CHAPTER 78: CHAPTER 78: ZINNIA LAWRENCE, GET OUT OF MY WORLD

A pang struck Zinnia’s heart, an unspeakable bitterness that reddened her eyes.

Afraid he might notice, she quickly lowered her head.

Jenson had only been willing to kiss her recently. Did that mean he no longer saw her as a sister, but purely as a woman?

"Zinnia, tell me, do you really have no feelings, no love for me?"

At that moment, Jenson’s pale fingers gently lifted her chin. He stared at her with his deep, dark eyes and asked slowly.

His words moved Zinnia more deeply than any sweet nothings could.

However, before the sweetness in her heart could spread, it was replaced by bitterness.

If he had been like this half a year ago, or even two months ago, she would have been overjoyed. But now, it’s too late. Though her heart still fluttered, she had no desire to turn back, nor did she have the courage to do so.

Looking at the man she loved so deeply, Zinnia curved her pale lips. "That’s right. Those feelings are gone."

Her words sent a chill through Jenson. He tightened his grip on her chin.

"Did you ever love me?"

A sharp pain lanced through Zinnia’s heart. How could she not have loved him? Even now, she hadn’t truly moved on. But...

She remembered the night it happened. Her body had been torn and stitched up, and she lay in bed, desperately needing his comfort. Yet he was nowhere to be found. When she finally managed to reach him by phone, her heart a mix of anxiety and anticipation, she confessed.

"Brother, I’m sorry... I like you," she had said.

To this day, she still remembered his cold reply.

"Don’t call me ’brother’ anymore. Isn’t that disgusting? Zinnia, you really pull out all the stops to stay in the Forrest Family, don’t you?"

He said she disgusted him. Her affection, her love—it was all disgusting to him. After that, Zinnia never dared to confess again.

When they registered their marriage on her twentieth birthday, she told him, "Third Brother, I will be the best wife. I’ll take care of you, stay by your side, and never leave you. Can you try to build this marriage with me?"

She had hidden her love for him in those simple words. How could the best wife not love her husband?

But he had said, "Zinnia, stop wasting your energy on this act. A contractual marriage is what’s best for both of us."

He had thrown a marriage contract at her, one stipulating they would only be a couple in name. Even then, she had foolishly refused to give up. Two years had passed, and it had completely drained her.

Now, he was asking this question again. What did he want her to say? Telling the truth would only give him another chance to humiliate her. They’re getting divorced anyway, so there’s no point. I don’t want to be entangled with him any longer.

She looked at Jenson and shook her head firmly. "No. I don’t love you."

Yes, someday in the future, I, Zinnia Lawrence, will stop loving Jenson Forrest, she thought to herself. I can do it.

Jenson gazed at her. Her eyes were clear and calm, betraying no emotion. I know what she looks like when she lies, and it’s nothing like this placid expression. She never loved me.

A mocking arc formed on his thin lips. His face expressionless, he released her chin. He slowly stepped back and rose to his feet.

"That’s for the best. You’re right. Divorce really is our best option."

Zinnia pursed her lips and gave a slight smile. "Yes. Third Brother, after the divorce, we can still be like before. I..."

Jenson cut her off, his cold eyes looking down on her. "Wrong. I, Jenson Forrest, will not be a brother to my ex-wife! Stop dreaming, Zinnia. We can never be siblings again in this lifetime! Even if you’re not bothered by it, my future wife certainly won’t accept it! Once we’re divorced, we will be strangers who never cross paths again."

Zinnia’s face turned as white as a sheet. Her expression froze, and her heart felt hollow. After a long moment, she managed to force a smile. "Mm, okay... I understand."

Jenson stared at her, not missing a single change in her expression. Watching the forced smile on her lips, he clenched his fists tightly. His voice seemed squeezed from his chest. "Fine. Very good. Zinnia, get out of my world. Get as far away as possible! Don’t you ever appear in front of me again!"

"Okay."

"Get the three thousand ready as soon as you can."

"Okay."

Watching this woman who calmly agreed to everything, a bone-deep chill washed over Jenson, and he gritted his teeth.

She doesn’t love me. The woman forced to stay by my side is pale, sad, and weary. She’s not happy at all. She just wants to escape. There’s no point in forcing her to stay.

Without another glance at Zinnia, Jenson turned and strode away.

As his figure vanished from the doorway, Zinnia collapsed back onto the bed, tears finally streaming down her face. She curled up, her whole body trembling uncontrollably, the taste of blood filling her mouth.

He had let her go. Zinnia could feel it; this time, he truly wouldn’t try to keep her or make things difficult for her again. It was what she had wished for, so why didn’t she feel the slightest sense of relief?

Perhaps it’s because, in the end... I lost my brother, too.

