CHAPTER 67: CHAPTER 67: JENSON FORREST AVENGES ZINNIA LAWRENCE

Jenson’s gaze swept over the invitations. He nodded in acknowledgment.

"Anything else?"

The thought of the divorce agreement irked Jenson, and he couldn’t even be bothered to feign politeness. When he saw Crystal Sutton still standing there, he looked up and asked.

Crystal bit her lip, looking pitiful.

"I have a photo shoot for my first endorsement later. Can you come with me, Jenson?"

The endorsement Crystal was shooting was for a game under the Stellar banner. Jenson happened to have a trip scheduled to that area in the afternoon, so stopping by to see her wouldn’t be a problem.

He nodded. "Sure, but I have a meeting later."

Crystal immediately brightened up. She smiled with feigned understanding. "Then I won’t disturb you. Remember to balance work and rest. I’ll see you this afternoon, Jenson."

She left and got into her car, only to slam her bag furiously onto the seat. Rose Lowell was waiting in the car. Seeing Crystal’s temper, she asked with concern, "Did Young Master Forrest not agree to come to the solo recital?"

Crystal barely managed to suppress her fury. "He agreed."

Jenson kept the invitation, which meant he would attend.

Rose breathed a sigh of relief. "That’s good, then. Why are you still unhappy?"

Lately, Crystal had been hyping up her relationship with Jenson online. If Jenson didn’t show up to her first solo recital, there was no telling how netizens would mock her for the public embarrassment.

Crystal was furious, naturally because of Zinnia. The memory of the intense, ambiguous atmosphere between Zinnia and Jenson in the car just moments ago filled her with a searing jealousy. Then she remembered Jenson had asked Zinnia to order her dessert, and her expression softened. She took out her phone.

When the call connected, she idly twirled a lock of her hair. "Sister, I’m going to have my assistant send you a list of my favorite desserts in a moment. If those specific kinds aren’t on the order, I’ll have to trouble you to cancel it and reorder. After all, I’m pregnant, so my tastes are a little picky. I’m sure you can understand, right, sister?"

After she finished speaking, there was no response from the other end. Crystal pulled the phone away to check the screen before putting it back to her ear.

"Hello?"

A faint rustle came through the line, making it obvious Zinnia hadn’t even been holding the phone to her ear.

"Are you done?" Zinnia’s voice was light and dismissive.

Crystal felt as if her full-force attack had landed on cotton, and her expression turned ugly.

"Zinnia, when someone answers a call, isn’t it basic etiquette to listen?"

"Hah. Isn’t ’not being a homewrecker’ basic human decency? Do you really have any right to lecture me on etiquette?"

Crystal chuckled softly. "So sharp-tongued, sister. Men don’t like women with so much bitterness."

Zinnia couldn’t be bothered to listen to her boasts. "You don’t need to thank me. After all, Jenson gave me a handsome sum of pocket money just for ordering some dessert. If you have more wonderful opportunities like this in the future, don’t hesitate to call me. I’m hanging up if that’s all."

Crystal was left speechless again. She took a breath before continuing. "There is something. The day after tomorrow is my solo recital. You simply must come, sister."

She’d have to be crazy to go. Zinnia scoffed.

"Sorry. I can put up with green tea bitch antics, but I have zero tolerance for bad music. For the sake of my ears and my sanity, I’ll have to pass."

With that, she hung up.

Crystal sneered. "Classless bitch!"

Just as Rose was about to console her, her own phone rang. Rose’s expression turned grim as she answered. "Alright, I get it. You need to get out of town today and lay low. Once this blows over, I’ll give you another five hundred thousand. But if you say anything you shouldn’t, don’t expect me to be merciful."

"What’s wrong?" Crystal frowned.

"Young Master Forrest is investigating that incident. Una Tate has been taken in."

Crystal shot upright. Rose continued, "And at the hospital, Kane Donovan was supposed to be discharged and transferred to the detention center today. But a man disguised as a janitor rushed into his ward with a knife and incapacitated him..."

"Inca... incapacitated? What do you mean?"

