CHAPTER 29: CHAPTER 29: DAZZLING BLOOD SPREADS BENEATH HER

However, before Zinnia could say a word, there was a knock on the hospital room door.

Simon Sutton stood in the doorway. "Jenson, Crystal has been crying continuously. If this keeps up, her body won’t be able to take it. We really can’t calm her down. Why don’t you go and talk to her?"

Sick of Crystal Sutton’s constant provocations, Zinnia felt a fire burning inside her.

Instead of pulling away from Jenson Forrest’s embrace, she wrapped her arms around his neck, tucked her head into the crook of it, and said in a softened voice, "Honey, I haven’t seen you in a week. You’re not going anywhere. I want you to stay and comfort me, or else I’ll start crying too, BOOHOO..."

She decided to go all out and began to fake-cry.

Simon Sutton, utterly shameless, entered and saw her sitting on Jenson Forrest’s lap. Any other respectable elder would have had the decency to leave. But not only did he ignore it, he acted as if Jenson was obligated to go see his daughter.

He was the one being shameless first, so why should Zinnia bother with decorum?

She snuggled in the man’s embrace, but her small hands tightened their grip on his tie. With one hand, she pulled it taut; with the other, she secured the knot.

The meaning was crystal clear: If the dog didn’t behave, he’d get choked by his leash. It was up to him to decide what to do.

Jenson Forrest’s large hand held Zinnia’s waist. His posture, leaning back, remained unchanged, but he raised his handsome brow in resignation as he looked at Simon Sutton.

"Pardon me, Uncle, but my abilities are limited. I can’t even soothe the one I have here. How about I have Timothy Cohen go check on her in my place?"

What was the point of sending a secretary if he wasn’t going himself?

Simon Sutton’s expression turned ugly. He cast a cold glare at the couple on the sofa, then turned and slammed the door on his way out.

Zinnia’s heart pounded wildly, leaving her somewhat dazed. Did I really make him stay this time? He didn’t abandon me...

She thought about the bracelet—she had misunderstood him. And the birthday gift—he had prepared one for her after all. If these were all misunderstandings, then what about the child in Crystal’s womb? Jenson Forrest had never personally admitted the child was his, had he?

Zinnia’s heartbeat quickened. She lifted her head, about to ask him again, but the man picked her up and dropped her onto the sofa.

He stood, leisurely straightening his tie and rumpled shirt. He looked down at her, his gaze cold and emotionless as he spoke.

"You need to show more decorum in front of our elders. Don’t let this happen again. Rest for a bit. I’m going to go check on the situation. I’ll be back in half an hour at most. Wait for me."

The Sutton and Forrest families were friends for generations, with deeply intertwined business dealings. The Forrests were indeed in the wrong today, so Jenson didn’t want to make the situation too ugly. Besides, Crystal was not having this baby of her own free will; nothing could be allowed to go wrong.

With those words, the man turned, opened the door, and strode out of the room.

Zinnia sat dazed on the sofa, her entire body icy cold. After a long moment, she let out a quiet laugh.

She laughed at her own inability to learn her lesson and at her foolish, wishful thinking.

"Seventh Sister, don’t be sad. My brother has gone too far. I have excellent resources; I’ll set you up with a new boyfriend!"

Her cold hand was grasped. Julia Forrest was squatting barefoot in front of her, holding her hand with a look of shared indignation.

A warmth spread through Zinnia’s heart. "Why aren’t you wearing shoes?" she said quickly. "Get back in bed."

She led him back to the bed and rubbed his feet to warm them up, her own mood sinking.

Even Eighth knows how awful it is to abandon me right now, yet that man does as he pleases time and time again. In the end, it’s just not love.

There was no way Zinnia was going to wait obediently in the hospital room for Jenson Forrest to return. The moment she left, Julia Forrest picked up his phone.

He opened his class group chat, selected a saved photo of Zinnia dancing ballet on stage, and sent it with a caption.

"Seeking a husband for a fairy! This is my sister: rich, beautiful, and fair-skinned."

"Gentle, beautiful, and full of grace. She speaks four languages, plays eight instruments, has the voice of an angel, and dances well enough to captivate a city."

"If you have handsome brothers or uncles, hurry up and send me their photos! The deadline is tomorrow morning. Don’t miss out!"

He attended Veridia’s best international school, and his classmates’ families were all prominent. This group chat had been created by the students themselves, with no teachers in it.

He refused to believe that with his influence, he couldn’t find a dashing brother-in-law for his Seventh Sister.

DING-DONG. DING-DONG.

Soon enough, private messages began to flood in. Julia Forrest kicked his legs in excitement.

* * *

Jenson Forrest pushed open the door to the other hospital room. As expected, Crystal was still hunched over on the hospital bed, crying sorrowfully.

