Marina looked up, her gaze landing on Daron’s strikingly handsome face. She shook her head gently.
“No,” she said softly.
Daron frowned, his deep–set eyes darkening.
“Are you sure?” he pressed.
Marina nodded. “Yeah.”
Irritation flickered across Daron’s face. “Didn’t you ever think about explaining yourself to me?”
Marina lowered her gaze for a moment, steadying herself. When she looked up again, a faint smile had appeared on her face.
“I don’t see what I need to explain to you,” she said.
They were just in a working relationship, nothing more than business partners.
There really wasn’t any need for an explanation.
Daron’s face darkened completely. He shot her a cold, contemptuous look before turning and walking out of her room.
Marina pressed her lips together and quietly closed the door. The moment it clicked shut, she couldn’t help but cover her face with her hands.
A hot tear slid down her palm.
The next morning, Marina got up early.
As soon as she stepped out of her room, she heard the front door lock click shut.
Daron had probably gone out for his morning run, just like yesterday.
Marina couldn’t help but admire how energetic he was. He’d go for a run in the morning, handle all the work from Zamora Group during the day, and still find time to play games at night.
He hardly ever went to business dinners or drinking parties.
No wonder, after all these years, he still hadn’t picked up any of those typical vices: money, women, or booze.
When Daron got back from his morning run, he saw Marina in the kitchen, stirring oatmeal on the stove.
She had a spoon in one hand, stirring the pot, and her phone in the other, talking to someone.
“Jasper should be making a move soon. Have someone keep tabs on his every move,” she said.
pter 181
“Judging by Yara’s behavior yesterday, she’s probably on guard. We need to stay on their tail and not let up;
she added.
After giving Robert a few more instructions, Marina put her phone away.
The oatmeal was almost ready, so she turned off the stove.
When she turned around, she was surprised to see Daron already back from his run, arms crossed, watching her with a laid–back, slightly amused look.
Marina jumped, startled by his sudden appearance.
“Do you always walk around without making a sound?” she asked.
Daron looked down at her with a teasing smirk. “People always get super focused when they’re up to something shady.”
Marina raised an eyebrow. “Then you better watch out, I might just poison your oatmeal.”
Daron stepped closer, leaning in until their faces were just inches apart. “You mean the kind that makes me do whatever you say?”
Marina could feel their breaths mixing, making her heart race.
Instinctively, she took a step back.
But Daron was faster. He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her straight into his arms.
It all happened in a flash. Marina’s nose bumped into his solid chest, and his scent hit her all at once, overwhelming her senses.
Daron’s voice came from above, full of teasing.
“What’s wrong, did I catch you? Now you’re in a hurry to destroy the evidence?” he joked.
Marina froze for a second, then quickly shoved him away to put some space between them.
Daron didn’t get mad at all. He just gave her a teasing smile, her image mirrored in his deep eyes.
Marina took a deep breath, not daring to meet his gaze, and murmured. “You just got back from your run. You smell all sweaty. Go take a shower already.”
Daron raised an eyebrow, lifted the hem of his T–shirt with his long, elegant fingers, and sniffed it.
He didn’t catch any sweat, but he didn’t argue. He just said in a low, husky voice, “Is that so?”
“So, if I get all fresh and clean, does that mean I get to hug you as much as I want?” Daron teased.
Marina just acted like she didn’t hear him and started ladling out the oatmeal.
Daron didn’t press the issue. He simply turned and walked off to the bathroom.
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After a quick shower, he headed to the dining room, only to see that there was just one bowl of oatmeal on the table.
Daron frowned, turned back to his room, and grabbed his phone. As soon as he unlocked it, a message from Marina popped up.
Marina: [Mr. Zamora, your oatmeal is on the table. I have to head to the office early, so I’m leaving now.]
His face darkened as he read the message. Then he dialed Daniel’s number.
“Is there an emergency at Ross Group today?” he asked.
Daniel was still in bed, since he lived close to Ross Group. He was a bit baffled when he heard Daron’s question.
“Nope, nothing,” Daniel replied.
Daron’s eyes narrowed, and he hung up without another word.
Clearly, Marina just didn’t want to ride with him to Ross Group, so she came up with an excuse.
He sat at the dining table, scowling, replaying the image of Marina’s flustered way of eating breakfast just to avoid him. His mood soured even more.
At least she cared enough to make his oatmeal herself, and it looked really good.
Daron’s call woke Daniel, but he just hung up on him for no reason. Thinking something must’ve happened with Marina, and worried Daron would believe he was slacking off, Daniel called Marina to check in.
Marina picked up right away.
“Ms. Finley, did something happen over there? Want me to rush over right now?” Daniel asked.
Marina was a little puzzled when she got the call, but she answered immediately.
“Everything’s fine here. Just come in at your regular time like always,” Marina replied.
Daniel didn’t pick up on any stress or weirdness in her voice, so just to be thorough, he called Daron back.
Daron picked up right away.
“Speak,” Daron said.
Daniel spoke honestly, no beating around the bush. “Mr. Zamora, I just called Ms. Finley. There’s nothing urgent at the office, so no worries.”
Daron was speechless. Even the oatmeal in his bowl tasted bland now.
Daniel still had no clue he’d just killed Daron’s last bit of good mood. After Daron hung up on him again without a word, Daniel scratched his head in confusion, then shrugged it off and got ready for work.
8:56 Wed, Jan 7 d
Chapter 181
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Marina booked an Uber to the office. As soon as she walked in, she spotted Lavern coming out of the reception area.
He was still wearing the suit from last night’s class reunion, a far cry from his usual sharp look.
Ever since Ross Group got back on track, Lavern always kept himself looking sharp. Seeing him this messy and defeated was really out of character for him.
Not even when she dumped him did he look this rough. Today was definitely a first.
As Lavern headed her way, Marina threw a casual question to the receptionist.
Marina glanced at the receptionist. “How long has he been waiting here?”
The receptionist looked confused and shook her head.
“Mr. Ross was already here when we started our shift,” the receptionist answered.
Marina nodded, but instead of heading for the elevator, she set her briefcase down on the front desk, freeing up her hands and getting ready for whatever Lavern tried next.
There was a fire extinguisher right beside her. If Lavern dared to pull the same stunt as last night and tried to drag her off, she wouldn’t hesitate to clock him with it.
Lavern stopped right in front of Marina, and when he caught the wary, defensive look in her eyes, like she was ready to swing if he tried anything, it really got to him.
He frowned at her, his voice coming out rough and serious.
“Are you afraid I’ll hurt you?” he asked.
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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.
