Chapter 108
Betty pushed Anne out of nowhere. No one knew what had happened before that. The doctor explained that Anne was already in a dazed state before the fall.
The impact, combined with insufficient blood supply to her brain, caused a blood clot to form, compressing her nerves and leaving her unable to wake up.
The doctors had considered surgery, but the compressed nerves were in an extremely dangerous location. A single misstep could lead to brain death, with no chance of recovery. They were searching for a safer approach, but hadnโt found one yet.
Anneโs father, Daniel, made a public announcement in elite circles: anyone with connections or means to cure Anne would be handsomely rewarded by the Carson family.
Zinnia frowned as she listened to Anneโs condition. She thought, โA hematoma compressing the nerves? Prolonged compression could cause brain damage. If itโs not cleared in time, the pressure might rupture blood vessels, making recovery even harder!โ
Zinnia decided to find a chance to visit Anne. They were not really close, but she just couldnโt stand seeing an innocent person get dragged into all this.
That afternoon, when Zinnia got home, she didnโt see Yannis. He had already texted her to inform her that he had been very busy and wouldnโt be back for the next couple of days. But he said he would have someone bring her dinner.
Zinnia had intended to give Yannis the herbal pills, but since he wasnโt home, she decided to wait until he returned.
The days drifted by, and before she knew it, the weekend had arrived. Zinnia still hadnโt run into Yannis. Heโd been swamped lately, leaving her no chance to give him the herbal pills sheโd prepared.
Still, every night without fail, Yannis had someone deliver dinner to Zinnia, always her favorite meat dishes. She couldnโt help but feel a little pampered.
As soon as the school break started, Sofia asked Zinnia to go back to the Lynn residence for dinner.
Zinnia had been living away from the Lynn residence for some time. Because she had promised Sofia that she would come back for the holidays, she didnโt refuse.
On Friday after school, Zinnia and Maisie shared a ride back to the Lynn residence.
The moment Zinnia stepped into the yard, Sofia heard from Benedict that she was back. Dropping her gardening shears, Sofia hurried out to greet Zinnia, her face lighting up with heartfelt affection. Sofia said, โZinnia, my dear, Iโve missed you so much!โ
โSofia,โ Zinnia called.
โQuick, come in! I had the chef make lots of little treats for you, Zinnia,โ Sofia called out, her voice noticeably brighter as she took in Zinniaโs still-plump cheeks.
Sofia thought, โCompared to before, when she was so quiet and withdrawn, Zinnia is now visibly more cheerful!โ
Sofia led Zinnia into the living room and had her sit down. The coffee table was piled high with all sorts of delicious treats, but not a single one had any cream, just the way Zinnia liked it.
Sofia gently took Zinniaโs hand and let out a soft sigh. She said, โZinnia, I heard about what happened at school. Itโs my fault. I didnโt raise your mother right, and thatโs why she made such foolish mistakes, sweetheart.โ
Sofia knew Zinnia would never do such things, but she never expected the Shaws to be so reckless. They didnโt bother to investigate a single accusation before heaping all that blame on Zinnia.
Zinnia had kept the school accident from the Lynn family to avoid worrying them. Isaac was away, leading his team abroad for a closed training camp, so he didnโt know about the accident. But Zinnia didnโt expect Howard to accidentally spill the beans.
When Zinnia received calls from Jackson and Sofia, she felt a bit uneasy and couldnโt help but curse Howard in her mind. Facing Sofiaโs well-meaning words, Zinnia reassured, โIโm not bothered by it, Sofia, and you shouldnโt be either.โ
Zinnia never dwelt on those matters. The Shaw family meant nothing to her now, and past grievances had long faded from her mind.
Sofia gently stroked Zinniaโs head and said, โZinnia, you have suffered so much.โ Her eyes brimmed with tenderness. In her heart, she had already refused Maelisโs request to speak to the Carson family on her behalf.
Sofia thought, โBetty must face the consequences of her own actions. Betty has Maelis to protect her, but Zinnia has no one. So our family must be her shield now.
โWe owe her that much. After all those years lost and suffering, even after we found her, sheโs still wronged. She has suffered more than her share of hardships.โ
Zinnia smiled gently at Sofia, her eyes warm and clear. She said, โSofia, Iโm not wronged at all, not with you all protecting me.โ
Zinnia didnโt care anymore. Perhaps after being abandoned so many times, she was no longer surprised when Betty schemed against her. She had long since grown accustomed to Shawnโs attitude.
Zinnia had always been emotionally numb. It was a lingering effect of childhood trauma that left her detached for years. Whether others disliked, resented, or even liked her, she could barely register their feelings.
For Zinnia, this emotional numbness was her way of protecting herself. Her Master had tried everything he could to help her, and eventually she was able to start sensing other peopleโs emotions again.
Even so, her perception was still weaker than most peopleโs. When Zinnia first returned to the Shaw family, their constant neglect did sting a little, though not deeply.
As for how they doted on Betty, or how Betty constantly flaunted their affection, Zinnia barely registered it. What she cared about most was that Master had left her.
While Zinnia and Sofia were talking, Henry returned. Seeing Zinnia, Henry beamed. He lifted a fishing creel and said, โZinnia, youโre back! Look what I caught, fresh fish. I will have the chef cook it for dinner tonight.โ
โGot it!โ Zinnia chirped, her voice bright and clear.
Only the three of them, Zinnia, Sofia, and Henry, were having dinner, making the house feel especially quiet.
Sofia served some food on Zinniaโs plate and said, โCharlie probably wonโt make it home for dinner again. Heโs been so busy lately that sometimes he even forgets to eat.โ
Charlie had been swamped with work at the hospital these days, while Jackson was away on a business trip abroad.
When Jackson first heard about what happened to Zinnia, he was ready to fly back immediately, but Yannis reassured him that everything had been resolved, finally putting his mind at ease.
Zinnia offered, โSofia, could you pack up some of Charlieโs favorite dishes? Iโll take them to him. I havenโt seen him in days.โ
โItโs too much trouble. Let Charlie just grab a quick bite at the hospital,โ Grandma Sofia said, torn between her concern for Charlie and not wanting Zinnia to tire herself out with another trip.
Zinnia insisted, โItโs no trouble at all. I donโt have class tomorrow, and itโs still early. Iโll bring dinner to Charlie and wait for him so we can go home together.โ
She thought, โIf I remember correctly, Anne is at the same hospital as Charlie. Maybe I could take the opportunity to visit Anne.โ
Hearing this, Sofia thought, โIf someone else brings food to Charlie, heโll just let it go cold and eat it later when heโs done. But if Zinnia brings it, heโll eat it right away.โ
So she said, โAlright then. Zinnia, you must be tired from being cooped up at school all day. Itโll do you good to get out for a bit. Iโll have Benedict arrange a car to take you.โ
After dinner, Zinnia grabbed the packed meal and headed to the hospital by car.
Charlie worked at Jinstonโs top hospital as a neurologist.