A chill ran down Crystal’s spine, and Rose’s face was just as pale.

"His... manhood. It was cut off and then minced right in front of Kane Donovan’s eyes. He’s still in the emergency room being resuscitated."

It had to be Jenson. So ruthless!

Even as a woman, Crystal instinctively clamped her legs together and broke out in a cold sweat. She collapsed back against the seat, gripping Rose’s hand nervously.

"How could Una fall under suspicion? Is she going to sell us out?! What do we do..."

Crystal was frantic. Even with the get-out-of-jail-free card in her womb, she’d still be in for a world of hurt if she were discovered.

Rose gripped her hand back. Though her face was also pale, she remained calm. "Don’t worry. Una Tate doesn’t know anything. They won’t get anything out of her."

Despite this, Crystal’s anxiety wouldn’t subside.

Previously, Winston Forrest had just assumed Kane Donovan acted on lustful impulse. Why was Jenson Forrest investigating it so thoroughly now...?

「Meanwhile」

Zinnia Lawrence was sitting in the private room of a teahouse, waiting for someone with Yara Fairchild. Zinnia needed to raise thirty million, and her income from dancing and part-time jobs would never be enough. She had contacted Nathan Nash to help her find a reliable agent. She wanted to license the songs and choreography she had created over the years with her group, Adverse.

Yara had come with her. While they waited, Zinnia calmly brewed tea. Yara, who was scrolling on her phone, suddenly gasped.

"Holy crap!"

Zinnia serenely raised her hand, using the standard "three pecks of the phoenix" motion to pour hot water into the pot. She watched the tea leaves unfurl before she finally looked up.

"What’s wrong?"

"Zinnia, look! Kane Donovan got his just deserts! It’s all over the society pages!"

Zinnia took the phone, her eyes widening in shock.

"That Kane Donovan is a total scumbag! A filthy rapist! He deserved to be castrated, to have his disgusting dick chopped up! They should have minced his entire body! Dammit, the man even drugged and raped a pregnant woman!"

The news report revealed that the assailant, a Mr. Guo, and his wife, a Mrs. Yang, were childhood sweethearts and deeply in love. Mrs. Yang had been targeted by Kane Donovan. When his repeated attempts at seduction failed, he drugged and raped her. At the time, Mrs. Yang was two months pregnant with twins. Unable to bear the trauma, she jumped from a building to her death—a tragedy of one body and three lives. Due to a lack of evidence and the Donovan Family’s considerable influence, the case was ultimately dropped.

"That Mr. Guo is a real man! His name might be Kane, but he’s no longer able! This is karma, pure and simple!" Yara ranted, full of righteous indignation.

Zinnia, "..."

She pushed the freshly brewed cup of tea toward Yara and stood up. "I’m stepping out to make a call."

That incident happened over a year ago. Why would Mr. Guo wait until now to take revenge? Not sooner, not later, but precisely at this moment...

Zinnia walked to a quiet corner of the courtyard and dialed Jenson’s number. Her expression was anxious, her heart uneasy. Does this have anything to do with Jenson? Ultimately, she didn’t want him to get blood on his hands again because of her.

The phone rang for some time before it was finally answered. Jenson’s voice came through, cold and detached.

"What, did you already gather the thirty million?"

Zinnia pursed her lips. "No, not yet. I... I have something I want to ask you..."

She opened her mouth, but she hadn’t quite figured out how to phrase the question. What if this was truly an accident? Wouldn’t questioning him so suddenly just make him suspicious?

"If it’s not about the money, I’m hanging up."

Zinnia blurted out anxiously, "Don’t! I do have something!"

Flustered and with her mind drawing a blank, she suddenly recalled Yara’s words and asked, "There’s a meme going around online today: ’Kane is not able.’ Do you know what it means?"

The moment the words left her mouth, she wanted to bite her tongue off. Then again, if Jenson had nothing to do with this, he probably wouldn’t understand the phrase anyway.

Silence descended on the other end of the line. And in that silence, Zinnia’s heartbeat began to thunder in her ears.