Chapter 125
The lawyer asked, “Should we sign the statement now? Have you decided which family to register with?” He glanced at Henry, whose face was clouded with worry, then at Raymond, who was grinning broadly. He felt the contrast was striking.
Yvette looked at Zinnia longingly, her eyes shining brightly with an unspoken plea: “Choose the Jenkins family and sign the statement.”
Maisie grabbed Zinnia’s hand and shook it energetically. She said, “Zinnia, sweetie, pick the Jenkins family! Please!”
Maisie bent over and nudged her head against Zinnia’s shoulder like an affectionate puppy. She said, “Zinnia, I need you. You should join my family.”
With Maisie clinging to her like this, Zinnia was so distracted that she couldn’t even feel awkward anymore.
Charlie gazed at Zinnia tenderly and said, “Zinnia, no matter what you choose, we’ll always be your brothers.”
A crowd of people stood around, waiting for Zinnia’s answer. Feeling lost, Zinnia glanced helplessly at those nearby. When Zinnia was at a loss, she instinctively sought out the one she trusted most.
In the past, that person had always been her Master, but now, almost without realizing it, her gaze naturally drifted toward Yannis instead.
Meeting her lost, uncertain gaze, Yannis said, “Just follow your heart, Zinnia. No matter who you choose, we will always stand by your side.”
Normally, Yannis seemed utterly unreliable, drawling out his words, eyes half-lidded with a lazy, careless smile, as if he could talk someone into complete confusion. But when he looked at anyone seriously, they couldn’t help but believe every word he said.
Sofia stroked Zinnia’s hair and said, “Zinnia, don’t worry about hurting our feelings. No matter which family you choose, we will always be your grandparents. Our love for you won’t change. You’ll have more people loving you.”
In Sofia’s heart, she knew that no matter who Zinnia chose, it would never change how much they cherished her. Sofia thought that it was Maelis’s loss that such a wonderful girl wasn’t hers.
Sofia no longer hoped Maelis would come to her senses; all she wanted now was for Zinnia never to be wronged again.
The crowd waited in hushed silence for Zinnia to make her choice. No matter which family Zinnia picked, they all wished her nothing but the best.
Their hearts united in this single hope. They thought that while the Shaw family had failed to cherish Zinnia, they would cherish her deeply.
Meeting Sofia’s loving, understanding gaze, Zinnia lowered her lashes. She said, “Sofia, I want to be with the Jenkins family.” She just didn’t want to have anything to do with the Shaw family anymore.
Zinnia’s choice was both expected and, somehow, a little surprising for Sofia. But she just said gently, “Okay.”
After the statement was signed, the Jenkins family became Zinnia’s guardians, and Zinnia was officially a member of the Jenkins family.
Maisie bent down and wrapped Zinnia in a warm hug. She said, “Welcome to our family, Zinnia!”
Raymond laughed and said, “Henry, don’t worry. Our family will never let Zinnia suffer.”
He then turned to Zinnia and said, “Welcome, Zinnia. From now on, you can call me Grandpa if you want. If you’re not comfortable with it, you can just call me by my name.”
Hearing this, Zinnia readily called, “Raymond,”
Raymond pulled out a box engraved with the Spence family crest from his jacket. He opened it to reveal a flawless pearl bracelet glowing inside. He said, “Here’s my welcome gift for you, Zinnia. This was left by my wife. Each of you three, Yvette, Maisie, and you, gets one as her legacy.”
From that moment on, Zinnia found herself with a new home, severing all ties with the Shaw family once and for all.
Aaron accepted a share transfer agreement from his newly arrived assistant and handed it to Zinnia with a warm smile. He said, “Zinnia, these company shares are for you. The same as Maisie’s.”
Before coming, Yvette and Aaron had discussed what to give Zinnia as a welcome gift. They bought piles of presents, but nothing seemed substantial enough to show how much they cherished her.
After racking their brains, they decided that giving Zinnia the company shares was the best choice. They felt nothing was more meaningful than something real and tangible.
The 5% shares allocated to Zinnia matched Maisie’s portion, clearly demonstrating their full recognition and acceptance of Zinnia as an equal member of the family.
Maisie had no objections. She was overjoyed to have a family member like Zinnia. She couldn’t resist the urge to kiss Zinnia to express her affection.
Maisie cupped Zinnia’s face in both hands and was leaning in for a kiss when Yannis grabbed her by the back of her collar. Maisie turned to find Yannis’s icy stare fixed on her.
Yannis shot Maisie a cold look. He asked, “Who taught you to kiss people whenever you want?”
Maisie pouted and said, “Come on, Yannis, I’m just excited. Zinnia is my sister now. What’s wrong with kissing her?”
