CHAPTER 25: CHAPTER 25: LEAVING HER BEHIND TO EMBRACE THE WHITE MOONLIGHT

The veins on Jenson Forrest’s forehead throbbed with anger.

Crystal Sutton raised her hand to soothe Jenson’s chest, murmuring softly, "Jenson, don’t be angry. I... I’m fine. A hammer just hit my arm, I’m not that fragile..."

Jenson said nothing more. He withdrew his gaze and strode out, carrying Crystal.

Nestled in his arms, Crystal shot Zinnia Lawrence a subtle, victorious smile.

Zinnia felt her blood run cold, the last shred of color draining from her face.

"Jenson Forrest, are you even a man?! Your wife’s brother is right over there, and you’re just going to walk out with that... thing?" Furious, Yara Fairchild rushed forward to block them. If Jenson left with that woman in his arms, Zinnia would become a laughingstock.

The man, however, didn’t even pause. He commanded his bodyguards, "Get her out of the way!"

Two bodyguards immediately moved to restrain Yara, but she was too formidable. They couldn’t hold her down; in the blink of an eye, she had knocked both of them to the ground. This brief delay, however, was all the time Jenson needed to carry Crystal away.

Yara still wanted to give chase, but Zinnia stopped her. "Yara, don’t chase them. Let them go."

She, Zinnia Lawrence, had already been the laughingstock of Veridia for four years.

Only then did Yara run over to Zinnia, who glared at the remaining bodyguards. "The Eighth Young Master has fainted! Aren’t you going to help?!"

Her voice was tight with urgency, genuinely terrified that something might happen to the boy.

Just then, she felt two small scratches on her palm. Zinnia froze and looked down. Julian Forrest had cracked open one eye and was winking cheekily at her.

Zinnia was speechless. This little brat! He must have been holding his breath. His face was flushed and he was covered in sweat—he completely fooled me. I was worried sick!

She secretly gave him a light pinch. The bodyguards quickly stepped forward, lifted Julian, and hurried out.

Meanwhile, Jenson had carried Crystal out of the shopping mall, where Timothy Cohen was already waiting with the car. Meeting Jenson’s impatient gaze, Timothy jogged forward. "President, allow me."

Crystal immediately looked up with a pitiful expression, grabbing Jenson’s lapel with her uninjured right hand. "Jenson..."

However, her small act didn’t make Jenson hesitate for a second. He simply transferred her into Timothy’s arms. Crystal clung to him, unwilling to let go, but Timothy said, "Miss Sutton, the stitches from the President’s arm injury haven’t been removed yet."

Crystal immediately released him, her eyes filled with concern. "It’s been a week! Why hasn’t Jenson’s wound healed? We should have the doctor look at it when we get to the hospital. I’m so worried."

Jenson gave a slight nod. His gaze swept past them and caught sight of the bodyguards carrying Julian out. What an actor, that brat.

Zinnia followed beside the bodyguards, holding the Eighth Young Master’s hand. As they exited the mall, she saw Jenson ducking into his car just as it sped away.

"Pfft! Look at him, rushing off like he’s late for Crystal’s funeral!"

Julian couldn’t hold back his laughter and began to shake, causing the bodyguard carrying him to pause and look down.

Zinnia squeezed the boy’s hand and said urgently, "He’s having a seizure! Quick! Get him to the car."

Once inside the car, Zinnia had little Julian rest his head on her shoulder and asked him in a low voice, "What happened?"

With his head pillowed on her shoulder, little Julian quietly explained.

A few days ago, he had seen Crystal at the hospital and noticed the bracelet on her wrist. He immediately recognized it as the Forrest family’s heirloom jade bracelet. When he heard that Sienna and Crystal had planned a shopping trip today, he had his bodyguards follow them. He had intended to make Crystal take the bracelet off, but she refused. The bracelet was also too small; even with soap foam, the salesclerk couldn’t remove it after trying for ages. Then Crystal made a few sarcastic remarks about Zinnia, which provoked Julian. He lost his temper and had someone bring him a hammer.

"It’s a shame my brother showed up so fast. I missed. Otherwise, I would’ve smashed it to bits before letting her wear it! Besides, who does she think she is? Seventh Sister, you’re the only one I acknowledge!"

Zinnia’s heart warmed, and she stroked the boy’s head.

Yara leaned over and whispered into little Julian’s ear, "Little Julian, that’s where you went wrong. You shouldn’t have taken matters into your own hands. You should’ve brought your big sis Yara with you!"

"Okay, I’ll call you next time."

