Chapter 107
Under everyone’s stares, Betty bit her lips so hard that they turned red and swollen. A lump formed in her threat, and for a long time, she could say single word,
Betty sneered inwardly, ‘Apologizing to Zinnia? Never. How could I possibly stoop so low as to apologize to someone beneath me?
Betty refused to apologize, but Yvette and Yannis weren’t in any rush. In fact, the longer this dragged on, the more embarrassing it became for the Shaw family.
Yannis turned to Zinnia beside him and grinned. “Want some candy? I’ve got some right here.”
Meanwhile, Maisie was quietly whispering words of comfort to Zinnia.
The moment Yannis spoke, Maisie instantly froze, as if struck mute.
Yannis shot Maisie a disdainful glance.
Seeing this, Maisie remained speechless.
Zinnia shook her head gently and said, “No, thanks.” She didn’t feel like having any right now.
However, Yannis slipped a piece of sweet hard candy into her mouth the next second. Instantly, a rich sweetness flooded her senses.
“Try one,” Yannis said with a grin. He slipped the candy wrapper into his pocket and smiled at her.
Zinnia looked up and met his warm, smiling eyes. The sweetness seemed to seep into her heart and gently wrap its bitterness in a comforting warmth.
Yosef watched as Zinnia leaned into Yannis across from him. Yosef, as her brother, was right there, yet Zinnia clung to someone else, barely sparing him a
glance.
Yosef felt uncomfortable tightness in his chest. He thought, ‘We’re supposed to be family, but Zinnia looks at us like we’re complete strangers.‘
“Betty, is this how our family taught you?” Yosef demanded. His brows furrowed as he glared at her.
Yosef thought bitterly, ‘Betty is so stubborn. She was clearly wrong from the start, but now she has dragged the whole thing in front of the teachers and still refuses to apologize. She’s really causing us so much trouble.
‘She hasn’t spared a thought for our family. She should know our Shaw family is barely clinging to second–tier status now.’
Though the Jenkins family’s roots weren’t in Jinston but in Gioriham, their influence was nothing to scoff at. If the Shaw family really went head–to–head with them, the Shaw family would come out worse for wear.
Besides, behind the Jenkins family stood the Perkins family, the very top of the social pyramid. Yosef could only dream of reaching their status in his lifetime.
Though the Shaw family was related to the Lynn family by marriage, Sofia had never really approved of Donald. The Shaw family still hadn’t established solid foundations. They were simply not compatible with old–money families.
Not long ago, Jackson took Zinnia back to the Lynn family again. Clearly, the Lynns were holding a grudge against the Shaw family, or Sofia wouldn’t have stopped Zinnia from coming back, not just once, but twice.
Yosef thought he should visit the Lynn family later.
“Apologize to her.” Yosef’s voice turned icy.
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Chapter 107
Watching Betty stubbornly clamp her lips shut and refuse to apologize, Yosef felt a heartache. He thought, ‘She’s clearly wrong. Why can’t the po sorry?‘
“Why must you be so fierce?” Maelis cut in, unable to watch any longer.
Maelis shot Zinnia a furious glare and said, “Zinnia, are you satisfied now? You’ve made our whole family a laughingstock.”
Her voice was laced with venom. She thought, ‘If you hadn’t hit Betty, things wouldn’t have escalated to this point:
“Yes, I am,” Zinnia said flatly. Her gaze was steady as she met Maelis’s furious glare.
She no longer cared about the Shaw family’s attitudes. From the moment Maelis raised her hand to hit her, the concept of “family” in Zinnia’s heart completely shattered.
Zinnia thought to herself, ‘From now on, I won’t give a damn about the Shaw family. Whether they thrive or crumble, live or die, it’s got nothing to do with me.‘
“Zinnia!” Maelis’s voice rose sharply. She felt Zinnia was completely out of line.