“Even if you’re excited, it’s still not okay. Don’t you know how many germs are in your mouth?” Yannis said sternly.
Yannis complained inside, ‘Why do Yvette and Maisie always go around kissing Zinnia? I’ve already seen it happen at least three times. Who knows how many more when I’m not around? This is a bad habit. It needs to stop.‘
“It’s not like I got any saliva on Zinnia,” Maisie muttered.
“If you did, that’d be even worse,” Yannis shot back.
Maisie was already used to Yannis’s unpredictable moods. She thought, ‘Fine, no kisses then.‘ Then she affectionately pinched Zinnia’s cheek instead.
Maybe it was the improved living conditions lately, and Maisie couldn’t help but notice that Zinnia’s cheeks had filled out a bit, soft and smooth to the touch.
“Zinnia, I swear I’ll always protect you. No one’s ever gonna hurt you,” Maisie murmured, pressing her face against Zinnia’s.
The others couldn’t help but smile at Maisie and Zinnia’s heartwarming moment.
“Zinnia, let’s go home,” Yvette said warmly.
Maelis’s comments about the house Jackson had prepared for Zinnia left the Jenkins family feeling uneasy. The Jenkins were fiercely protective of their own. They thought, ‘It’s not that we couldn’t provide a house for Zinnia.’
Before Zinnia could respond, Yannis interjected, “Let her stay at my place. My apartment’s close to the school, and after everything tonight, it’s already late. She has class tomorrow. Plus, it’ll be more convenient for my treatment sessions.”
Yannis glanced at the weariness that had unknowingly crept onto Zinnia’s face.
He thought, it is already close to nine, and Zinnia still hasn’t eaten. If she had to go through all the hassle of returning to [unintelligible] and getting ready for bed, it’d be way too late!
Zinnia’s eyelids drooped with exhaustion as she stifled a yawn.
Yannis bent down and said, “You can stay here with me, no rent. But in return, Zinnia, could you help treat my condition?”
The moment Yannis made this proposal, Maisie and the others all turned to stare at him in shock.
Meeting their astonished gazes, Yannis nodded and said, “Zinnia can treat my insomnia and help regulate my health. Rest assured, she won’t be wronged while she’s with me.”
Yannis’s insomnia had always been a headache for everyone. As soon as he mentioned it, all eyes immediately turned to him.
The smile on Raymond’s face faded and was replaced by a look of grave concern. He stepped forward and said seriously, “Yannis, let me check your pulse.”
Yannis offered his wrist to Raymond.
After checking Yannis’s condition, Raymond turned to Zinnia. “Zinnia, have you been helping Yannis with his health?” he asked, a hint of surprise and approval in his voice.
The moment Raymond took Yannis’s pulse, he immediately noticed the subtle changes in Yannis’s condition. After all, no one knew Yannis’s health better than Raymond.
Raymond was at his wits‘ end with Yannis. He prescribed medicine, but Yannis refused to take it. He told Yannis to go to bed early, yet Yannis never listened.
Raymond often worried that one day, Yannis’s body would reach a breaking point and he’d completely break down.
Raymond thought, ‘Although Yannis’s health hasn’t improved much yet, as long as his insomnia can gradually be brought under control, his physical depletion can be restored. Once this problem is solved, everything else will fall into place.
‘That incident left such deep scars on Yannis, even hypnosis couldn’t erase those memories.‘
Zinnia replied, “Yes, his constitution is a bit weak, so I prepared some Soothing Soup for him.”
“Did Yannis drink the soup?” Raymond asked again, his voice trembling with barely contained excitement.
“Yes, he did,” Zinnia replied, genuinely puzzled by their surprised looks. She thought, ‘Why is everyone so shocked? Isn’t that what patients are supposed to do?‘
If Zinnia knew how Yannis had resisted medicine, she’d probably understand why everyone was so shocked.
Yannis had always been resistant to taking medicine since he was a child. No matter how others tried to force it down his throat, beat him, and scold him, even after breaking his ribs, he would just clench his jaw and refuse to take it.
Even when he was sick, he’d rather tough it out than take any pills.
Upon learning that Zinnia could cure Yannis’s insomnia and that Yannis was willing to take the medicine prescribed by Zinnia, Raymond was very pleased. He wished that Zinnia could live with Yannis forever.
He said, “Henry, let Zinnia stay here with Yannis. Yannis may seem a bit unreliable, but he is trustworthy. Just let Zinnia stay here. With Yannis around, the Shaw family won’t dare come and trouble Zinnia again. Zinnia is in her senior year now, with a heavy academic workload. Constantly moving isn’t good for her. This place is close to school, so she can get a bit more sleep in the mornings.”