Chapter 122
Sofia clung to Zinnia desperately, as if she feared Zinnia would disappear the moment she let go.
Zinnia stood frozen, not knowing how to face the Lynns. She could see unmistakable worry filling their eyes.
Noticing Zinnia’s flustered expression, Yannis pushed the door wide open and said, “Sofia, Henry, come on in.”
“Yannis, thank you for looking after Zinnia,” Charlie said, the last to enter. Seeing Zinnia safe and sound, he finally let out the breath he’d been holding.
“We’re friends, no need to thank me. Come on in,” Yannis said, ushering Charlie inside.
Sofia gripped Zinnia’s hand tightly and said, “Zinnia, don’t listen to Maelis or any of the Shaws. They’re all out of their minds. From now on, you’re only my granddaughter; you have nothing to do with the Shaw family.”
Sofia adored Zinnia from the bottom of her heart. When she and Henry got the call from Jackson, their heads were buzzing. They knew Maelis could be foolish, but never imagined she’d be so confused she couldn’t tell right from wrong.
Zinnia was caught off guard by Sofia’s reaction. A complicated mix of emotions welled up inside her. She had expected Sofia and the others to scold her for being immature, but instead, they were standing up for her.
Seeing the lost look on Zinnia’s face, Sofia’s heart ached. She said softly, “Zinnia, go home with me. I’ll protect you. No one’s going to mess with you. If anyone dares to bully you, I’ll take them down, one or two, I’ll handle them all.”
Sofia had thought that once Zinnia moved out, the Shaw family would finally calm down. But to her utter disbelief, they stooped so low as to pull such a shameful stunt, all for Betty, an outsider. Her disappointment in Maelis knew no bounds.
“Zinnia, Sofia’s right. Come home with us. We won’t let anyone from the Shaw family bother you again,” Henry said softly, his heart aching.
Henry cherished Zinnia dearly. He cursed Maelis inwardly for the way she treated Zinnia.
“Sofia, I’m grown up now. I can take care of myself,” Zinnia said softly, lowering her head in quiet refusal as she faced their affection.
Sofia tightened her grip on Zinnia’s hand. Her eyes blazed with unwavering determination as she said, “Zinnia, your mother has no say in the Lynn family. You are a Lynn now, not a Shaw. The Shaws don’t deserve to call you family.
“I will make a public announcement that you have severed ties with the Shaw family and that you are my only granddaughter.”
Sofia had once held onto hope that Maelis and the Shaw family might come to their senses, but instead, they only went from bad to worse.
She thought, ‘The Shaws just don’t know how to cherish anything. If they don’t want Zinnia, then we would gladly take her in and cherish her as our own.’
Zinnia said, “Sofia, it’s okay. I know you love me dearly, but I don’t want you to worry about me because of this. You’ve already done so much for me. I will just live alone and stay away from the Shaws.”
After Zinnia was acknowledged by the Shaw family, although the Shaw family did not publicly declare that she was their biological daughter, her identity was not a secret within their circle.
Now that she had severed ties with the Shaw family, she didn’t want to be associated with them anymore.
However, Zinnia wasn’t very supportive of Sofia’s proposal to make such a public announcement. She was worried that if Maelis caused trouble for Sofia and the others.
Zinnia thought, ‘Ever since I moved in with the Lynns, Maelis has made no secret of her disdain for me, constantly disapproving of Sofia and the others taking me in.
‘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. She wasn't planning on staying here much longer. Once her Master returned, she’d leave.
She thought, ‘Martis is still Sofia’s daughter. Even after I leave, they’ll remain family, there’s no need for me to cause an irreparable rift.’
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 should I 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 long regretted not being able to mentor her.
‘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 short time.