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    Zinnia slept until evening. While she was out, the Shaw family came looking for her, but Sofia turned them away, furious.


    She made it clear Zinnia wasn’t going anywhere until the Shaws straightened themselves out.


    The Shaws had used Zinnia of wrongdoing over a ridiculous misunderstanding and actually considered banishing her. The thought of Zinnia hearing those hurtful words twisted Sofia’s stomach.


    Maelis bore the brunt of Sofia’s fury. Sofia couldn’tprehend how her own daughter could be so blind to what was right.


    When Maelis finally left with red-rimmed eyes, promising to check on Zinniater, Sofia turned away without acknowledgment.


    The irony tasted like ash in Sofia’s mouth. ‘Zinnia’s her own flesh and blood. If she’d truly cared, she would’ve at least looked back before leaving.


    ‘But no, she’s too wrapped up in coddling Betty while being ready to throw Zinnia away. What kind of mother does that?’ she thought.


    “You’re awake?” Charlie entered with medicine, immediately moving to help as Zinnia struggled upright.


    Zinnia blinked at the unfamiliar room, her thoughts sluggish, until a kind-eyed man leaned into view. For one dizzy moment, she thought it was her master-always so gentle, always there when she woke up sick.


    Without thinking, she leaned into Charlie. “Master…” Her voice came out soft, rough, and aching.


    Charlie froze, unprepared for her unexpected closeness and immediate trust.


    Charlie looked down at Zinnia leaning on him, confused. A strange warm feeling grew in his chest-he’d never had someone depend on him like this before.


    The Lynn family had no girls in Charlie’s generation, and Charlie, like the rest, couldn’t stand Betty, When Zinnia leaned into him, trusting and warm, he froze, his hands stiff on her shoulders, and his mind nk.


    Charlie leaned closer, but Zinnia’s whisper was too faint to catch. “Hey,” he said, keeping his voice soft, “I’ll take care of you. No more pain.”


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    Her whisper cut deeper than it should. Remembering his coworkers’ words about how tofort little sisters, he gave an awkward pat between her shoulders.


    Her frail body, all sharp edges and hollow curves, twisted something inside him. ‘Whoever was supposed to care for her has failed. Badly.


    ‘The fever has to be tearing her apart. People always say little girls are fragile-no way she can handle this much pain on her own,’ he thought to himself.


    Zinnia blinked back to awareness at the sound of Charlie’s soothing voice. She looked up to see his kind face-soft features, warm eyes, pale pink lips.


    His hand, clumsy at first, slowly settled into a steady rhythm against her back.


    Zinnia pulled away from Charlie’s arms as she realized the man holding her wasn’t her


    master.


    Her master would smile gently-until she woke. Then his face would darken with that familiar scolding tone. “You never let me stop worrying,” he’d sigh. “How will you take care of yourself when I’m gone?”


    He’d repeated the story endlessly-how he’d found her as a baby, dumped in the trash and barely breathing, her tiny body bruised head to toe. The fact she’d survived at all had


    shocked him.


    Even now, the slightest chill sent her into a fever. A decade of his care had strengthened her, but never truly fixed what had been broken.


    Zinnia had been fragile as a child-delicate as porcin. Whenever her master went herb- gathering in the mountains, he’d leave her with someone in their town, too worried to leave her alone.


    Eventually, he found her biological parents and sent her back to the Shaw residence.


    The freezing pool water there still haunted Zinnia. When she’d been pushed in, she’d thrashed helplessly.


    Without swimming lessons from her master, she had no idea what to do. Cold water rushed into her nose and mouth, making it impossible to breathe.


    She shivered, watching Howard dive for Betty without hesitation. The familiarity of it prickled her skin-that same abandonment she’d felt when her master left.


    Lucy and the others finally pulled her out, but the icy chill had already seeped into her


    bones.


    She could already feel the illnessing on. Normally, she’d make her own remedy, but she’d used all her herbs on Lucy and the others. When she tried to go purchase more,


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    Howard dragged her to the hospital instead.


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    As she pulled away, the warmth vanished, leaving behind an unexpected chill. That hollow feeling surprised him.


    He’d never met Zinnia before-too buried inb work to notice her return. Even yesterday’s visit with their grandparents hadn’t crossed their paths.


    Meeting Zinnia properly for the first time, Charlie found she matched every image he’d ever held of an ideal sister-delicate beauty and gentle grace. His heart softened at once.


    Zinnia murmured, “I’m fine now, thank you.” Her gaze took in the unfamiliar surroundings- neither the Shaw residence nor the hospital. Recalling Jackson’s mention of taking her to the Lynn residence, she concluded this must be their home.


    Charlie wasn’t much of a talker, and Zinnia was even quieter. Before long, the room went


    silent.


    The door swung open softly as Sofia entered, her face lighting up. “There’s my girl! Feeling better now? Don’t worry about your mother. I already gave her a piece of my mind. She got confused and made a bad call.”


    She smoothed the sheets and continued, “You’ll stay with me for a while. I really need some proper time with my sweet girl.”


    Zinnia looked at Sofia, her nk expression oddly endearing.


    ‘This is a true Lynn,’ Sofia thought, her heart melting. ‘My Zinnia belongs here with us. Not like Betty… After all these years, that girl still feels like a stranger. Nothing of Maelis in her face. Nothing of the Shaw family either.’


    Sofia had even asked Maelis privately if there’d been a hospital mix-up, but Maelis had brushed it off as “just one of those gic quirks.”


    Typical Maelis, always sticking up for the wrong ones,’ Sofia thought. ‘Now we know the truth. There was indeed a mix-up. All those years…my poor Zinnia out there all alone…


    “Grandma.” Zinnia’s quiet voice pulled Sofia from her thoughts.


    Sofia was just as kind as Zinnia remembered-her smile as warm as the people she knew back in the town.


    “I’m here, Zinnia. Darling, you must be starving,” Sofia said with a smile, her voice gentle. “I had the cook make something really nice. Let’s go downstairs, okay?”


    “Okay.” Zinnia nodded quietly. The nap had helped, and now her stomach growled insistently.


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    “I’ll go get Grandpa and Jackson,” Charlie said. He couldn’t help noticing how easily his grandmother connected with Zinnia, while the girl still kept him at arm’s length. The realization left a bitter taste in his mouth.


    He wished he’d gone with Sofia to meet Zinnia when she first came home. Maybe then she wouldn’t be so distant with him now. But there was no point dwelling on it.


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