35 Business Dinner 2
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CHAPTER 35
~Zara~
Ivan chuckled, his gaze sliding from me to Snow before settling back on me. “I’m just here to enjoy the event, Zara. But I couldn’t resist stopping by to say hello.”
“Too bad the same can’t be said from here.”
Ivan’s eyes never left mine as he turned professional. “I ⚫ heard rumours of a lucrative deal. Thought I’d crash
the party.”
Marcus’s interest was piqued. “A lucrative deal, you say?”
Ivan nodded. “One that will blow Mr. Zephyr’s offer to you out of the water.”
My heart sank. Ivan was here to sabotage the deal,
taking Marcus away. I knew Snow needed and wanted this deal. It made sense that Scalwag would want to disrupt his plans.
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Snow’s voice remained calm. “I doubt that, nephew.”
Ivan smirked. “We’ll just have to see about that, uncle.”
Snow’s eyes darkened, but he didn’t say anything. He
didn’t need to. The look on his face said it all.
Ivan, however, was unbothered. He leaned in closer to me, lowering his voice just enough so only I could
hear.
“You should reconsider your choices, Zara. Your father’s company… it’s not as secure as you think. If you’re smart, you’ll choose the right side before it’s too
late.”
My blood ran cold. “What are you talking about?”
Ivan smirked, his eyes gleaming with malice. “Your father’s company is in danger. And if you don’t act soon, you’ll lose everything.”
I froze, my mind racing. Could he be telling the truth? Could my father’s company really be at risk? I glanced at Snow, who was already watching Ivan with barely concealed fury.
2
“Ivan, I swear to-
But Ivan cut me off with a smirk. leaning back as he
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picked a glass from one of the waitresses passing by with a tray of cups of champagne and raising his glass
in a mock toast.
“Think about it, Zara. You know where to find me when you’re ready to talk.” He winked before turning to Marcus. “My offer stands. I suggest before sealing off anything to some eager businessmen using feminine bait, check other fishes in the sea. Not all worms are worth biting the hook for.”
Marcus was left stunned by his remark as Ivan walked off, leaving me standing there, my heart pounding in my chest.
As Ivan disappeared into the crowd, I could feel Snow’s eyes on me, burning with unsaid questions.
I couldn’t be bothered about that right now. What
concerned me most was how to get Marcus’s interest
back.
“Zar…”
I cut in, muttering, “Excuse me, please,” before walking
off.
The tension Ivan left behind felt suffocating enough as
I padded my way through the guest. my mind
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completely fixed on my family, twisting everything
inside me.
My father’s company… in danger?
I couldn’t let that happen. But then again, I couldn’t just walk away from Snow either–not after everything that had happened between us. I needed answers, and
I needed them now.
My fists clenched at my sides, but I kept my expression neutral, my eyes scanning the room for Ivan.
I noticed the eye exchange both Ivan and Marcus shared while we talked, making me wonder if Ivan had gotten his clutches on Marcus already or not.
Ivan had played his hand–now it was my move.
As I glanced across the ballroom, I saw Snow standing with Marcus, the two men locked in a conversation that screamed power dynamics.
Although Snow’s face was impassive, playing the businessman, I could feel it–Glacier was restless. beneath the surface, waiting for the smallest provocation to explode. It didn’t help that Ivan was here, taunting us with every smug smile.
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My heart raced as I made my way through the crowd, heading straight for Ivan. This needed to end. Now.
“Ivan,” I called as I reached him, barely containing my
anger.
He turned, that same smirk curling on his lips. “Zara. Couldn’t stay away, could you?”
I ignored his taunt, stepping closer so no one else could hear us. “What the hell are you trying to pull? What’s this about my father’s company being at risk?” «
Ivan’s smirk deepened. “Oh, that. It’s not a matter of if, darling. It’s when. And when it does, who will you turn
to? Snow? Or me?”
“I don’t need either of you,” I snapped, my pulse quickening. “But you’re not going to use my father’s company to manipulate me.”
Ivan leaned in, his lips hovering close to her ear. “I’m not manipulating you, Zara. I’m giving you a choice. Walk away from Snow, come back to me, and I’ll make sure your father’s company survives. Otherwise…” He trailed off, his meaning clear,
I felt my stomach twist, a sickening mixture of anger
and foor “You don’t get to make domanda anumora” I
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35 Business Dinner 2
hissed, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to
stay calm. “I’m not your fiancée, Ivan. You lost that right a long time ago.”
He chuckled darkly, his eyes flicking over me with a possessiveness that made my skin crawl. “Did I, though? Because from where I’m standing, you’re still playing the same game. You’re just with a different man now. But don’t fool yourself, Zara. You’re still
mine.”
I opened my mouth to argue, to tell him how wrong he was, but before I could say a word, I felt a hand grip my arm. Hard.
I whipped around to see Snow, his jaw clenched and his eyes blazing with barely suppressed fury.
“What the hell is this?” he growled in a dangerously low voice, as he yanked me away from Ivan. “Why are you still talking to him?”
I pulled my arm free, my own anger boiling over. “I was handling it!”
Snow’s eyes flashed dangerously. “Handling it? By cosying up to your ex–fiancé?”
He stepped closer his voice lowering to a snarl. “I
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don’t care what he’s promised you, Zara. He’s not going to save you. I am.”
I felt my own temper flare. “This isn’t about you!” I snapped, stepping closer to him, refusing to back down. “You don’t care about me, Snow. You care about your damn business, about winning this deal. You’re using me, just like you’ve been using everyone else!”
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