Chapter 157
Soon it would be the weekend. Maisie approached Zinnia and said, “Zinnia, there’s a street party the day after tomorrow. Want to go have fun?” They had all made plans to hang out. “Sure,” Zinnia replied, packing her schoolbag and leaving the classroom with them.
After school, Zinnia saw Jackson. “Jackson!” she called, running towards him. Jackson smiled warmly as he approached her.
“Jackson, what are you doing here?” Zinnia asked. She hadn’t seen him in two days. After his message about handling things, she’d heard nothing.
“Now that your exams are over, let’s get you something tasty to eat,” Jackson said, taking her backpack and leading her to his car. Maisie wasn’t coming; she was returning to the Spence residence.
“Jackson, how’s the investigation into Donald going?” Zinnia asked as they drove, she in the passenger seat.
“I’m still looking into it. Once I have all the proof, I’ll send him where he belongs,” Jackson said.
Jackson wasn’t lighthearted about this. Over the past two days, he'd had people secretly gathering proof of Donald's infidelity—the more they found, the more disturbing the evidence became. Donald and his mistress had been sneaking around for years. If Maelis ever found out, it would be a shock. The Lynn family would never accept Donald after this.
Jackson reflected, ‘Donald was a seemingly clean-cut young man. Maelis met him while doing charity work in a small town. Who knows what charm or deception he used to win her over?’ After Maelis returned home, she sponsored Donald's college education. They fell in love, and the Lynn family, unconcerned with wealth or status, married them after graduation.
After the wedding, Donald treated Maelis well enough to satisfy her parents, who even helped him start his business. But Donald proved ungrateful. Donald’s first love was his high school sweetheart from the small town. They’d even set a wedding date, but right after Maelis left, Donald abruptly called off the engagement.
Jackson continued his internal monologue: ‘We thought their relationship was over, but a few years later, their affair resumed. Donald kept her as his mistress, supporting her financially. Betty, the daughter of Donald’s mistress, was, by a strange twist of fate, switched at birth with Zinnia.’ But two girls switched at birth on the same day? That’s no accident. Jackson didn’t believe in coincidences.
Investigating Donald and his mistress was easy, but Jackson was delaying confrontation. His real goal was to uncover how Zinnia had been switched at birth. If either was involved, Jackson would ensure they paid. The Lynn family wouldn't let Donald get away with it either.
One thing puzzled Jackson: Zinnia was clearly Donald's daughter. He wondered, ‘Why did Donald hate her, yet go out of his way to spoil Betty, his mistress’s daughter by another man?’ ‘If he dislikes daughters, then Betty, not even his own child, is also a girl. Yet he spoils her and treats Zinnia so badly. It’s truly strange,’ Jackson thought.
He couldn't help but wonder, ‘If Donald dislikes Maelis’s children and prefers his mistress’s, why doesn’t he show that same dislike towards Zinnia’s brothers? Why is Zinnia the only one he hates?’
Chapter 157
Donald was the type of man who would do anything to benefit himself. Seeing how much the Lynn family cared for Zinnia, he could at least have pretended to be a caring father to ingratiate himself. But he didn't even bother. Sofia mentioned that when she and Henry first visited Zinnia after her return to the family, Donald's dislike was already evident.
‘Something feels wrong,’ Jackson thought. But the DNA test between Zinnia and Maelis confirmed it—Zinnia was Maelis’s daughter.
“Zinnia, what do you think of Donald?” Jackson asked. He wouldn’t tolerate betrayal; Donald wouldn’t get off easily.
Jackson thought, ‘I wonder if Zinnia still has feelings for Donald as her father. If so, I need to think carefully about how to handle him.’
“I don’t like him,” Zinnia said plainly. She’d never liked him, not from the start. There was no affection or attachment, and she couldn’t explain why.
“Alright, then I know what to do,” Jackson said firmly. Zinnia’s feelings mattered; he could deal with Donald without holding back. Since she felt no love for Donald, he could proceed without hesitation. Once he uncovered the truth, Donald would be removed from their lives.
After dinner, as Jackson drove Zinnia back to Cloud Harbor, he asked, “Zinnia, why don’t you stay with us for the weekend?”
“Jackson, Maisie wants me to spend the weekend with her,” Zinnia said. She didn’t want to meet Maelis.
“Alright, I’ll arrange for Grandma to join us for dinner,” Jackson said understandingly, not pushing her. “Okay,” Zinnia agreed. Despite disliking Maelis, Sofia had always been kind to her, and she'd enjoy dinner with her.
“Zinnia, if you’re going back to the Jenkins residence, tell Yannis, or he’ll worry,” Jackson said.
“Okay, I will,” Zinnia answered.
As soon as Jackson parked, Yannis was waiting.
“Yannis, you’re back!” Zinnia exclaimed happily, running towards him.
While Jackson unloaded Zinnia’s gifts, he saw her rush to Yannis. With a teasing grin, Jackson called out, “Worried I wouldn’t bring Zinnia back, so you had to come over?”
Before, Zinnia would wait like this to greet him when he came home from work. Jackson felt a pang of nostalgia. “Looks like you aren’t a workaholic anymore. You pick her up on time every day,” he said.
Jackson thought, ‘Now I even have to tell Yannis before taking Zinnia out to eat. And Yannis sent me a long list of foods she can’t have, all meticulously planned.’