Chapter 159
Marina’s face turned bright red, and ironically, Daron answered her question with a completely serious expression.
There wasn’t a trace of playfulness in those deep eyes of his. It was as if he were just talking about the weather. That made it impossible for Marina to snap back at him. She just ended up blushing even harder.
She ground her teeth, silently warning herself not to get dragged into his nonsense. S lum any way, and it would only end up making her feel worse.
could never win an argument with
Marina didn’t bother replying to Daron. She just kept her head down and quietly ate her oatmeal.
Daron glanced at her and said in a calm voice, “Careful, don’t get oatmeal up your nose.”
Marina stayed silent.
At that moment, Robert’s call came in.
Marina glanced at the screen, picked up her phone, and swiped to answer.
“Ms. Finley.” Robert’s voice sounded almost instantly on the other end.
Marina hummed softly in response.
Once Robert confirmed it was Marina on the line, he lowered his voice and started to report.
“Mr. Ross has been looking for you since yesterday. He’s already dropped by the office a bunch of times.”
“I have no idea how he found out you’re in Vrufield today, but now he’s saying he’ll go to Vrufield himself to look for you.”
Marina pressed her brow lightly. “Got it.”
‘What’s gotten into Lavern? Why is he acting so crazy and clingy?‘ Marina thought.
“Did he say what he wants with me?” she asked.
Robert replied respectfully, “No, he didn’t.”
Marina let out a quiet sigh. When she looked up, she caught Daron watching her with those cold, unreadable eyes. She pressed her lips together and lowered her voice.
“Keep him busy. Don’t let him come to Vrufield,” she said.
To take advantage of Daron’s status, they’d been making people think she and Daron had something going on.
If Lavern showed up in Vrufield and their past got out, it could really throw a wrench in Elnora’s plans. And on top of that, it could definitely hurt Daron’s reputation.
Marina was worried those jealous types would be gossiping about him behind his back, saying all sorts of things.
Robert quickly replied, “Got it, Ms. Finley. May I ask when you expect to return, Ms. Finley?”
He could stall Lavern for a little while, but if it dragged on, Robert wasn’t sure he could keep him at bay much longer.
“I’ll be back tomorrow,” Marina replied.
Robert quickly acknowledged her instructions.
Chapter 15
“Alright. I’ll go and stop Mr. Ross,” he said.
After the call ended, Marina could feel Daron’s gaze growing even sharper, like he was trying to see straight through her.
She held her breath for a second, then looked up and met his intense, almost intimidating eyes. For some reason, she just could help but feel a wave of nervousness.
Guess all I can do is reassure him, Marina thought to herself, feeling a bit helpless.
“Don’t worry. Mr. Zamora. I’ll handle this. I won’t let you get caught up in any gossip,” she said.
Daron’s eyes were cool and steady as he spoke.
“And what if you can’t handle it? What if I get dragged into it?” he asked.
Marina took a deep breath and replied with determination, “If that day ever comes, I’ll shoulder all the blame myself.”
Daron set down his glass of milk and asked in a cold voice, “And how do you plan to do that?”
Marina replied, “I’ll take full responsibility. I promise, Mr. Zamora, you won’t be dragged into this. Not even a little.”
Daron let out a cold laugh, his eyes locked on her like fire was blazing inside them.
Marina quickly dodged his angry stare, ducked her head, and pretended nothing was wrong as she kept eating.
Daron watched her shrink back, his face frosty and unyielding.
“Ms. Finley, you sure know how to take responsibility,” he said, his voice laced with sarcasm.
Marina gave a sheepish smile and replied, “Of course, of course.”
After all, Marina and Elnora were the ones riding on Daron’s coattails. They were already cashing in big time.
Daron’s face was stormy as he suddenly pushed his chair back and stood up.
The screech of the chair dragging across the floor was like a knife to Marina’s ears. It made her wince.
She could tell Daron was pissed, so she just backed down and didn’t dare push him any further.
While Daron was heading back to his room, Marina quickly finished her oatmeal, wiped her mouth, and called out after
him.
“Mr. Zamora, I’m heading out now. Thanks for taking care of me last night. Once we’re back in Sicester, I’ll treat you to dinner,” she said.
Not caring if Daron heard her or not, she turned and walked straight out the door.
Once she was out, she quietly closed the door behind her. As she walked down the empty hallway, she finally let out a sigh of relief.
Standing at the elevator, waiting for it to arrive, Marina couldn’t get the image of Daron’s angry face out of her head. For some reason, her chest tightened with a strange ache.
‘Guess this is just how fate messes with you,‘ she thought.
She just didn’t have the courage to go all in anymore.
The elevator doors slid open, and Marina let out a quiet sigh. Just as she was about to step inside, a hand caught her by the nape of her neck.
Chapter 159
Marina felt a job shoot through her scalp. She spin armind and found Baron standing right behind her, his face cold and mareadable, his hand gripping her collar
Ite was still in that black shirt from earlier.
But it looked like he’d just come from his room. Most of the buttons were undone, showing off a whole stretch of defined alis.
The black shirt and those rock–solid muscles were right there in front of her, and with Daron’s arrogant, commanding face, it was a sight that could knock the breath out of any woman.
Marina totally froze, her words tripping over themselves.
Da…Da… Daron…” she stammered.
Daron gave her a cold look. “What’s with the stuttering? Cat got your tongue?”
Marina gave an awkward little smile and reached out, pulling his open black shirt closed.
“Guys need to look out for themselves, too. You can’t just go around showing off your chest like that. People out there are crazy these days. Even getting checked out is a kind of harassment. And trust me, it’s not just women who stare. Men do too,” Marina said.
Daron glanced down, catching the flush creeping up her ears. A mocking smirk played on his lips as he leaned in close, his voice dropping to a low murmur right by her ear.
“So, did you stare too?” he asked.
Marina quickly shook her head. “I wouldn’t say I did. I’m just appreciating, that’s all.”
Daron let out a low, playful laugh, his voice laced with mischief. “Should I save it just for your eyes from now on?”
Marina looked up, meeting Daron’s unexpectedly gentle gaze. She cleared her throat and went along with his teasing.
“A little admiring now and then is fine. But if I see it too much, I’ll probably get tired of it,” she said.
Daron let out a cold laugh and tapped her right between the eyes with his long fingers.
“Acting all coy after getting an eyeful? Want more? In your dreams,” he teased.
Hearing that, Marina couldn’t help but instantly recall the dream she’d had last night.
Truth was, she’d already seen it in her dreams before. And in those dreams, it was even more vivid and enough to make her pulse race.
Daron saw her ears turning an even deeper shade of red, and he had no idea what was running through her mind.
That flush was definitely not a healthy shade. It was more like something you’d get from thinking naughty thoughts.
For some reason, he felt oddly violated, like she was the one crossing the line. He quickly snatched his shirt out of her grasp.
“Come with me in a bit. I want to show you a little project,” Daron said.
As soon as Marina heard the word “project,” she snapped out of her daze. Seeing Daron already heading for the suite, she quickly jogged after him.
She was pretty interested in whatever he had in mind. If she played her cards right, maybe the Finley Group could get close to Daron and score a slice of the action too.
Chapter len
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.
