The Real Heiress's New Family Adored By All novel Chapter 147

Chapter 147 Empty Regrets Are No Amends.

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“All you feel right now is fleeting guilt, not genuine acceptance of her in your hearts. One sister runs into trouble, and suddenly you remember the other exists.

“Ask yourselves honestly-would you even spare Zora a glance if nothing had happened to Jolie?

“If you truly want to make amends, empty your hearts first, sort out your own feelings, then come talk to her.

“Don’t use your guilt to make her life miserable.

“You think a half-hearted apology is enough to mend a heart worn thin by endless hurt? It’s nothing but a hollow pretense.

“You can’t even fix your own messy family troubles, yet you keep dumping more of your mess on her. Truly shameless.”

Leighton had never known exactly what Zora had endured at the Knox Villa before today.

But after looking into it, a surge of unbridled anger burned inside him.

No wonder Jensen had been furious, refusing outright to send Zora back to that family ever again.

Zora never caught exactly what Leighton had said in the end.

She only watched Holden turn deathly pale, staggering away like he might fall apart at any

moment.

He looked as if he were breaking into pieces right before her eyes.

“Leighton, can you let go of my ears now?”

Zora poked lightly at the back of his hand.

Leighton suddenly realized he was still covering her ears.

His palm felt inexplicably warm.

He quickly pulled his hand away, tucking it behind his back, his fingers twitching softly.

She was delicate in every way, her skin soft and smooth. Even just holding his hand over her ears left the faint warmth of her lingering on his palm.

He wasn’t sure if it was the heat or something else, but his hands felt sweaty.

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Chapter 147 Empty Regrets Are No Amends

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The Knox family’s actions had riled him far more than he’d expected, making him speak far more sharply than he’d intended.

“What did you say to him? He looked like he was falling apart.”

Zora didn’t think much of the gesture. She’d been raised solely by her mentor all her life—he’d bathed her, combed her hair, dressed her, and taken care of every little thing.

Curiosity lingered instead about what Leighton had said to Holden.

He’d talked so smoothly, probably using all kinds of clever lines, and she’d missed every word with her ears covered.

Zora considered herself a good student who loved learning new things.

“Don’t pick up silly phrases from Hallie. ‘Falling apart’ isn’t the right way to put it—he just can’t handle honest criticism.”

Leighton heard her odd choice of words and knew instantly she’d picked it up from his flighty

cousin.

Zora always repeated the same handful of lines, and that overly flowery way of speaking definitely wasn’t her own natural tone.

“I didn’t…”

Zora’s eyes drifted away, too flustered to meet his gaze.

“Your guilty face says it all. Come on, let’s head home for dinner,”

Leighton patted the top of her head lightly, took her backpack from her, and walked with her into the gated community.

He’d been swamped with work lately, coming home long after midnight every night. By then, she was always fast asleep, and it had been ages since they’d shared a proper meal together.

“I’ll… just order takeout by myself.”

Zora followed him into the elevator heading for the nineteenth floor.

She’d already gotten used to ordering food online, and she could even grab a drink while she was at it.

“Takeout isn’t healthy. Kids shouldn’t live on it, or you’ll never grow any taller.”

Leighton glanced down at her; she only reached the middle of his chest.

She’d clearly been undernourished growing up-light enough for him to lift her up with one

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Chapter 147 Empty Regrets Are No Amends

hand easily.

“I’m already done growing.”

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Zora tilted her head to look up at him, comparing their heights. He had to be nearly six feet three. She sighed in resignation, able only to mumble those few words.

She’d never catch up to him, not even in a lifetime, or ten lifetimes.

She’d only grown to her current height thanks to her mentor feeding her endless rare tonics and premium supplements over the years.

She’d barely survived the day she was born; if her mentor hadn’t possessed exceptional medical skill, she wouldn’t have lived at all.

“That’s not true. With proper care, you can still grow a little more. You’re still tiny enough that someone could scoop you up and carry you off without a second thought. Walking beside me, people might even mistake you for my kid.”

Leighton shot down her defeatist tone.

“You’re not that much older than me. You couldn’t possibly be old enough to have a kid my age,” Zora shot right back at him.

There was only a six-year gap between them.

He’d still been in elementary school at six, nowhere near old enough to have a child.

“Age is still age, even if the gap isn’t huge. Jensen left you in my care; if he comes back from his business trip and finds you’ve lost weight, he’ll definitely give me an earful.

“You can’t cook for yourself, so I’ll find you a nice local spot. You can pick whatever you want from their menu every day, and they’ll deliver straight here.”

Leighton brushed her hair gently.

He’d asked Jensen already-Zora hated having a live-in housekeeper and felt uncomfortable around strangers in her home.

Leighton understood perfectly; he disliked having unfamiliar people around too.

But his schedule was far too packed to cook for her every single night.

Arranging a reliable restaurant delivery service was the perfect middle ground to make sure she ate properly.

She was already small and slender as it was; living on empty calories would only wear her down further.

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Senior year of high school was exhausting enough-she could cut corners on most things, but never on her health.

“Ordering takeout is really easy anyway.”

Zora didn’t want to put him to any extra trouble, plus takeout was far cheaper.

“This restaurant’s delivery service will be just as easy for you too.”

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The Real Heiress’s New Family Adored by All