Chapter 191

“Impossible!” Maelis stared, dumbfounded by Zinnia’s words. “You can’t just pick a random name with no connection to the Lynn family! You’re faking it!” Her voice grew frantic, breathless. Before she could say more, she gasped and collapsed. The farce came to an abrupt end.

But for the Shaw family, this was far from over. A series of devastating blows were about to rain down upon them. Sofia ignored Maelis, her worried gaze fixed on Zinnia. “Get Zinnia to the hospital,” she urged. Everyone respected her name change, and they could still call her Zinnia.

Jackson noticed the exhaustion on Sofia’s and Henry’s faces. “Grandma and Grandpa, you go home and rest. I’ll handle Zinnia’s checkup,” he said gently. Sofia and Henry were elderly, and after today’s accusations and the weight of their decision, it must have been deeply taxing. Jackson instructed, “Isaac, take them home.”

In the end, Jackson, Yannis, Charlie, and Maisie accompanied Zinnia to the hospital. Despite her protests, they insisted on a full checkup. The commotion died down. Adrian watched from the shadows as Zinnia was surrounded and led away. His mind swirled with complicated emotions and anger. ‘The Shaw family, just wait,’ he thought darkly.

“No serious injuries,” assured one doctor. “The facial swelling will fade with this ointment.” “I’ve checked the X-ray of her tailbone. It shows no fracture,” said another doctor. Zinnia was shuffled between X-rays and consultations. By the time everything was done, it was well into the afternoon.

After all the commotion, there was no time left for the family dinner. Zinnia wore a white medical mask, leaving only her dark, clear eyes visible. Even so, she looked clearly exhausted. “I’ll take her home. The rest of you go back,” Yannis said as they walked out of the hospital, which was close to Cloud Harbor.

“Alright, call us if anything comes up,” Jackson said. He had to deal with the fallout and was worried about Sofia and Henry. He needed to check on them. “How about I stay and keep Zinnia company?” Maisie offered, her voice laced with concern. “No need,” Yannis said. “Just go back and reassure Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins.”

“Maisie, I’m fine. See you at school tomorrow,” Zinnia’s voice came through the mask, thick with tiredness. Yannis turned to Charlie and said, “Drive Maisie home.” Jackson didn’t plan to go back right away. The Shaw family’s days of comfort were numbered. How dare they disregard the health of the two elders and provoke them like that? He’d make them pay.

“Got it,” Charlie agreed. “Zinnia, if you ever need anything, just call me, alright?” “Okay,” Zinnia nodded.

A black Bentley waited outside the hospital. Yannis took Zinnia’s hand and led her toward the car. The driver stepped out and opened the door for them. Zinnia slid into the back seat, and Yannis took his place beside her.

Opening the armrest compartment, Yannis pulled out a cup of orange juice. He handed it to Zinnia and said softly, “Here, take this.” Zinnia hesitated. She was only allowed three cups a week, and she’d already finished her quota a couple of days ago.

“Poor Zinnia, you must be tired today,” Yannis murmured, stroking her hair. His eyes held pure sympathy. “I’ll cook your favorites tonight. This will tide you over for now.” Zinnia accepted the juice. She removed her mask. The ointment had worked; her cheek’s swelling had faded, leaving only a faint redness.

Since the chaos, Zinnia had been withdrawn and quiet. The bright, vibrant girl from the morning seemed gone, replaced by the silent, reserved girl she was when they first met—speaking little and keeping to herself.

After downing nearly half her orange juice, Zinnia finally felt the tightness in her chest ease a bit. “Yannis, how could they be so shameless?” she turned to him and asked. Her sudden turn brought her face-to-face with his gaze. His eyes, deep and expressive, had been fixed on her the whole time, filled with undisguised concern.

Her fingers tightened around the cup, a swarm of unnamed emotions fluttering restlessly inside her. At a loss, she lowered her head and took a sip, hoping this simple act would calm her heart. Yannis hadn’t expected her to turn around; he was just worried about her. After all, she was still a young girl. What happened today could be a major blow for someone her age, and if not handled properly, it might leave lasting scars.

Yannis was racking his brain, trying to figure out how to cheer her up when she suddenly asked that question. She’d been so quiet, and he was worried she might blame herself. After all, Maelis always blamed her. She would never admit her own mistakes. Unable to bear the consequences of her wrongdoings, she channeled all her rage onto others—even the Lynn family who raised her.

She never dared to yell at Yosef, