbling up inside him.
“Was it really that deep? Did you love him that much?” he asked, his voice low and tinged with bitterness.
17:46 Fri, Dec 26 JO
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.
