The Real Heiress's New Family Adored By All novel Chapter 261

Chapter 261 The Gap Between Them

នគយ

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The second row was arranged based on family background or how close the guests were to the Blake family. The third row depended on personal status and rank.

Elders like Floyd and Chet sat in the first row. A casual conversation between them could easily shift the whole situation in Seacrest.

Jensen had taken charge of the Marlow family at a young age, so his status was beyond question. He also sat in the first row, alongside Finn from the Pierce family, Terrell Blake, and Albert Kane. One seat in the row was left empty.

Elara sat in the second row with her close friend Marie.

Kian took his seat with Jett and Hugo.

The younger generation, like Reed, Easton, and Felix, was seated in the second row. Zora and Hallie sat together with their friends, chatting and laughing happily.

The banquet was about to start, but Zora still hadn’t spotted Leighton.

She kept glancing toward the entrance.

She didn’t see Leighton, but her gaze landed on the Knox family sitting in the back rows. Her eyes paused briefly.

Holden and Anton were sitting with Wendy. Wayne was nowhere to be seen, and Yale was absent too. Besides them, a strange woman sat with a beautiful young girl.

There were five people at that table. The back rows were open seating for guests of lower importance.

The Knox family used to rely on the Marlows’ influence and could easily grab seats in the first three rows. But after the Marlows cut off all support, they could only sit in the back based on their own current ability.

The moment Zora looked over, her eyes locked with Wendy’s.

Wendy had not expected Zora to glance back. She flinched and quickly looked away, a flash of embarrassment flickering across her face.

She and Wayne were stuck sitting in the back rows, while the girl they’d once abandoned and despised got to sit so far up front.

The thought alone made her expression turn ugly.

No one would’ve guessed that the country girl they’d brought back years ago could live such a good life after leaving them.

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11:21 Sun, May 31

Chapter 261 The Gap Between Them

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Finished

Wendy tightly squeezed her fingers under the table, struggling to hold back the messy emotions churning in her chest.

Embarrassment, anger, resentment, and regret all tangled together in her mind, so strong that her makeup could barely hide how terrible she looked.

In that brief eye contact, Zora could feel the heavy hatred coming from Wendy’s side.

But Zora never paid her any mind. She hadn’t been bothered by the Knox family lately, and she’d never been happier.

She took one last look at the three Knox family members. None of them held the arrogance and confidence she’d seen when she first returned to the Knox Villa.

Zora calmly looked away. She had nothing to do with them anymore. Their good or bad lives were no longer her concern.

*****

Valerie Alford, who shared the table with Wendy, quietly noticed every shift in her expression. She followed Wendy’s gaze and spotted Zora sitting far in the front.

Looking at her own daughter, who only had eyes for Anton, Valerie spoke up. “Mrs. Knox, Katie and I have something to do. We’ll take our leave first.”

She pulled her daughter up and prepared to leave.

Katie Alford looked upset at being dragged away, but she didn’t dare disobey her mother’s cold stare. Before leaving, she glanced reluctantly at Anton. “I’ll see you at the law firm tomorrow, Anton.”

Anton’s face held no emotion. He gave a dull nod in response.

Valerie frowned at his indifferent attitude. Katie was throwing herself at him and getting nothing in return.

She knew better than to associate with the Knox family. They couldn’t tell right from wrong, couldn’t read the current situation, and would only bring endless trouble. Especially Wendy, who was unreasonable.

The Knox kids seemed decent enough, but having someone like Wendy as a mother-in-law would only lead to endless conflicts.

She could treat her own biological daughter like an enemy, so there was no way she’d be kind to Katie.

She only had one daughter, and she would never let her jump into this fire pit.

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11:21 Sun, May 31

Chapter 261 The Gap Between Them.

នគ

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Finished

“Don’t leave so soon, Mrs. Alford!” Wendy hurried to stop them, no longer thinking about Zora. “Katie is such a smart and lovely girl.”

Everyone in high society knew how to follow the trend. Once a family showed signs of decline, all their connections would distance themselves.

After the Marlows withdrew their investment in the Knox family, countless partners pulled out too, dealing a heavy blow to the Knox Group.

Wayne and Yale had been running around frantically trying to save the company.

They’d struggled just to get invitations to this banquet. In the past, she only had to mention she was part of the Marlow family to get in anywhere. Now she had to beg and flatter others for opportunities.

All of this was Zora’s fault.

She should never have brought Zora back home in the first place.

“I can’t stay, Mrs. Knox. A good friend of mine is here with her eldest son. The two kids grew up together, childhood sweethearts. It’s time they caught up.”

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11:21 Sun, May 31

The Real Heiress s New Family Adored by All