Chapter 79
Chapter 79 Silent Kindness Unspoken
Hallie chimed in, eyeing the drink warily.
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After everything that went down yesterday, it was clear someone was targeting Zora. Now this drink had shown up on her desk-who knew if it was left by someone with ill intent?
It would be terrible if Zora ended up with an upset stomach from drinking it.
In an unnoticed corner, Maya’s fingers tightened unconsciously around her textbook. She kept her head bowed and said nothing.
“It’s fine, Hallie. Head back to your seat anyway. Nothing’s going to happen. If someone wanted to hurt me, there are security cameras all over the classroom-they’d never dare do it so openly p>
Zora picked up the cup on her desk and glanced around casually, her gaze drifting sideways for a split second.
The group nodded in agreement after hearing her words.
No one would be bold enough to harm someone right out in the open like this.
The school bell rang sharply.
The girls had no choice but to drop their conversation and settle back into their own seats.
Maya stole a quick glance toward Zora, pressing her lips together tightly.
“Thanks, Maya p>
Zora sat down in her seat as the classroom chatter lingered in the air. She tilted her head slightly and leaned over toward Maya.
Maya looked up at her in shock, her calm eyes widening with nervousness. Her fingers tapped nervously against the cover of her book, utterly confused about where she’d given herself away.
“I caught your scent on this cup,” Zora said gently, understanding in her tone.
Zora had an exceptionally sharp sense of smell, and she’d caught a faint hint of Maya’s lime fragrance lingering on the cup.
Subtle as it was, she’d picked it out easily.
Maya fell speechless, never expecting she’d been found out this way. She lowered her head and sniffed at her own clothes, confused-she couldn’t smell anything at all.
“…Thank you for catching me yesterday p>
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Chapter 79 Silent Kindness Unspoken
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Now that her secret was out, Maya took a slow breath and mumbled quietly.
“It’s nothing. And thank you for the iced chocolate, too p>
Zora shook her head, a soft smile tugging at the corner of her delicate lips.
Since staying at the Marlow Manor for a while, she’d grown far more talkative than before.
With that, Zora slipped a straw into the cup and took a slow sip. A rich, velvety iced chocolate blend melted across her tongue instantly.
Her eyes crinkled with delight, and she even swayed her feet lightly under the desk.
This was amazing!
Zora had never even tasted iced chocolate before coming to Seacrest. They never sold anything like it out in Maplewood. Her first time trying it had been when Jensen took her shopping, buying her a cup on a whim.
One sip was all it took for her to fall completely in love with the drink.
She couldn’t wrap her head around how something this delicious even existed.
At lunch yesterday, she’d dragged Reed along to buy another cup.
She could never get tired of drinking it. It was simply perfect.
This cup in her hands tasted even better than the ones she’d had before. Zora sipped it slowly, savoring every drop and reluctant to finish it too fast.
Watching her drink without any sign of dislike, Maya let out a quiet breath of relief.
She must like it, right?
A tiny, shy smile curved Maya’s mouth.
From that day on, mysterious little treats started appearing on Zora’s desk every single day.
Buttery cookies, soft mini sandwiches, tiny fancy cakes, and cups of iced chocolate always turned up out of nowhere.
The whole class began whispering that Zora had a secret admirer spoiling her rotten. Only the two of them knew the truth, though, and kept it unspoken between them-protecting Maya’s shy, reserved nature by keeping her kindness anonymous.
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The bell rang for the first period, taught by their homeroom teacher Clark, who handled math class.
At the sight of Clark walking in with his math textbook in hand, all of Zora’s joy over her iced chocolate faded away. She set the cup down reluctantly and pulled out her own books to flip them open.
They were now in their senior year, and classes moved at a relentless pace to leave plenty of time for SAT review later on.
The international program was no exception. Though its students were labeled the “lower achievers” compared to top honors class pupils, nearly everyone came from families that prioritized education from childhood-their grades could never truly slip too far.
After sitting through back-to-back morning lectures, all the light faded completely from Zora’s
eyes.
Did she really have to force herself through all this studying?
Was there any real need for her to grind through math, physics, chemistry and biology every single day?
Havenridge High followed a comprehensive curriculum covering all core subjects, with no separate academic tracks for humanities and STEM. The school’s approach ensured that students’ untapped potential across all disciplines was never overlooked.
The STEM coursework was rigorous, and the entire morning had been filled with fast-paced core science classes that advanced through the curriculum at a relentless pace.
Zora’s mind drifted off, barely keeping up with a single word.
Studying had never been her strong suit. Back when she attended high school in the small town, her poor grades had led teachers to call her guardians more than a dozen times.
Every time, they’d reach out to her mentor to complain that her scores were far too low, and she’d never get into a decent college at this rate.
Her mentor had never let those complaints bother her, never pressured her or scolded her for falling behind. He’d only ever told her to learn what she could, and if school never clicked, they’d simply carve out a different path for her future.
Her mentor had never once pushed her to strive for perfect grades, and Zora was quick to give up on schoolwork all on her own too. She’d always thought spending her days gathering herbs in the small mountain village and learning medical skills from her mentor was more than enough.
Every moment spent with her mentor had felt warm and peaceful.
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Now he was no longer by her side. She’d been thrown into a strange new family, with no one left to shield her or indulge her the way he always had.
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The Real Heiress s New Family Adored by All