Chapter 133
Chapter 133 The Mysterious Jar
It took ages for her cousin’s lacerated wounds to fully heal.
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Once, she’d visited her uncle’s home and spotted an empty jar. Noticing how captivated she was by it, her uncle had given the jar to her outright. She’d played with it endlessly as a child, memorizing every detail of it.
The jar in Zora’s hand bore an uncanny resemblance to the exclusive ones used only by the core Hale family lineage.
The last stock of the Hale family’s original White Jade Balm had been bought up by her uncle years ago; all versions sold on the market now were formulated by the family’s distant branches.
So, where had Zora gotten this one?
“Hmm. You like it? I’ll get you a brand new one later p>
Zora couldn’t fathom why Hallie looked so stunned.
“Zora, tell me-did you really make this yourself? And where did you get this jar?” Hallie reined in her swirling doubts and pressed gently.
“Yeah, I made it. My mentor gave me this jar; he said he just picked it up somewhere,” Zora replied simply.
She had plenty more just like it.
When she was little and her mentor saw how fond she was of the jar, he’d come home one day hauling a crate stuffed full of identical jars.
He’d told her he’d stumbled upon them by chance.
Odd things were always being found in their tiny mountain village, and since her mentor brought things home all the time, Zora had never doubted his word.
Dozens more of those jars were still stored away in their cottage back in the countryside.
“I see.” Hallie still couldn’t shake the odd feeling lingering in her chest, yet she knew Zora never told lies. Perhaps the jar really was just picked up randomly.
Maybe the one in Zora’s hand was merely a close copy. Over the years, plenty of people had tried to replicate the Hale family’s signature markings to pass off cheap knockoff remedies for higher profits.
Even so, Hallie couldn’t quiet her unease. She made up her mind to dig out the old White Jade Balm jar at home later. Zora’s looked eerily authentic.
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Chapter 133 The Mysterious Jar
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“Leighton, why’re you here so early? Oh, right, I forgot-you’re an insomniac. You can’t sleep p>
The doorbell rang bright and early the next morning.
Hallie dragged herself to the door with messy bedhead, yawning widely.
She and Zora had stayed up half the night chatting about everything under the sun, leaving both of them exhausted this morning.
“Were you moonlighting as a slave digging for a landlord last night?” Leighton glanced at her, his tone dry as he watched her yawn nonstop.
“We have class at eight, and it’s only a ten-minute walk from here to school.” Hallie was long used to his sharp tongue.
Her cousin only ever toned down his sarcasm around Zora.
“Hallie, who’s at the door p>
A soft, drowsy voice drifted from behind them. They turned to see Zora padding over in slippers, toothbrush in hand as she brushed her teeth slowly, foam lingering at the corner of her mouth.
Her long hair hung loose over her shoulders, a few messy strands sticking up on top of her head. Dressed in a pale blue dress, she yawned mid-brush.
“Zora p>
A faint smile tugged at Leighton’s lips at the sight of her.
“Leighton? You’re here p>
Zora had overslept and was still half-asleep first thing in the morning. The moment she laid eyes on Leighton standing at the doorway, his striking features jolted her fully awake.
Suddenly aware of the toothpaste foam still on her lips, she clapped a hand over her mouth in embarrassment.
Great, I just made a fool of myself in front of someone this handsome.
The last traces of drowsiness vanished entirely.
“I figured you two would be up soon. I had breakfast sent over; eat up before heading to school.” Leighton lifted the polished wooden box in his hand, a warm, easy smile on his handsome face.
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Chapter 133 The Mysterious Jar
“Come on in, Leighton. Make yourself at home,” Zora spoke quickly before turning and hurrying away.
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Leighton slipped off his shoes and stepped barefoot inside, setting the breakfast box down.
The layout of the place matched his own unit upstairs perfectly, yet the decor couldn’t have been more different.
His space was minimalist, stark, and cold, while this one radiated warmth with soft, princess- style furnishings. Jensen had personally hired designers to curate every detail of the renovation.
Standing in the cozy room felt like being wrapped in warm, soft cotton, calming every nerve.
Leighton’s lips curved into a subtle smirk as he took in the decor. It suited the gentle, soft- spoken girl perfectly. A cold, sterile house would never fit someone like Zora.
After breakfast, Leighton drove the two girls to school.
When they arrived and walked into the classroom, Zora glanced instinctively toward her desk. One figure sat quietly beside her seat-Maya had come to class today.
Nearby, Easton had turned around, chattering to Maya about their heroic deeds from the day before. Maya listened quietly without a word.
“Zora p>
A faint smile softened Maya’s quiet expression the second she spotted Zora walking through the classroom door.
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“There you two are.” Easton twisted around, greeting them with a bright laugh.
“Hey.” Zora and Hallie nodded in reply.
“Zora, I’ll come find you during the break!” Hallie’s desk was two rows back, separated from theirs.
“Hi, Maya,” Zora slid into her seat and murmured to Maya, sensing something off about her today.
Though it was the height of summer, Maya wore a high-collared black blouse, her long hair falling over her shoulders to cover her neck completely.
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The Real Heiress’s New Family Adored by All