Simon Sutton and Rose Lowell were anxiously trying to comfort her. When they saw Jenson Forrest, they tacitly stepped aside.

"Crystal, stop crying, Jenson is here," Simon Sutton said, relieved.

Crystal buried her small face in the blanket, her shoulders trembling nonstop, her voice hoarse. "You’re lying! Jenson isn’t coming! He only cares about my sister. I’m so envious of her, having someone like Jenson to love her so completely..."

"Just leave me alone... *sob*... My hand hurts so much, and my heart hurts, too... I’ll be fine after a good cry..."

Simon Sutton glanced at Jenson and waved him over, then led Rose Lowell out of the room.

Jenson stepped forward, impatience furrowing his brow. "Alright, stop crying," he said.

Crystal’s trembling body went still. She neatened her hair before looking up at him.

Before she could even speak, tears began to stream down her face. Her eyes were red and her face was pale. Her skin, nurtured to be delicate and flawless, completed the same pitiful expression she had practiced in the mirror since childhood.

Which angle was most flattering? How could she wet her eyelashes with tears without looking like a mess?

She had taken great pains to earn her parents’ affection, and this particular look had always been effective at tugging at people’s heartstrings.

She looked at Jenson in surprise. A tear rolled from the corner of her eye and hung precariously from her chin, refusing to fall. "Jenson, you really..."

However, before she could finish, Jenson coldly interrupted. "Were you just diagnosed with a glass heart?"

Crystal was completely baffled.

She froze, his reaction was completely abnormal.

The man didn’t spare her another glance. He hooked a chair with his long leg and sat down commandingly by the bed, his legs spread wide. His arms rested naturally on his knees, and his body leaned slightly forward, bringing his handsome face suddenly very close to hers.

Crystal held her breath, her heartbeat erupting into a chaotic rhythm. She stared at him, dazed and unable to compose herself.

Jenson looked down at her, the corners of his thin lips curling up as he spoke again. "When someone cares, your tears are tears. Otherwise, they’re just another annoying bodily fluid, same as snot. Understand?"

Crystal felt a knife twist in her heart, a piercing pain. Overwhelmed by his proximity, she could no longer hold her breath. With a PUFF, a large snot bubble inflated from her nostril.

She was mortified. Her face turned bright red, and she didn’t dare meet Jenson’s disgusted gaze.

Jenson planted his feet on the ground. The heel of his leather shoe dug in, and his powerful legs pushed the chair backward with a loud SQUEAK.

The sound was like a silent mockery, slapping Crystal across the face.

Crystal’s tears fell even harder, but this time, there was nothing beautiful about it. Tears and snot streamed down her face together. She turned her back in a panic, so angry she could have fainted.

Jenson’s limited patience was running out. He pulled two wet tissues from a pack, tossed them to Crystal, and glanced at his watch.

He had promised Zinnia he would be back in half an hour at most. If Crystal kept crying like this, he might not be able to get back in time.

"If you really can’t calm down, we can talk about this next time," he said, standing up.

But Crystal suddenly grabbed his hand.

Jenson frowned, wanting to shake her off. Crystal fell back onto the pillow, her face a mask of distress and pain. "Jenson, it hurts! I... my stomach hurts so much!"

Jenson’s expression shifted. He rose and yanked the blanket away to find crimson blood spreading from beneath her.

Jenson’s gaze darkened. He tried to pull free to call a doctor, but Crystal clutched him desperately. Her face was deathly pale, but her dark eyes were fixed on him as she said through gritted teeth, "You’re the one who wanted me to have this child! I want you to stay with me! Don’t leave! Otherwise, I’m not having this baby!"

Jenson’s handsome face turned frigid. He stopped struggling but leaned over and pressed the call button. "I’m not leaving. You need to calm down."

Jenson was delayed by Crystal’s medical emergency. By the time he returned to Julia Forrest’s hospital room, Julia had already been given the all-clear, discharged, and taken home.

Zinnia, of course, was long gone. Jenson took out his phone to send her a message.

Ran away? Playing dirty, are we?

He thought about it, deleted the text, and typed a new one. "Where did you go? I’ll come pick you up. I brought your favorite foie gras from F Country. Want to try some when you get back?"

He checked it one more time and pressed send, only for a line of red text to pop up.

"Zinnia has enabled friend verification. You are not her friend. Please send a friend request first."

Jenson, who had never experienced anything like this, stared at the line of text. It took him a moment to process what it meant.

He chuckled softly. His slender fingers tapped a few more times, resending the friend request as instructed, but the system displayed another line of text.

"Failed to add contact. This user has added you to their blacklist."

Jenson was left speechless.