Chapter 90
As soon as Marina sent the message, she regretted it the moment it went out.
“Who am I kidding, as if I could actually change his plans, she thought, feeling a wave of self–doubt.
She hurried to delete the message before he could see it.
But just as she deleted it, a single word popped up in the chat.
Daron’s text read, “Yes.”
He’d actually replied to her.
Marina stared at the notification confirming her message had been deleted, then at Daron’s one–word reply. The whole thing left her feeling awkward and strangely unsettled.
She’d honestly thought that even if Daron saw her message, he wouldn’t reply at all.
But to her surprise, he answered right away.
She spent ages second–guessing herself, typing out one message after another, only to delete each one because nothing seemed quite right.
Finally, she found a reply that felt just right.
Marina texted, “Sure, I just wanted to talk about some work stuff with you, Mr. Zamora.”
Daron didn’t reply after that.
Marina kept staring at her phone for a while, and once she realized he wasn’t going to reply, she finally put it down.
Inside the elevator, Joyce cast a sidelong glance at the man standing next to her.
He’d been glued to his phone since stepping inside, a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing at his lips.
Without betraying any emotion, she looked away and stared straight ahead.
Afterwards, Daron was still nowhere to be seen at the office all afternoon.
Marina managed to stay calm, quietly going over her documents.
But as the end of the workday approached and Daron still hadn’t shown up, she couldn’t help feeling uneasy.
If Daron didn’t show up with her, the whole thing would be ruined, and she wouldn’t be able to sell the Finley Group’s land at all.
She bit down on her lip, grabbed her phone, wanting to message Daron again, but she was scared she’d seem too desperate.
His one–word reply, “Yes,” was still just sitting there in the chat, staring back at her.
Marina made herself calm down and get back to work, forcing herself to take deep breaths over and over until she finally felt
her nerves settle.
By the end of the workday, Daron still hadn’t shown up.
Marina took a deep breath and closed her eyes, resigned to her fate.
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With Daron not even at the office, even if she could somehow drag him there by force, it still wouldn’t get them the reach they wanted.
She bit her lip so hard it almost hurt, then got up from her chair
No matter what, she still had to face those guests staying with the Finley family.
As Marina walked out of her office, she grabbed her phone and dialed Elnora.
Now that the plan had gone sideways, of course, she needed to let Elnora know.
At the exact moment the call connected, the office door suddenly opened from outside.
Daron’s voice cut in, “Marina, what’s up?”
Marina just stood there, phone still in her hand, staring in shock at Daron standing in the doorway.
He’d clearly had a lot to drink. His cheeks were unusually flushed. When he saw Marina standing in the doorway, he frowned for a moment, but once he realized she hadn’t been hit by the door, his expression softened, and he gestured for
her to come over.
“It’s okay now,” Marina reassured Elnora quickly over the phone.
She ended the call and walked over to Daron.
“Why’d you end up drinking so much at lunch?” Marina asked.
Daron tugged at his tie, feeling hot and bothered. “You think it’s that easy to ditch those guys?”
To get out of there, he had to chug half a bottle of penalty booze that Zachary shoved at him.
If Joyce hadn’t spoken up for him, he probably would’ve been our cold after finishing the rest.
A flicker of gratitude flashed in Marina’s eyes.
“Thanks, Mr. Zamora,” she said.
Daron glanced at her, said nothing, and walked toward the elevator.
His steps were clearly unsteady, so Marina rushed over to support him.
She slipped her arm through his, just barely holding him up, silently praying he wouldn’t pass out before they reached the Finley house.
The instant her hand touched his arm, Daron tensed for a moment. He looked down at her, noticing the concern in her eyes, and the corners of his mouth curved in a subtle, almost hidden smile.
Meanwhile, Garret had just come back from the infirmary with some glucose for Daron and was waiting downstairs when he saw Marina helping Daron out of the elevator.
The
guy
who’d been walking just fine earlier now looked like he was totally wasted and needed someone to hold him
- up.
Garret raised an eyebrow, and as Marina helped Daron over to the car, he let out a low snort.
“What a drama queen,” Garret joked.
Daron didn’t respond. With Marina’s help, he bent down and go into the car.
Once he was seated, he cast Garret a barely noticeable look.
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As Marina helped Daron, the overpowering smell of alcohol coming off him was so strong, she felt like she could get tipsy just by standing this close.
Once Daron was settled in the car, Marina turned to Garret.
“Sorry, Garret, I didn’t quite catch what you said earlier,” she said
Garret smiled and handed Marina the glucose.
“Ms. Finley, could you feed Mr. Zamora the glucose?” Garret said with a grin.
Marina accepted the glucose from Garret with both hands. “Alright.”
Garret gestured for Marina to get in.
Marina quickly bent down and got into the car.
She’d spent all morning thinking up ways to ask for a ride with Daron, but in the end, she just ended up in his car without even trying. It all happened so naturally.
Garret closed the door behind her and slid into the driver’s seat without missing a beat.
Marina nervously bit her lip and murmured, “Are we heading straight to the Finley estate?”
Garret didn’t answer her. Instead, he glanced at Daron
seat.
in
the rearview mirror, taking in how he was slumped in the back
Marina shifted her gaze from Garret over to Daron beside her.
Daron was rubbing his temples.
He wasn’t exactly drunk, but he’d put
“No, we’re going to my place first,” Daron said.
ough booze that he was definitely feeling it now.
Marina was stunned, her eyes flickering with confusion.
“Mr. Zamora, but today is…” she began hesitantly.
Daron didn’t let her finish. He cut her off right away.
“I smell awful,” he muttered.
Marina finally realized what he was getting at.
Daron glanced at her from the side, a mix of emotions flickering in his eyes.
Marina hurriedly pulled out the glucose, opened it, and handed it to Daron,
“Here, Mr. Zamora, drink some glucose first,” she said gently.
Daron watched her, frowning, his voice muffled and a bit sulky.
“Looks like you’ve done this a lot,” he remarked.
Marina replied, “I used to have a pretty low tolerance, so I was always the one taking care of my coworkers after they went all out drinking. After doing this so many times, it just becomes second nature.”
Back when the Ross Group was just getting off the ground, Laver had to drink with investors all the time, just trying to land
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any kind of investment.
He’d come back completely hammered almost every single time
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Marina couldn’t hold her liquor at all, so she couldn’t take any of the load off him. Even when investors tried to make her drink, Lavern would always step in front of her and take the drinks for her.
He was basically drinking for two people, and it really took a toll on him.
Eventually, Marina just stopped going to those dinners altogether. She’d just wait in the car, handling the aftermath and making sure everyone got home in one piece.
Guess that’s how she got so good at popping open these glucose bottles during those years.
Daron silently took the glucose from Marina. When she reached to open another bottle for him, he gently placed his hand over hers, took the unopened vial from her palm, snapped it open himself, and chugged it down in one swift motion.
Marina paused, sensing his annoyance. She was racking her brain for a way to break the tension when Daron just leaned back, closed his eyes, and acted like she wasn’t even there.
His face gave nothing away, but Marina had this nagging feeling he was seriously pissed.
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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.
