Chapter 147
Marina worked at the Zamora Group and had come with him today. Wasn’t she basically his girl?
Daron narrowed his deep, dark eyes, watching as Marina spoke through clenched teeth, yet still managed to act all sweet and coy. A faint smile tugged at his lips as he finally played along.
“Alright,” he said.
With Daron’s response, Marina’s grin grew wider. She grabbed his hand and tugged him along to the table.
Mallory clenched her jaw so tight, she wished she could grind her teeth to dust.
Marina had one of the Clark family’s servants bring over a backless stool, then gave the chair ith a could easily coach her from behind.
Joyce watched as Daron sat down right behind Marina.
Daron so he
His long legs stretched out in front of her stool, and from the side, it looked like she was nestled right in his lap.
Joyce’s eyes darkened, a flicker of displeasure flashing across her face, but with Daron there, she couldn’t say a word.
The card game started.
“None of us brought that much cash, so let’s just use chips for now and pay each other back online after,” Chloe said.
As she spoke, Chloe pulled out the chips, sorted them, and passed them around.
“What’s the stake?” Joyce asked, her tone laid–back.
“Since Ms. Finley’s a newbie, let’s keep it light, minimum bet of 15 thousand dollars, double up each round, and play till the bitter end,” Joyce suggested.
Chloe raised an eyebrow, picking up on Joyce’s intentions, but didn’t say anything.
Kara frowned and said quietly, “Isn’t that a bit much?”
Joyce flashed a sly smile and said softly, “Is that really a big deal? Worst case, you just end up losing enough for a custom luxury bag to me, right, Ms. Finley?”
Marina kept her cool, lips curved in a faint smile. “I don’t really know much about this game, so I’m good with whatever you guys want.”
Seeing her reaction, Joyce’s eyes narrowed a bit. “Then it’s settled.”
“I’m good with anything,” Chloe replied.
Kara just shrugged. “Works for me. If I lose, my brother’s footing the bill anyway.”
Finn, who’d been lounging on the nearby couch, perked up at that, got up, dragged a stool over, and sat down right behind
her.
“Try not to lose too much, alright?” Finn teased.
Kara waved him off. “Chill, chill, I’ve got this.”
Chloe hit the button to roll the dice. “Alright, let’s get this started.”
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Chapter 147
As Marina picked up her cards, she turned to see Daron right behind her and flashed him a quick smile.”
To get a better look at her cards, Daron leaned in even closer to her.
Marina looked every bit the newbie, totally clueless about how to arrange her cards, so Daron would reach over now and then to help her sort them out.
His long arm slid around her, and before she knew it, she was nestled right in his arms.
Joyce kept up her classy smile at first, but after a couple of rounds, that smile slipped away bit by bit
It wasn’t the chips she was losing. It was the way Daron kept fussing over Marina that was really getting under her skin.
After Marina scored another win, Joyce ended up dead last. She shoved her cards aside with a heavy hand over, clearly pissed.
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es clouded
Realizing she was letting her feelings slip, Joyce quickly composed herself, settled up her chips, and p
ule.
“Seriously, what are Zachary and his brother even doing? Still not showing up and leaving Daron and Finn hanging here. It’s such a snooze,” Joyce joked.
Chloe didn’t say a word.
She was sitting right across from Marina and Daron, so she could clearly read every emotion in Daron’s eyes.
He was obviously enjoying himself coaching Marina through every move.
Whenever Marina asked him for advice, he’d lean in close, his gaze so sugary you could almost taste it.
He wasn’t bored at all. If anything, he loved every minute of it.
Chloe honestly couldn’t remember the last time a card game was this entertaining. She never thought she’d actually get a peek into Daron’s mind for once.
Really, the only ones who looked bored were Joyce and Mallory, sitting right beside her.
Ever since Joyce sat down at the table, she hadn’t managed to win a single hand. Every time she was just about to go out, Marina would snatch the win right out from under her.
When Zachary and his brother finally walked in, Joyce’s face finally lit up again.
“Zachary, what took you guys so long? Finn and Daron have been waiting forever,” Joyce called out.
Zachary gave an apologetic smile. “Got held up at the office, couldn’t make it over any sooner.”
Mallory jumped up from her seat and said quickly, “I already saved the room next door for you guys. Come with me!”
Daron was still busy coaching Marina through the game and wasn’t about to get up anytime soon.
Joyce smiled at Daron.
“Daron, Zachary and his brother are here,” she said.
Daron nodded, looked over at the Grant brothers, and said softly, “You guys go ahead. I’ll join you after this round.”
When Zachary walked in, he immediately spotted Daron sitting right behind some woman, guiding her through the game.
Daron was never the kind to go out of his way for anyone.
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Chapter 147
If a woman could make him stick around like that, she had to be a big deal.
“Whoa, looks like things are getting pretty intense here. Mind if we come over and watch?” Zachary wandered over. genuinely interested in the action.
Marina was already waiting on her winning card. If she drew it, she’d be looking at a million–dollar win.
When it was her turn, she elbowed Daron behind her, just a little.
“Daron, help me draw, will you?” she said, her voice sweet and playful.
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Daron, always happy to help, stood up and reached over to draw a card for Marina. He brushed his fingertip over the card, then whispered softly to her, “It’s a win.”
As he stood up, Marina ended up nestled right in his embrace.
Her eyes sparkled at his words.
“Really?” she asked, her voice full of excitement.
As she turned, Daron was just about to sit back down.
Her lips brushed against his neck, and for a split second, Daron’s hand froze as he set the tile down.
Marina was totally focused on the game. When she saw that Daron had put down the exact card she needed to win, her face lit up with a bright smile as she turned to him.
“So, if I get this one, it’s a max win, right?” she asked.
Daron looked into her bright eyes, a smile tugging at his lips as he replied, “Yeah, it’s a max win.”
His voice was low and husky, but he quickly hid whatever was flickering in his eyes.
Kara had just won her hand too, so she leaned over to peek at Marina’s cards, grinning as she said,
“I hit two players, so it’s a wash. No gain, no loss.”
Chloe won her hand soon after, and as she laid her cards down, she smiled and said, “I got a max win too. Kara and Marina are just way too quick for me.”
Kara patted her chest, letting out a sigh of relief. “Good thing I got lucky this time.”
Joyce, who wasn’t so lucky, was about to sweep the table but missed out. Frustrated, she shoved her cards aside and, while doing so, addressed the Grant brothers standing behind Marina.
“Why don’t you guys just go do your own thing?”
Zachary was standing right behind Daron, and he totally saw how Daron froze up for a split second when Marina’s lips. grazed his neck, and how his ears went red in a flash.
As the group got up to leave, Zachary couldn’t help sneaking a few more glances at Marina.
She was pretty, and there was something about her that felt oddly familiar. ‘Where have I seen her before?‘ Zachary wondered, just as Marina looked up and gave him a soft, almost teasing smile.
That was when it clicked on Zachary. “Hold on, isn’t she…?”
She was the one who kept making a fuss about breaking off her engagement with Daron.
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Chapter 147
Before he could finish, Finn clapped a hand over his mouth.
Daron was actually in a great mood today, so there was no point in bringing up stuff that would just kill the vibe.
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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.
