Chapter 13
Chapter 13 A Room Fit for a Princess
Zora never cared much about nice clothes or fancy places. When she first moved in with the Knoxs, Jolie had stuck her in the darkest room at the end of the second-floor hallway. The air conditioner was broken, buzzing all night, and the mountain-facing window always flew open, letting in cold wind.
Even after Tom tried fixing it, it broke again the next day-and got him yelled at. Zora told him to stop trying.
She didn’t mind the shabby room. It was just temporary. She’d leave as soon as her mentor came back.
She didn’t want to argue with the Knoxs over such things.
They wouldn’t believe her anyway.
To Jensen, his cousin was a soft, sweet princess-and princesses deserved a princess room.
“Zora, you don’t like it? I’ll have the decorators redo it. Pick whatever you want p>
Jensen thought she disliked it when she hesitated.
It had been rushed, after all. It made sense if she wasn’t happy.
“We can change it if you want,” Kian added.
“I like it. Thank you p>
Zora thought the room was perfect. She glanced around the beautiful space, and her lips lifted unconsciously. She looked at Kian and whispered her thanks.
She was still a girl, after all. Growing up with her mentor in a small village, they’d been poor. Just having meat every day was a luxury. She’d never seen anything so pretty.
Her mentor had promised her a pink castle one day.
She’d called him a liar.
And he was. He’d never built it. He’d left her.
A small, bitter ache settled in her chest.
She missed him.
He’d always said they were too poor for nice things, but he’d never left her. He’d worked hard to buy her meat. He was the kindest person in the world.
If she could, she would have traded everything to go back to that village with him forever.
She didn’t need a nice life. She didn’t need a pink castle. She hated the Knoxs. She just wanted to be with her mentor.
“Zora p>
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Chapter 13 A Room Fit for a Princess
Jensen called twice. She was staring into space.
“Hm?” She blinked at him.
“If you like it, come in. Tell me if anything needs changing,” Jensen said with infinite patience.
“It’s fine. Don’t change anything p>
Zora thought the room was perfect as it was. It required no adjustments.
It was a thousand times better than her room at the Knox Villa.
“Good. If you think of anything later, just say the word p>
Jensen smiled softly, relieved she liked it.
He’d skipped work that afternoon, overseeing the decorators every minute.
Nothing was too much for Zora.
“You must be tired. Rest. We’ll leave you alone. Call if you need anything,” Jensen said.
Zora still hadn’t fully recovered. She looked pale and weak, her lips faintly colored-enough to tug at anyone’s heart.
“I’m next door. Knock if you feel worse,” Kian said, pointing to the adjacent room.
He’d planned to go back to the research institute that afternoon, but he’d requested a leave of absence instead. He wasn’t leaving until Zora was better.
Zora nodded. “Okay p>
The brothers left, and Zora stepped inside.
She closed the door, kicked off her shoes, and tentatively stepped onto the fluffy rug. It was warm and soft- no cold floors.
In the corner, a SpongeBob plush sat on the small sofa.
Zora loved stuffed animals. She walked over and picked it up.
It was warm and cozy. She buried her face in it and smiled.
She loved this room.
That first night at the Marlow Manor, Zora slept soundly. The AC worked. She didn’t wake up cold.
The next day, she slept until nearly ten o’clock before heading downstairs.
Opal was trimming potted plants. Floyd sat reading the newspaper, sipping coffee in his reading glasses.
“Zora, you’re awake!” Opal lit up at the sound of her footsteps.
14:47 Mon, May 25 M
Chapter 13 A Room Fit for a Princess
Zora’s color was much better today-pretty, quiet, and sweet.
“Zora’s up, Paul! Tell the cook to make breakfast,” Floyd said, setting his paper down and grinning.
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