Chapter 170
Chapter 170 I’m Not Letting You Go
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Zora felt zero regret over cutting all ties with the Knox family, yet her heart ached faintly whenever Jensen crossed her mind.
Still, Leighton’s sincere words gradually cleared up all the confusion swirling inside her.
“Zora, did you think breaking off contact with the Knoxes meant you had to stay away from Jensen and me too p>
Leighton squatted down right in front of her and fixed his gaze steadily on her face.
Zora knew she was rather slow-witted and struggled to sort out complicated feelings. She had prepared for a long time to cut ties with the Knox family, so she could face them firmly today. But she had never planned how to deal with Jensen, leaving her totally at a loss when it came to him.
“You silly girl, you’re gonna drive Jensen and me crazy p>
Unable to hold back his frustration, he gently pinched her soft cheeks.
Her silence spoke volumes. Leighton instantly realized she truly thought that way.
He had never met anyone as simple-minded as her. Most people would jump at the chance to stay close to them, but this girl was determined to cut off all connections completely.
Zora’s cheeks bulged slightly from his pinch. She blinked and stared at him quietly without struggling. Her words came out muffled as her cheeks were being squeezed.
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“I never meant to upset you two p>
“Why didn’t you call me when you ran into trouble? If you don’t know what to do, don’t you think I can figure things out for you p>
Leighton let out a helpless sigh and pinched her cheeks twice more before pulling his hands away, still feeling the soft, smooth skin beneath his fingertips.
Though she looked petite and delicate, she had plenty of soft flesh on her face.
“I didn’t wanna bother you or cause you any trouble p>
Zora was quiet and reserved by nature. She always spoke her mind plainly, never beating around the bush or using empty polite remarks, for such things exhausted her simple mind.
She truly hated being a burden to Leighton. She had already troubled him enough over the school incident before.
Zora never liked relying on others for favors. What’s more, Wendy’s harsh words earlier,
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Chapter 170 Im Not Letting You Go
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pushing her to pay back every single cent the Knox family had spent on her, made her even more determined not to trouble those around her.
Material things were easy to return, but kindness and favors were far harder to repay.
Luckily, she owed no emotional favors to the Knox family.
Yet the kindness Jensen and the others showed her was genuine, heartfelt care. She had no idea how she could ever pay them back, so she tried her best to accept as little kindness as possible.
Aside from her mentor, Zora rarely trusted anyone wholeheartedly.
“Zora, you could never be a bother to me. Your troubles will never feel like trouble in my eyes p>
Leighton looked straight into her calm eyes and spoke every single word with utmost sincerity.
He never saw her matters as burdens. On the contrary, he wished she would turn to him whenever she faced difficulties, instead of wandering alone with no one to stand up for her and protect her from being wronged.
On his way back earlier, Leighton had checked the residential community surveillance footage. When he saw Wendy even try to lay a hand on Zora, fierce anger surged straight through him.
Wendy had grown far too bold, repeatedly trying to hurt the poor girl. She was utterly unworthy of being a mother.
“If you don’t want to go back to that home, you can stay at my place. I won’t let you leave until Jensen comes back. If anything bad happens to you, I’ll never be able to explain myself to him,” Leighton said firmly to her.
“I can book a hotel room instead. I’m old enough to take good care of myself. Now that you’ve found me, you can go report back to Jensen already,” Zora replied softly.
She truly believed Leighton had only tracked her down just to give Jensen an update.
“Zora, I didn’t search for you just to answer to Jensen. I would have found you even if he had never called me. I could never turn a blind eye to your troubles p>
Hearing her naive thoughts, Leighton let out a soft sigh, tucking away the cold anger in his eyes. Once again, he silently resented the unreasonable Knox family for stirring up endless trouble.
Zora froze in place in shock. Would he really come looking for her even without Jensen asking him to?
Seacrest was a totally unfamiliar city to her, and she had never felt any sense of belonging here. She had planned to leave town once her mentor returned, never thinking anyone here would truly care about her.
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Chapter 170 Im Not Letting You Go
But now she realized Jensen cared for her deeply, and so did Leighton.
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She was not all alone in this big city after all. There were people who would worry endlessly if she left without a word.
Warm mixed emotions welled up inside her, leaving her lost for words.
No one had ever spoken out loud so directly to tell her they truly cared about her well-being.
Just as they were talking, the doorbell suddenly rang out.
Zora glanced toward the entrance, guessing it must be Opal and the rest of the Marlow family arriving.
“Sit tight here. I’ll go check who it is p>
Leighton stood up and walked toward the front door.
The moment the door opened, she saw exactly who she expected.
“Leighton, where’s Zora? Is she here p>
Opal asked anxiously the second she laid eyes on him.
The entire Marlow family had rushed over without hesitation. Even Kian, who was working shifts at the hospital, dropped all his work the instant he received Jensen’s furious phone call and hurried over without delay.
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