Chapter 172
Chapter 172 A Gentle Solution for Her Dilemma
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Even though Opal and the rest of the Marlows were not afraid of trouble, Zora still hated the thought of them getting harassed constantly just because of her.
Besides, she would not stay in Seacrest for long. She planned to leave town as soon as her mentor came back.
Wendy was still Opal and Floyd’s daughter after all. Once Zora was gone, they would inevitably keep in touch with Wendy sooner or later. There was no need to let their relationship turn bitter and hostile all because of her.
“Zora, you can’t become legally independent yet,” Opal said gently. “You’re still underage and studying here. Your legal papers must be registered locally, or your custody will go straight back to your original family p>
Opal knew perfectly well why Zora kept refusing her offer. She only feared bringing trouble to them.
Yet such sensible thoughtfulness only made Opal’s heart ache even more deeply.
Still underage, Zora had endured harsh treatment from her own blood relatives, and she still chose to think of others first. She was the one who got hurt the most in all this mess, yet she never put her own feelings first.
Zora frowned slightly after hearing those words. All her personal papers were arranged by her mentor, so she knew almost nothing about these formal matters.
She never knew it would be such a hassle. As a minor, she had to have a legal guardian.
If her guardianship reverted back to her original family side, she would inevitably get entangled with her mentor all over again.
At the thought of her mentor who preferred staying hidden away from the public eye, Zora looked troubled.
She never wanted to become a burden to her mentor, and she would never do anything that might expose her mentor’s whereabouts.
Now she was truly at a loss, having no clue how to sort out her guardianship matters.
One thing was certain-she would never go back to the Knox family.
Zora fell silent, and the worried look on her face was plain for everyone to see.
“Zora, pay no mind to the Knox family. No outsiders get to make decisions for our Marlow family,” Opal comforted her gently.
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Staring into Zora’s calm yet hurt eyes, Opal could tell she had been deeply wounded by the Knoxes and now wanted to cut off all ties related to them entirely.
Leighton watched them quietly from the side. Zora had made up her mind firmly, while Opal refused to leave her alone, leaving the two stuck in a gentle deadlock.
He hung up his phone, where Elara’s excited voice could still be faintly heard, then stepped forward to break the tension.
“Opal, I’ve got a perfect plan. We can place Zora under the Sloan family’s legal guardianship. She already regards my aunt as her godmother anyway. With this arrangement, Mrs. Knox will never dare cause trouble for your family ever again.
“Zora won’t have to fear putting you in a difficult position either. No matter how the legal guardianship is arranged, blood ties and sincere affection will never fade. Your deep love for her will always stay the same.
“Zora doesn’t want you to get dragged into this, and you don’t feel safe leaving her with just anyone. My aunt might look kind of unreliable, but she and my uncle are amazing with kids. Just look at how spoiled Hallie is and you’ll know.
“They’ve always wanted another sweet girl. Zora agreeing to join their household would make them overjoyed. Our families know each other very well. I just called them a moment ago, and they’re already on their way here. Everything can be settled right away once Zora gives her consent p>
The Marlow family fell into thoughtful silence after hearing Leighton’s suggestion.
If Zora really refused to accept their guardianship, the Sloans would truly be an ideal alternative.
They had met the Sloan couple before and knew they were kind and reliable people, far better than anyone from the Knox family.
Having never received enough parental love, Zora would finally get to feel the warmth of caring parents if she joined the Sloan family.
What’s more, Chet was quite fond of Zora too. He had always regretted failing to take her as his apprentice, so he would surely be delighted to see her become part of his extended family.
The Marlows trusted the Sloans far more than they ever trusted the Knoxes.
Zora was completely stunned.
She turned to look at Leighton, never expecting him to go out of his way to help her like this, especially when they had not known each other for very long.
“Zora, none of us can feel at ease with you having no proper guardian.” Leighton gazed at her
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earnestly. “You can place your legal guardianship with either the Marlows or the Sloans. We’ll never feel safe leaving you under anyone else’s care p>
It would be difficult to keep protecting her properly if she joined another unfamiliar family. Besides, the Knoxes were distant relatives of the Marlows, so it was quite hard to find influential families in Seacrest social circles bold enough to stand up against the Knox family’s troubles.
Just as Zora had expected, she knew if her guardianship was placed with the Marlows, Wendy would definitely refuse to let it go once she found out.
He had actually thought about taking her into his own family’s guardianship, yet he just couldn’t find a proper reason to do so.
Right as they talked, the doorbell suddenly rang.
“Where’s my girl? Have you taken good care of her p>
Leighton opened the door and saw the entire Sloan family standing outside together.
Jeremy Sloan, Elara, and Hallie had all come, carrying bags full of gifts in their hands.
Elara craned her neck to peek past Leighton, eager to spot Zora.
“Honey, I’m here! I’ve come to take you home p>
She pushed past Leighton without hesitation, hurrying inside to find Zora immediately.
They could arrive so quickly for a simple reason. Right after school ended, Hallie and Elara had gone to pick Jeremy up from his business trip. The whole family, was having dinner at a restaurant when Leighton’s urgent call came. They left everything behind and rushed over without a second thought.
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The Real Heiress s New Family Adored by All