Chapter 167
‘If Sofia made the announcement, I can’t imagine the endless trouble Maelis would cause for Sofia and the rest:
Although Sofia and others kept saying they weren’t afraid, Zinnia didn’t want them to be disturbed because of her. Besides, Zinnia knew she wouldn’t be staying here much longer. Once her Master returned, she’d leave.
She thought, ‘Maelis is still Sofia’s daughter. Even after I leave, they’ll remain family. There’s no need for me to cause an irreparable rift between them.
Sofia explained gently, “Zinnia, you are not even an adult. You can’t live alone. And if you still want to go to school here, you need a guardian.”
Sofia was far too perceptive, so she could easily understand the reason why Zinnia refused. She knew Zinnia was shielding them from trouble. Yet her very thoughtfulness only made Sofia’s heart ache all the more.
Sofia thought, ‘Zinnia is still just a child, yet treated so cruelly by her own family. And she is still thoughtful enough to put others first. Though she is the one most hurt in all this, she hasn’t spared a single thought for herself.
Zinnia frowned as she listened to Sofia. She didn’t expect it to be so complicated. She thought, ‘The Shaw family is currently my guardian, but I’ve severed ties with them. If I want to continue my education, I need a new guardian.
‘But Master is not around, and he doesn’t want to be found. What do
Zinnia fell silent, but the distress on her face was unmistakable.
Sofia understood all too well that the Shaws had wounded Zinnia so deeply that Zinnia now wanted nothing more to do with any family ties whatsoever.
She said, “Zinnia, don’t worry about the Shaw family. They have no say in our family’s decisions. Just move in with us. We will handle everything for
you.”
Zinnia and Sofia were locked in a stubborn standoff. Zinnia stood her ground, and Sofia couldn’t stop worrying about Zinnia.
As their argument reached an impasse, Yannis hung up the phone, with Yvette’s excited voice still faintly in the background, and stepped forward to join
them.
Yannis suggested, “Sofia, how about this? Let’s change Zinnia’s official family registration address to the Jenkins residence. And we can draft a statement to make the Jenkins family Zinnia’s guardians for now.
“After all, Zinnia has already accepted Yvette as her godmother. If we do this, Maelis won’t cause you any trouble, and Zinnia won’t have to worry about you either way.
“You are all family, and no matter where the registration is, your love for Zinnia won’t change. She doesn’t want to make things hard for you, and you wouldn’t feel comfortable handing her over to strangers.
“Yvette might seem a bit unreliable sometimes, but when it comes to kids, she and her husband are the best. Just look at how rambunctious Maisie is.
“That’s all because of how much they spoil her. They’ve always wanted another girl, and if Zinnia joins their family, they’ll be thrilled.
“Our families know each other well. I just called Yvette, and they’re already on their way. As soon as Zinnia agrees, we can get the statement done right
away.”
Yannis’s words gave the Lynns pause for thought. They pondered, ‘Yannis has a point. If Zinnia is truly set against joining our family, the Jenkins family would be a wonderful alternative.
‘We have met Yvette and Aaron before. They are kind and trustworthy people, certainly far better than the Shaws.
‘Zinnia has never had parental love. If she becomes part of the Jenkins family, she’ll finally have loving parents. Raymond has always been fond of Zinnia and has long regretted not being able to mentor her.
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Chapter 167
‘If Zinnia becomes part of the younger generation of the Spence family, Raymond would be truly delighted!
Zinnia froze, staring at Yannis in disbelief. She hadn’t expected him to help her in this way, especially since they had only known each other for a shon
time.
AD
