Chapter 142
As Marina walked into the backyard with her arm linked through Daron’s, the crowd instantly fell silent. All eyes were on them.
Mallory had her back to the entrance, but when she noticed everyone’s odd expressions, she turned around. When she aw Marina standing right next to Daron, her face grew complicated.
Out of everyone present, not even a flicker of surprise crossed Finn and Kara’s faces.
Everyone exchanged glances, totally confused about what was going on.
Kara beamed with excitement and gave Marina a cheerful wave.
Marina flashed her a smile, then looked up at Daron beside her and said, “Let’s go join Finn.
Her sister had told her to stay close to Daron today.
Daron nodded.
Marina’s eyes sparkled with joy, but just as she was about to head over with Daron, Mallory, who was standing nearby, came over and grabbed her wrist, her smile obviously fake.
“Daron, Marina, you’re here!” Mallory said, her voice dripping with sweetness.
Marina gave a small nod, trying to pull her wrist free from Mallory’s grip, but Mallory just tightened her hold.
“You haven’t been back to Vrufield in so long. I’ve got a few girlfriends I’d love for you to meet,” Mallory said, still putting on that fake friendly act.
Mallory was obviously trying to cling to her, and Marina didn’t want to cause a scene here and come off as petty.
“Yeah, sure,” Marina replied with a smile.
She glanced sideways at Daron.
“Daron, I’ll go chat with Mallory for a bit,” she said, her tone casual and familiar.
She chose not to call him “Mr. Zamora“, opting for a more intimate nickname instead.
Daron glanced down, his dark eyes flickering with an emotion Marina couldn’t quite decipher.
“Okay?” Marina asked softly, her voice gentle and a little playful when Daron didn’t answer right away.
After a moment, Daron finally spoke, his voice low and a bit possessive.
“Sure,” he murmured.
“Come find me later. And don’t go running off,” he added, his tone protective.
Marina nodded, reluctantly slipping her hand from his arm, then turned to Mallory with a bright smile.
Sure enough, a flash of unease flickered in Mallory’s eyes.
She was probably sizing up the situation between Marina and Daron.
Marina hadn’t forgotten how Mallory had tried to mess with her the last time she was in Vrufield.
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On a day like this, there was no way she’d let Mallory play any games. Making Mallory hesitate was exactly what she wanted.
“Come on, Mallory,” Marina said with a casual smile.
Mallory regained her composure and, still holding Marina’s arm, led her toward the other side of the yard.
Over there sat all the young women from Vrufield’s high society.
Marina recognized some of them, while others were unfamiliar to her.
Marina recognized some of them, while others were unfamiliar to her.
Mallory brought Marina over and began introducing her around.
Mallory even went out of her way to point out Marina’s status as the second daughter of the Finley family.
Those who already knew Marina watched her with scrutiny, trying to figure her out, while the others looked at her with open curiosity.
Regardless of whether they knew her or not, their faces all showed the same thing, a touch of envy and a dash of contempt.
Mallory gave Marina a curious look and asked, “How did you end up coming here with Daron? What’s the story between you two?”
The moment Mallory spoke, everyone turned their attention to Marina, eyes brimming with curiosity and anticipation.
Marina flashed a mischievous smile and answered vaguely, “Oh, what could it possibly be? Honestly, it’s nothing special.”
A flicker of annoyance flashed in Mallory’s eyes, but she quickly masked it with concern and spoke softly to Marina.
“Marina, you’ve only just come back to Vrufield, so you probably don’t know much yet. We’ve been classmates for years, so let me fill you in,” Mallory said.
“You’d better stay away from Daron. He’s about to get engaged to my cousin,” she added.
Marina searched her memory, but she honestly couldn’t recall anyone who fit the bill as Mallory’s cousin.
“Your cousin is…?” Marina asked, her brows furrowing in confusion.
“Joyce,” Mallory replied, like it was the most obvious thing ever.
Even though Joyce and Mallory weren’t actually related at all, Mallory always went around telling people Joyce was her cousin, just to name–drop and look important.
Kara caught the tail end of Mallory’s comment as she walked over, and/snickered quietly.
“Mallory, does Joyce even know you’re b
sharp edge.
setting her up with people behind her back?” Kara said, her voice playful with at
With that, Kara sat herself right between Marina and Mallory, nudging Mallory out of the way.
Mallory was still bitter about the last time Kara had embarrassed her at a dinner party. Now, seeing Kara cut in again, her hands balled into fists at her sides as she tried not to lose her cool.
“I’m just giving Marina a friendly warning. If something isn’t yours, don’t go scheming for it, because the higher you climb, the harder you fall,” Mallory said.
Kara scoffed and shot a glance over at Finn and Daron.
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Chapter 142
“Daron,” she called out.
But before she could say another word, Mallory yanked her back.
“What are you doing?” Mallory snapped.
At the sound of Kara’s voice, Finn and Daron both looked up, glancing over in their direction.
“What’s going on?” Daron asked quietly.
Mallory bit down on her lip, shot Kara a dirty look, then turned to Daron.
“Daron, it’s nothing. We were just chatting,” she said, playing it cool.
Kara cut in with a smirk, “Mallory was gossiping about your love life. Word is you’re getting engaged soon, so we wanted to see if the rumors are true.”
Mallory hadn’t expected Kara to be so bold. She stiffened, then lowered her head, shooting Kara a wounded, resentful look.
Daron’s eyes grew cold, a chill flickering in his gaze.
“Kara! Don’t mess around,” Finn said firmly.
As Daron’s close friend, Finn knew all too well that Daron hated when people discussed his marriage plans.
Over the years, anything about his marriage had basically become a taboo subject.
Kara instinctively edged closer to Marina for support after her brother’s scolding.
Marina knew Kara was always a little nervous around Daron. She’d only dared to speak up because she didn’t want Mallory to embarrass her, even if it risked ticking Daron off.
Just as Marina was about to jump in and defuse the situation, Daron’s piercing, territorial stare locked onto her, and he said, his voice deep and unmistakably dominant.
“I’ve been engaged for a long time.”
Marina tensed.
All present were surprised.
“In the future, don’t ask me about this. Ask her instead.”
His
gaze
landed on Marina, deep and unreadable.
Kara gave a quick, obedient nod, her reply crisp, though she still looked a bit rattled.
“Got it, Daron,” she replied.
Marina gave an awkward smile.
Ask me?‘ Marina wondered. ‘What for?‘
She wasn’t about to spout nonsense like Mallory did.
While everyone else was still shocked by the news that Daron had been engaged all along, Mallory looked up at Marina, her eyes searching for answers.
Most people might not know who Kara’s real bestie is, but Mallory sure does.
JA
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Marina and Kara had grown up together, practically inseparable, like they’d shared every dress and every secret.
During the years Marina was away from Vrufield, Mallory had finally managed to get close to Kara. But the second Marina showed up. Kara ditched her and ran straight back to Marina.
But why would Daron tell everyone to ask Marina about his engagement?‘ Mallory wondered, her mind racing with confusion.
‘Wait, does that mean those old rumors about the Finley and Zamora families having an engagement were actually true?‘ she thought, her heart skipping a beat.
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.