"Let me tell you, I’m a pro with a hammer. I’ll teach you. Once you’ve practiced, next time you aim right for that white lotus’s skull and smash it open. We’ll see if her brains are white or black..."

Zinnia flicked Yara’s forehead. "Don’t corrupt the child!"

Realizing her words were inappropriate for a child, Yara quickly backtracked. "I was just kidding. Don’t take me seriously."

Julian rolled his eyes at her, giving her a haughty look that clearly said, ’Do you think I’m as stupid as you?’

Watching them bicker, Zinnia’s lips curled into a smile, and her mood lifted slightly.

「At the hospital.」

Yara received a call and had to leave for her film set, leaving Zinnia to wait alone outside the emergency room. After a brief examination, the doctor transferred Julian to a temporary ward for observation.

Katherine Rhodes rushed in and immediately started yelling at Zinnia. "I called you to handle this, so how did it end with the Eighth Young Master fainting and being hospitalized? Is there anything you can do right?"

Seeing Zinnia being scolded, little Julian quickly jumped up from the bed. "I’m fine, Mom! Stop scolding Seventh Sister. I caused this trouble, so yell at me."

Startled, Katherine hurried to his bedside and held him. "Why are you up? Lie down right now! Tell Mommy, where does it hurt? Why did you suddenly faint? Did your nose bleed? Do you have a fever?"

Zinnia quietly slipped out of the room, saving herself from another one of Katherine’s tirades.

She closed the ward door behind her and had just turned around when a hand flew at her face.

SLAP!

A sharp ringing echoed in her ear as Zinnia slowly registered what had happened. She looked coldly at the person before her.

It was Mandy Lowe. A short distance away, Simon Sutton rushed over and grabbed the enraged Mandy, who looked ready to strike again.

"What are you doing? Let’s talk this out calmly." He turned to Zinnia. "Zinnia, are you all right? Your... Aunt Mandy is just on edge because Crystal was injured. Don’t take it to heart."

Zinnia’s cheek burned, and her hands clenched into fists at her sides. "I get slapped for no reason, and I’m supposed to just let it go? What kind of logic is that?"

"How dare you talk back! Are you going to deny that you instigated Julian to smash Crystal’s hand? You were the one who slapped Crystal last time, leaving her covered in bruises. How can you be so malicious?" Mandy was seething, looking like she wanted nothing more than to slap Zinnia again.

Simon frowned as well. "Zinnia, you used to be such a kind and magnanimous child. This isn’t like you. Your aunt and I didn’t raise you to be this way." His face was a mask of disappointment and confusion.

Zinnia felt as if she’d been stripped naked and thrown into a frozen wasteland, only to have the perpetrators scold her for not kneeling in gratitude for the warmth they once provided. Her eyes were chips of ice, her gaze mocking.

"Yes, you raised me until I was six, but you were raising your daughter, not me, Zinnia Lawrence. By your logic, perhaps I should sue you for abandonment? After all, you tossed me aside without a second thought after I turned six. You knew exactly what kind of person York Lawrence was, yet you still threw me to the Lawrence family. The moment you chose your biological daughter and abandoned me, any so-called debt of gratitude was severed. You can’t have it both ways!"

"You! You ungrateful brat!" Mandy’s face burned with humiliation, and she raised her hand to strike again.

Zinnia caught her wrist, her grip firm. "Enough! You’ve made a mistake. If you want to pull rank and lecture someone, go find your own daughter. We aren’t related, so I have no obligation to listen to your sermons! I’ll let it go this time. But if there is a next time, I promise I’ll return the favor twofold!"

She flung Mandy’s hand away, all but telling the couple to their faces that they should have some self-awareness, stop trying so hard to be relevant, and quit using their age to bully others.

Mandy’s body trembled with rage. With a complex expression, Simon held back Mandy, who still wanted to argue. "That’s enough. Let’s go see Crystal." He led her away.

In a ward at the end of the hall, Crystal’s hand had been treated. Although it looked severe, the injury was only to the tendons and flesh; there wasn’t even a hairline fracture. Crystal, however, was leaning against the headboard, her brow furrowed as she sobbed in pain.

"I’m not one to hold a grudge, but I’ve seen my sister a total of four times since I came back, and she has hit me on three of those occasions. Boo-hoo... Why can’t she stand the sight of me? Is it because I returned to the Sutton family, and she was sent away? But I’m the one who suffered for six years in her place! I wanted to be with my parents too..."

Crystal’s tears fell faster as she leaned toward Jenson’s embrace. After being so wronged, she hoped he would hold her, comfort her, and wipe away her tears. Even a pat on the head would be nice...