Chapter 133
Finally, all four of them sat down in the private room Kara had booked.
Daron kept quiet, and the vibe was a bit tense.
Kara finally broke the ice, sliding the menu over to Daron with a smile.
Kara said, “Daron, I ordered all of Marina’s favorite dishes. Want to add something you like?”
Daron didn’t even pick up the menu; he said coolly, “These dishes are fine with me.”
“These dishes are to my liking.”
Kara smiled, took the menu back, and said naturally,
“Looks like you and Marina have pretty similar tastes. Maybe you two would get along really well living together.”
Daron just gave a quiet “mm,” not saying anything else. Who knows if he was agreeing about their similar tastes or about being a good match for living together.
Kara rarely saw Daron being this chill, so she kept the conversation going.
She said, “Like my cousin and his wife. When they first got together, they had all sorts of disagreements about food. But because they were so in love, they just brushed it off. But as time went on, those little things started to turn into big problems.”
“So, if two people really vibe, they just click from the get–go. Honestly, I think you and Marina are totally in sync, Daron.”
Marina, hearing this, quickly nudged Kara under the table, giving her a hint to cut it out.
Kara just shot her a mischievous grin and gave her a look that said, “I know exactly what you mean.”
Marina just gave Kara a helpless look.
Garret had only been sitting there for a bit when his phone rang, and he had to leave, leaving his car keys behind as he went.
Kara was just racking her brain for an excuse to slip away when her phone suddenly rang.
She glanced at the caller ID, raised an eyebrow, then grabbed her phone and whispered to Marina, “I’m going outside to take
this call.”
“I’m going outside to take this call.”
Marina nodded,
When Kara left, she closed the door behind her. Suddenly, it was just Marina and Daron in the room, and the atmosphere got a little tense.
Marina kept reaching for her water glass and taking sips.
Every time she finished, Daron would automatically top it off for her.
After a few glasses, Marina felt like her stomach was already full.
When Daron reached for the pitcher to refill her glass again, Marina quickly covered her glass with her hand to stop him.
She said, “I don’t want any more.”
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Chapter 133
“I was starting to think you’d gone silent on me,” Daron said, setting the pitcher down.
Marina gave an awkward smile. “Just didn’t know what to say, that’s all.”
Daron gave her a look, a teasing glint in his eyes. “When you came to Zamora Group for the interview, you sure weren’t this quiet. Now that you’re in, you’ve got nothing to say to me, huh?”
Marina was caught off guard by his comment again.
She said, “Come on, Mr. Zamora, that’s not it. I’ve actually got tons of things I want to ask you, just not sure if you’d be up for answering.”
Daron raised an eyebrow, “So, you’re the shy type? Too bashful to ask me anything?”
Marina just stared at him, lost for words.
‘He must’ve swallowed a stick of dynamite this morning, Marina thought.
Every word out of his mouth was like a spark, ready to set something off.
He was a walking powder keg, ready to blow at any second.
Marina bit down on her tongue, forcing herself to stay calm.
‘If he thinks I’m thick–skinned, then I’ll show him just how thick my skin can get,’ ‘she thought.
“Then let’s talk about the breakthrough for Finley Group,” Marina said.
Daron had handled all sorts of crises at Zamora Group, so he definitely had some insights into Finley Group’s current situation.
This was a rare chance to hear his perspective.
Daron looked at her eager expression, picked up his glass, and took a sip.
“Isn’t the answer obvious?” he said.
Marina was momentarily stunned, waiting for him to say more.
Daron gave her a half–smile, his lips parting as he said with quiet confidence, “Me.”
Marina was stunned.
She looked at the man in front of her, his arrogance and self–assurance practically radiating off him. After a long silence, she acknowledged he was right.
He was right. The breakthrough for Finley Group really was him.
Marina had figured this out way back when she first got back to Sicester.
The Finleys and the Zamoras were long–time partners, tied together by business deals years ago.
It was only after the Finleys split from the Zamoras that things started going downhill for them.
Both she and her sister were set on getting the Finleys and Zamoras working together again.
Otherwise, her sister wouldn’t have pushed her to get a job at Zamora Group.
But how could she keep things simple and straightforward with Daron, while still making a real breakthrough for both the
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Chapter 133
Finleys and Zamoras?
“While I’m at Zamora Group, I’ll do my best to prove my worth to you. The Finleys just need a chance to turn things around. I’ll make sure you see that we’re still a reliable partner for Zamora Group’s success,” Marina said.
Daron had been waiting patiently for a while, and when he finally heard that, his deep eyes grew a little darker.
“So, that’s how you plan to win me over?” he asked.
Marina nodded seriously.
Daron fixed her with a sharp, challenging stare.
He said, “There are plenty of companies eager to team up with Zamora Group right now. Some are well–run family businesses with impressive successors. If it was just about profit, why would I pick a company that’s practically going under?”
Marina parted her lips, but ended up biting back her words and dropping her gaze in silence.
She was desperate for Kara to come back and help defuse this awkward vibe.
She was barely holding it together.
The waiters kept coming in with more food, but Kara still hadn’t shown up.
Daron glanced at Marina, who was sitting there with her head down, looking like she was deep in her own world. He picked up the fork and put the first piece of ribs on her plate.
“Go ahead and eat. Your Kara’s not coming back,” he said.
Marina just stared at him, lost for words.
She couldn’t believe Kara would just ditch her like that, so refusing to give up, she grabbed her phone to call her.
Just as she unlocked her phone, a message popped up.
[Bestie, I totally get you. Garret and I are teaming up and heading somewhere else for dinner. Leaving you and Daron alone -have fun with your romantic meal!]
Marina immediately sent back a string of ellipses, then added: [So, you actually like Garret, huh? Is that why you’re leaving me behind?]
After all, last time she was in Vrufield, Kara had reminded her about Daron and the princess getting engaged, warning her not to go competing with royalty for her man.
Did she just flip the script and start playing matchmaker for me and Daron? That was fast.
Kara: [Seriously, are you clueless? Of course I’m giving you a chance! We’ve been besties forever, like I wouldn’t notice those not–so–innocent thoughts you have about Daron?]
Marina: [Great choice of words. Just don’t say it again, okay?]
It was not like her feelings for Daron were that twisted.
But then…
She thought she’d done a pretty good job of hiding it.
Kara: [Daron’s got a killer body. Come on, we’re adults–having a few naughty thoughts is totally normal. Don’t be shy!]
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Chapter 133
Marina was speechless.
48
Just as she was at a loss for how to reply to Kara, she suddenly noticed Daron watching her, and a flicker of panic flashed in
her eyes.
Instinctively, she quickly deleted the chat history.
She didn’t care if anyone saw anything else on her phone, but her chat history with Kara? That was the one thing she couldn’t let anyone see, not even herself.
And with one tap, that extra message from Kara got wiped too.
[Marina, if you still like him after all these years, why not take a chance? Don’t let yourself regret it.]
Before she could even read it, the whole thing disappeared from her screen.
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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.
