Chapter 170
After Marina had picked out all the ingredients, she turned to look at Daron. Her gaze met the man’s fervent eyes. She quickly froze, then hurriedly looked away. Picking up a small pack of peppers, she asked, “Mr. Zamora, can you handle spicy food?”
Daron replied calmly, “I can manage,”
Marina nodded and added a pack of peppers to the cart.
At the checkout, Marina was about to pay when Daron quickly took her phone away and handed his to the cashier..
“Here,” he said.
The cashier had been observing them secretly the whole time.
After witnessing how Daron quickly stepped in for payment and then casually grabbed all the groceries singlehandedly before heading out, she couldn’t help but think that this guy was the absolute boyfriend material.
She stared dreamily at the backs of the two walking away until her coworker nudged her.
“Quit staring, you’re practically drooling over them,” her coworker teased.
Only then did the cashier reluctantly tear her eyes away.
“I want to date a guy like that in my next life!” she gushed.
Her coworker joked, “Keep dreaming. That’s not the path to immortality.”
Back at the apartment, Marina headed straight for the kitchen.
Daron rolled up his sleeves, walked over, and asked, “Anything you need me to do?”
Seeing his serious expression, Marina just pointed at the vegetables on the counter.
“Wash those, and peel two cloves of garlic,” she told him.
Daron nodded. “Sure.”
Marina pulled out her phone and started googling for recipes.
When Daron finished his tasks and came over, Marina quickly stashed her phone away, afraid he’d laugh at her last–minute work.
But instead of the teasing she was bracing for, Daron just looked at her, a bit confused, and asked, “That last step, did you get
it?”
Marina unlocked her phone and pulled up the tutorial again.
Daron stepped closer, leaning in to check out the screen with her
Once they’d finished checking out the tutorial, Daron asked, “Go it?”
Marina replied, a little uncertain, “Yeah.”
Daron nodded and moved all the prepared ingredients to the stove area.
“Let’s whip up some egg drop soup too,” he suggested.
20:52 Sat, Jan 3
Chapter 170
Marina nodded and checked the recipe on her phone again.
Daron got started cracking the eggs for her.
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Marina didn’t cook often, so once the stove turned on, she became flustered. Luckily, Daron was right there to lend a hand, and with his help, she managed to pull off four dishes and a soup
It was undoubtedly the best, most presentable meal Marina had ever made.
When Daron set the last dish on the table, Marina excitedly whipped out her phone to snap a photo.
“Have to document this for memory’s sake,” she said.
Daron cooperated, waiting for her to finish before taking his seat Then he said casually, “Let me see the photos.”
Marina quickly opened her photo album and slid her phone over to him.
Daron looked over the photos, scrolled through a few, and offered his thoughts.
“It’s kind of plain. All the pics look the same. Feels like something’s missing,” Daron said.
Marina had thought her photos looked great, but after Daron pointed them out, she realized something was missing, too.
Daron picked up some food with his chopsticks and motioned for Marina to take a picture.
Marina quickly grabbed her phone, snapped the shot, and scooted over next to Daron so they could check out the photo together.
“Not bad,” Daron said, glancing at the screen.
“Looks good,” Marina replied with a smile.
They both spoke at the same time.
Seeing the obvious good mood on Daron’s face, Marina’s lips curved up subconsciously as well.
Soon, Daron got up from his chair and grabbed a bottle of red wine from the wine cabinet. He poured himself a glass while he poured a glass of juice for Marina.
When he raised his wine glass, Marina caught on right away and lifted her own glass.
As their glasses clinked softly, Marina quickly snapped a photo.
Daron took a sip of his wine and reached out, gesturing for Marina’s phone.
Marina instinctively handed her phone to him.
Daron scrolled through the photos, picked out three favorites, and sent them to his own phone before handing it back to Marina.
“I think these three look great. Excellent work. And the food turned out very well, too,” Daron said.
Swept up in his rare praise, Marina lost herself for a moment. Without thinking, she opened the three photos he’d picked and posted them to her Instagram Story.
After sharing the story, she set her phone aside and joined Daron for dinner.
Daron was unusually quiet during dinner, but he seemed more relaxed and easier to be around than he usually was.
20:52 Sat, Jan 3
Chapter 170
After they finished eating, Marina cleared the dishes and went to the kitchen while Daron followed right after.
He grabbed a trash bag, tossed the leftovers in, and helped her clean up.
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Even though Marina kept saying she could handle it herself, Daron just stayed in the kitchen, quietly tidying up without a word.
Seeing this, Marina gave up arguing and stayed silent.
Every accidental brush of their arms made Marina’s heartbeat jump. The air in the kitchen felt thin simply because he was there.
Luckily, with both of them pitching in, they got everything cleaned up in no time.
Once they were done cleaning up, Marina retreated to her little room, feeling like her heart had finally returned to her chest.
Daron was just about to call out to her when she dashed inside, and the door slammed shut in his face.
He arched an eyebrow and checked the time. His video conference with the executives at Zamora Group was about to start, so he made his way to the study.
After calming down, Marina noticed the faint smell of cooking oil on herself and headed to the bathroom to freshen up.
After washing up, she dug through her stuff for her personal items, only to realize she hadn’t brought her hair dryer.
Thankfully, her pajamas were pretty conservative with long sleeves and pants. It was comfortable enough for her to step out and ask Daron if she could borrow his hair dryer.
With her hair wrapped up in a towel, Marina stepped out of her room. She saw the light on in the study and walked over.
The study door was open, and Daron was at his desk. When he saw her approach, he lifted his gaze, a silent question in his dark eyes.
Marina pressed her lips together before speaking.
“Where’s your hair dryer? Could I borrow it for a minute?” she asked.
Daron said in his usual calm tone, “Give me a moment.”
Marina figured he was talking to her, so she nodded.
As soon as Marina spoke, the room was suddenly filled with voices coming from the computer.
“Yes, Mr. Zamora.”
“Understood.”
“We’ll wait.”
Marina stood in the doorway, dumbfounded.
Only then did she realize Daron was on a video call. She hurried out of the study, her head bowed in embarrassment.
Daron walked over afterward and handed her the hairdryer.
Marina apologized quietly. “Sorry, I didn’t realize you were in a video meeting.”
Daron gave her a meaningful glance but said nothing, returning to the study, leaving the door open.
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20:52 Sat, Jan 3
Chapter 170
Still a little rattled, Marina quietly reached out and closed it form.
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.
