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The two girls looked exhausted, while the brothers were full of spirit. Toph, in particular, ordered a table full of
skewers.
Zuko carefully picked out the fish bones and placed the grilled fish on Lina’s plate.
“Are you feeling unwell?” he asked with concern, noticing her tired appearance.
“I have a slight headache,” she replied.
His brow furrowed. “You’ve been working overtime recently. Is there too much work?”
“Let me tell you, Zuko!” Renee interjected, taking a sip of her beer. “The people in the office bully us interns. They
make us do all the heavy lifting! And that Meanie Mollie… she’s so cruel to us!”
Toph listened intently, growing increasingly angry.
Although he didn’t know who Meanie Mollie was, anyone who bullied Renee became his enemy.
Renee shared everything that had happened that day. “They even said that we don’t have boyfriends and nobody
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtlikes us!”
“God damn it!” Toph was getting pissed as he listened and slammed his hand on the table. “Tomorrow, I’ll stand
outside the building! Let’s see who dares say that, then!”
Zuko interjected flatly, raising an eyebrow, “Toph, why would you want to stand there? Are you planning to be the
door guardian?”
“Oh, brother?” Toph’s eyes lit up. “I think you’d be better at that!”
Zuko playfully picked up a bamboo stick from the skewer, pretending to poke him.
“Alright, let’s focus,” he said, setting down his glass and turning serious. He looked at Lina and Renee, saying, “In big
projects like this, there are many stakeholders, and it can get complicated with so many people involved. As interns,
it’s normal for others not to pay much attention to you.”
Lina nodded in agreement. “That’s what I thought too. The most important thing right now is to gain experience.
Also…”
“What else?” Zuko asked, intrigued.
After a moment of thought, Lina continued. “I also think that in a project with many stakeholders, there are likely
people who oppose my parents. Besides gaining experience, I want to find out who these people are, one by one!”
Her statement left the others momentarily stunned.
Their surprise wasn’t due to her heroic determination, but…
Zuko was the first to recover from the shock, asking carefully, “What did you say, Lina?”
“Hmm?”
“Who else is involved in this project with many stakeholders?”
“People who oppose my parents!”
As soon as Lina said those words, she realized something and was surprised by her own statement.
Renee grinned and exclaimed, “Cuz, if Aunt Lina and Uncle Nic were here, they’d be so happy they might faint!”
Lina pursed her lips and smiled, feeling both uneasy and embarrassed.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmZuko placed a hand on her shoulder, understanding her conflicting emotions. He gently patted her and fed her a
skewer.
“It’s alright, take your time,” he whispered into her ear with a smile. “It’s a good starting point.”
“Zuko, I…”
“I know,” he replied, his eyes filled with tenderness and determination as he looked at her. “There’s no rush, Lina.
You don’t have to feel guilty toward your adoptive parents. They’re your parents, just like Uncle Nicholas and Aunt
Linda.”
Lina nodded, holding onto his arm.
Now she understood what Zuko meant. Some things were ingrained in her DNA. She was their daughter, and her
bloodline couldn’t be changed.
“Oh, oh!” Toph teased, laughing. “My parents are waiting for you to call them ‘mom and dad’ too, am I right,
brother?”
“They’re not just waiting for Lina.” Zuko smiled. “They’re waiting for Renee too!”
Renee blushed and bit her lip, her cheeks turning rosy.
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