His 181St Second (Laverne and Marina) novel Chapter 30

**Winds Carry Lost Promises by Asa Holt Vale**

**Chapter 30**

Carter was determined to shift the tension onto Marina, hoping to divert attention from himself.

With a flick of his eyes, he cast a dirty look her way, but she dismissed it effortlessly, her focus instead drifting to the unsightly coffee stain that had begun to spread across Daron’s shirt. A few drops clung stubbornly to his sharp, attractive collarbone, creating an odd juxtaposition against his otherwise polished appearance.

For a moment, she hesitated, her mind racing. Then, with a quick decision, she grabbed a handful of tissues. Just as she was about to extend them toward Daron, he spoke, his voice a low rumble that cut through the tension. “Pretty infuriating, yeah.”

Carter seized the opportunity, treating Daron’s words like a lifeline. “When this little punk was hell-bent on calling off the engagement with you, I did everything I could to talk her out of it. But she’s just like her mother—stubborn as a mule. If it weren’t for her, we…”

Daron remained silent, listening intently, his expression unreadable. He smoothly accepted the tissues from Marina, dabbing at the coffee stains with an air of calm.

Carter’s eyes narrowed at the sight. He had offered tissues earlier, and Daron had barely acknowledged him. Now, he was casually accepting Marina’s help? Confusion flickered across Carter’s face, but he pressed on, unwilling to back down. “The Finley and Zamora families were inseparable back in the day. If it weren’t for this damn girl…”

Daron’s brow furrowed as he interrupted, his tone firm. “Carter, there’s no need to dredge up old history.”

Carter nodded quickly, trying to salvage the moment. “You’re right, it’s not our finest hour…”

But Daron cut him off again, his voice steady, yet cool. “Carter, I have matters to attend to. I’ll be heading out now.”

His words were polite, yet they left no room for argument.

Carter blinked, a sense of disbelief washing over him. “Oh, sure,” he mumbled instinctively, but the bite of Daron’s disdain was unmistakable.

Ever since Marina had made the bold decision to sever ties with the Zamora family, the once-flourishing business connections had dwindled to nothing. It was no surprise that Daron wasn’t in a friendly mood.

A simmering anger brewed within Carter, but he kept it tightly locked away in front of Daron, knowing full well that expressing it would lead nowhere good. The Zamora family’s influence was so vast now that he felt utterly dwarfed by it.

Daron inclined his head slightly, dismissing Carter entirely. He turned to Marina, who seemed to be lost in her thoughts. “Ready to go?”

Marina nodded, her voice steady. “Yeah.”

Under Carter’s bewildered gaze, she fell into step beside Daron and walked out, leaving him with a sense of confusion and frustration.

“Marina…” He couldn’t help but call out, the name slipping from his lips before he could stop himself.

What the hell was happening? If anyone should have harbored resentment toward Marina, it was Daron, not the other way around!

Marina didn’t look back, her eyes icy and filled with contempt. After years of silence, she had hoped he might have changed even a little. Instead, he had strolled in and dumped a heaping pile of his obnoxious attitude right at her feet.

Carter had never truly let go of the Finley Group. During her time in Sicester, who knew how many underhanded schemes he had orchestrated against Elnora?

She thought bitterly, ‘With enemies lurking both inside and outside, how could the Finley family ever hope to rise above?’

Caught up in her own turmoil, she had failed to consider Elnora’s precarious position. Regret and guilt crashed over Marina like a tidal wave, leaving her breathless.

So lost in her thoughts, she failed to notice the step right in front of her. Her foot met nothing but air, and she felt herself tumbling forward, the ground rushing up to meet her.

A scream nearly escaped her lips, her heart pounding in her throat as panic surged through her veins.

But Daron, ever alert, clamped down on her arm and pulled her back just in time.

As she steadied herself, her face drained of color, the shock of the near fall leaving her momentarily speechless.

Once she had regained her breath, she looked up at Daron, her voice barely above a whisper. “Thanks.”

“Thanks,” she repeated, glancing at her phone, only to find a flood of missed calls glaring back at her.

Daron released her arm without a fuss, casting a quick glance at her. “The car’s that way.”

He turned and strode toward the hotel entrance, exuding an air of authority that made her feel small.

As she looked over, she caught sight of Garret standing by the car, a warm smile lighting up his face.

For a brief moment, she froze, her gaze dropping to the hotel staff in their black uniforms standing at the bottom of the steps. Embarrassment washed over her as she realized she had been so lost in her thoughts that she had followed the wrong person.

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