The conversation ended on a sour note, and Zinnia didn’t even bother taking the gifts.


    “Anne is always hanging around Betty. You need to be careful around her,” Maisie said to Zinnia.


    Maisie shook her head as she watched Anne leave. She thought, ‘She used to seem like such a decent person, but ever since she knew Betty, something about her just feels off.’


    “Got it.” Zinnia nodded, mentally adding Anne to her list of people to watch out for.


    Zinnia knew she wasn’t the best at reading people. Often, people would cross her boundaries without her even realizing it. That was why she decided it was better to stay cautious from the start.


    Master used to say she was too naive and would get taken advantage of once he wasn’t around. Back then, Zinnia would argue that no one dared to mess with her as long as he was around.


    However, Master was gone, and she had to learn to protect herself.


    Zinnia mentally blocked Anne and marked her as someone to be cautious of.


    “See you tomorrow, Zinnia,” someone said.


    Finally, the afternoon sses were over, and it was time to head home. Zinnia was still feeling pretty energetic by the end of the day.


    The afternoon was filled with art sses, which Zinnia found manageable. After the grueling morning, the afternoon felt


    like a breath of fresh air.


    “See you tomorrow.” Zinnia’s ssmates waved goodbye, and she returned their farewells while packing up her bag.


    “Zinnia, let’s go home together. Isaac has one more ss than us,” Maisie said as she walked over.


    Isaac was in the advanced ss, so he got out half an hourter. That extra half hour was for self-study, though some


    teachers still took up the time for additional lessons.


    Sure,” Zinnia agreed with a nod.


    Earlier, Isaac had messaged Zinnia to let her know about his extended schedule, and the Lynn family had already arranged for a driver to pick her up.


    Zinnia and Maisie walked out of the school side by side.


    “Zinnia, why don’t you go with me? Let the Lynn family’s driver wait here for Isaac. It’s rush hour now, and sending another car would just mean sitting in traffic forever,” Maisie suggested after sputting the Lynn family’s car.


    “You’re right,” Zinnia agreed without hesitation and got into the Jenkins family’s car with Maisie.


    The two families lived close to each other, just a short turn away. The driver dropped Zinnia off at the Lynn residence


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    39%


    before taking Maisie home.


    Zinnia returned to the Lynn residence. From afar, she could see someone standing inside. She pursed her lips, and her grip on her backpack strap tightened. Gradually, her face became expressionless. <fnbdc1> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? find[?]ovel</fnbdc1>


    “Hi, Zinnia,” Maelis called out as she saw Zinniaing back. She quickly stepped out of the living room, her eyes brimming with excitement.


    It had only been a few days, but Maelis felt like Zinnia was such a stranger to her.


    Looking at Zinnia, who seemed to have shed her former self in just a few days, Maelis was overwhelmed with emotions.


    Zinnia wore a pink dress adorned with pearls and had her hair styled beautifully, her delicate face glowing with elegance. At that moment, she seemed to have suddenly grown up.


    Zinnia always wore in clothes at home-the ones she brought from the small town. The outfits Maelis had bought for


    her remained untouched.


    Her hair was always tied in a high ponytail, and she never wore essories or styled her hair beyond the simplest look.


    It looked like Zinnia was still holding her ountable, silently ming her as a mother.


    However, here, at Sofia’s house, Zinnia seemed so at ease, thriving under their care and affection.


    Maelis couldn’t escape the guilt. She had failed to earn Zinnia’s trust, and the distance between them was her own doing.


    As Maelis approached, Zinnia instinctively took a step back, her silence speaking volumes.


    “Zinnia,” Maelis said softly, her voice trembling as she watched Zinnia retreat. She realized that her own child was afraid of


    her.


    “Zinnia, let’s go inside and talk, okay?” Maelis said, forcing a smile as she swallowed the bitterness rising in her chest. She told herself that she hurt Zinnia, and it was only natural for Zinnia to act this way.


    “Is Zinnia’s back? Come in,” Sofia called out cheerfully as she stepped outside, waving her hand toward Zinnia.


    The moment Zinnia saw Sofia, her guarded demeanor melted away. She quickly walked inside and said, “Grandma, I’m


    back.”


    Sofia nced at Maelis, who was left standing behind, and then gently took Zinnia’s hand, leading her further into the


    house.


    Seeing Zinnia being close to Sofia while remaining so distant from her, Maelis could only manage a bitter smile. She realized that winning Zinnia’s heart wouldn’t be possible for now.


    Walking beside Sofia, Zinnia’s tightly wound nerves finally eased a little. She didn’t know what Maelis was doing here.


    As they stepped into the living room, Zinnia’s mood soured even further. Timothy was there, sitting on the couch.


    “Hi, Zinnia,” Timothy greeted her in a usually cold voice. His face was nk, but his eyes betrayed a flicker of emotion-no longer as cold as before.


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    Timothy hadn’t expected Zinnia to be the one giving him medicine. Honestly, he had thought about everyone else but her.


    Zinnia barely nced at him before looking away. She thought, ‘Ugh, him again. What rotten luck.


    Ever since she had reunited with the Shaw family, the Shaw boys had starteding home less and less. If it weren’t for Betty calling them back, she doubted she would see them at all.


    However, it seemed like she was running into them more often than ever. Zinnia thought, ‘I’ve moved out of the Shaw residence, so why am I seeing them even more?


    Yesterday it was Howard, and today it’s Timothy. Are they taking shifts? How irritating.’


    “Zinnia, how’s school going? Are you settling in okay?” Maelis asked as she walked in. She saw Zinnia sitting on the couch


    with Sofia who was asking about her school life and decided to join them.


    Her face was adorned with a gentle smile, and her gaze was filled with concern as itnded on Zinnia.


    “Yeah,” Zinnia mumbled and nced at Sofia. She wasn’t quite used to Maelis being so gentle with her.


    With Sofia present, however, Zinnia couldn’t afford to show any hostility toward Maelis or Timothy.


    After all, Sofia was Maelis’ mother. No matter how much Sofia doted on her, Maelis was still her daughter, while Zinnia was merely her granddaughter.


    Zinnia didn’t want Sofia to be troubled by the ongoing issues bétween her and the Shaw family.


    “Zinnia, are youfortable staying with your grandmother?” Maelis’ eyes lit up with a hint of surprise when Zinnia answered her earlier question. Softening her tone further, she spoke again.


    Timothy didn’t leave the room. He stayed put, his eyes never leaving Zinnia.


    Seeing how she resisted yet held it in, he couldn’t quite understand why she was so against their whole family.


    She hadn’t always been like this. There was a time when she would greet him and treat him as her brother.


    However, ever since what happened a few days ago, he realized she wasn’t as close to him anymore. She was even nicer to other guys than she was to him.


    He couldn’t understand what could possibly make her stay mad for this long,


    He admitted that they made a mistakest time, but they apologized. He just felt her continued coldness was unfair to


    them


    Timothy couldn’t shake the difort ip his heart.


    He thought, ‘We were supposed to be her family, yet she seemed more at home with the Lynn family instead.