Zinnia cried for a long time. Once she had calmed down, it was only when she grabbed her phone to call Yara Fairchild for a ride that she saw the photo from Crystal Sutton.

In the picture, Jenson was in a private room at a club, still wearing the same clothes he’d had on that morning. Crystal Sutton was nestled against his chest, her face glowing with happiness.

All emotion drained from Zinnia’s eyes. In that instant, she felt immensely grateful that she hadn’t succumbed to his tenderness and pleas just moments ago. And she hoped that this time, he had truly let go.

「Hospital Parking Lot」

The black Cullinan hadn’t even pulled into a parking space before its owner ordered the driver to leave the hospital. Timothy Cohen had followed instructions and bought breakfast from Nectar House that morning. It was still in the thermal container, undelivered.

The pressure inside the car was suffocating. In the back seat, Jenson Forrest’s expression was no different from usual, but Timothy could feel a devastatingly oppressive aura. I really feel like crying. I thought that after the President took care of his wife all night, they would make up today. How did things get even worse?

Timothy was on pins and needles the entire drive, not daring to utter a single word. He thought the President’s mood would affect his work, but to his surprise, Jenson went straight to Stellar without even going home to change. He immediately dove into work, and his efficiency that morning was higher than ever.

After finishing his morning tasks, Timothy returned to the office to report the afternoon schedule.

"Regarding Miss Sutton’s solo recital, the Madam just called to remind you not to miss it, President."

Jenson nodded to show he had heard.

So he’s really going. Timothy was completely baffled. Could it be that the President is actually in love with Miss Sutton?

After Timothy left, Jenson sat for a moment before reaching down to open the bottom drawer of his desk. He pulled out a brocade box and a diary. It was the same box he’d had on hand when Zinnia had thrown the cake at his car window.

Opening it, he revealed the Forrest family’s exquisite ancestral bracelet, a bangle of the finest glass-type jadeite.

Jenson’s thumb caressed the bracelet, his eyes darkening with gloom. He suddenly clenched his fist around it, the force so great that the veins on the back of his hand bulged, as if he meant to crush it to dust.

The surge of violent emotion was quickly suppressed, and the bracelet was eventually placed back in the box. He snapped the lid shut, as if sealing it away forever, its contents destined never to meet their owner.

Jenson tossed the box back into the drawer, accidentally knocking the diary onto the floor. It fell open, its aged pages revealing familiar, spirited handwriting that poured out tender affection.

*Today is the 1196th day of loving Winston Forrest.*

The entire page was filled with Winston’s name, over and over. A few teardrops had blurred the ink—the sorrows of a young girl’s secret crush.

The irony was, she had learned to write by imitating my handwriting. And she used that script, so similar to mine, to write all this. Then she acts wronged when I call her heartless.

Jenson stared at the diary, his eyes heavy with gloom. Then he lifted his foot and ground the book into the floor.

「The next day」

Miles Chase came to Stellar for a project meeting. Afterward, he insisted on following Jenson back to his office to bum a cup of coffee. Jenson ignored him, focusing on the project proposal.

Timothy brought Miles a coffee, but he grimaced after one sip and set it down. He looked at Jenson, who sat behind the desk. "What’s going on? This coffee doesn’t taste the same. You’re not trying to give me the cheap stuff, are you?"

He got up from the sofa, walked over to Jenson’s desk, and snatched the cup in front of him for a taste. Since Jenson hadn’t touched it yet, he let him.

But Miles quickly frowned again. "This is just as bad. Who made this? What a waste of good St. Helena coffee beans." He put the cup down. "I’m not picking on you, Jenson, but it’s hard to go back after you’ve had the best. Did you get a new assistant? The one who used to make the coffee..."

Before he could finish, Jenson slammed the project proposal onto the desk, a chilling aura spreading through the room. "Noisy!"

A normal person would have taken the hint, but Miles was the type who loved to stir up trouble. He immediately raised an eyebrow. "I get it. Your wife used to make the coffee, right? No wonder it was different; she’s as good as a professional barista. Man, for a good cup of coffee alone, you should hurry up and make up with her."

Jenson looked up, his cold gaze like a blade. "I’m in a bad mood today and have a sudden urge to make someone suffer. Do you want to volunteer?"

A shiver went down Miles’s neck. He immediately mimed zipping his lips and scurried out.

As Timothy escorted him out, Miles scrolled through his phone on the way to the elevator, unable to resist gossiping. "What’s going on with Jenson and Zinnia?"

Timothy smiled politely and shook his head. It wasn’t that he wouldn’t say; it was that he genuinely didn’t know.

Suddenly, Miles stopped short, staring at his phone and exclaiming, "Whoa, impressive. Are your President and his wife really going their separate ways now?"

The couple was trending on social media, and neither one was trending with their spouse.

Do they have to be this dramatic?