Chapter 27\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nina\u2019s eyes were already wet after hearing the story. She never knew Zackery had done so much to be with her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She took Zackery\u2019s hand, pressing her own into his palm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cZackery, you\u2019ve been through so much all these years.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her words made Zackery\u2019s eyes sting, and he hugged her tightly. \u201cNina, you\u2019re the one who suffered.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jessica was waiting outside, growing impatient. She reached out and knocked on the door, her tone annoyed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, are you two done being all lovey\u2013dovey? A whole bunch of us have been standing here forever.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
After she spoke, Jessica pushed the door open. Behind her stood Deegan, Helen, Emma\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
The group looked at each other, suddenly feeling the awkwardness of being caught eavesdropping.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nina felt a little embarrassed and got off Zackery.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jessica pushed Nina to the doorway. \u201cI have something to say to your husband.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nina had no choice but to stand with Deegan, Helen, and the others.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jessica walked up to Zackery, her voice very low.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They could faintly hear a few words.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMy condition is\u2026\u201d They couldn\u2019t hear anything after that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When Jessica finished speaking, she looked at Zackery seriously. \u201cIf you can\u2019t do it, I\u2019ll come back and slap you hard, even if I\u2019m at the ends of the earth.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zackery was speechless for a moment, then chuckled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
After she finished, Jessica walked over to Nina and took a charm out of her bag, handing it to her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the gift I got for you on your eighteenth birthday, but I never gave it to you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nina remembered that day. The whole family had gone out, leaving her alone to spend her coming\u2013of\u2013age birthday hidden in her room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nina had once thought that was the bleakest birthday she\u2019d ever had, but now, looking at the plush charm in her hand, she felt a pang in her heart.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Someone will always love her, right?\u00a0<\/p>\n
0.0%\u00a0<\/p>\n
22:58\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter\u00a0<\/p>\n
F\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jessica saw her eyes turning red and looked away awkwardly. \u201cDon\u2019t you cry. If you cry, I\u2019m taking it back.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nina\u2019s tears turned to laughter. She saw Jessica\u2019s suitcase by the door.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cJessica, where are you going?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jessica spread her hands. \u201cYou can\u2019t stand Mom and Dad, and neither can I.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Whoever wants to inherit the family fortune can have it. I don\u2019t want it anyway.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019m going to be a world backpacker.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
288 Vouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jessica had a naturally free spirit, but David and Laura had kept her cooped up at home since she was a child, like a carefree pony locked in a cage.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jessica had always felt constrained over the years, and her personality had become increasingly harsh.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But after a near\u2013death experience, she suddenly understood.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She only lives once, so why not live a little happier?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nina knew she couldn\u2019t change her mind, so she leaned over and hugged her. \u201cStay safe. I\u2019ll always be at home wait- ing for you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nina smelled the floral scent on her sister, a fragrance she had envied since childhood because she didn\u2019t have one herself, which led her to become obsessed with wearing all kinds of perfumes as an adult.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But today, she suddenly felt at peace with it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
All the resentment and jealousy from her childhood melted away in that one embrace.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jessica hugged Nina back tightly and whispered in her ear, \u201cSis, I love you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nina smiled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMe too.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jessica left.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nina and Zackery watched her go.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Suddenly remembering something, Nina turned her head to ask Zackery.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did Jessica say to you?\u00a0<\/p>\n
What were her conditions?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zackery smiled, his eyes gentle, \u201cShe said her condition was for me to love you, respect you, and to always put your opinion first.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
52.1.96\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland\u2019s breathtaking cold.<\/p>\n
Loomwood Galleries Framed Pilgrim Murals by Iris Vaughn 27 Chapter 27\u00a0 Nina\u2019s eyes were already wet after hearing the story. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[68],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24316","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-girl-in-the-shadows-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24316","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24316"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24316\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24316"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24316"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24316"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}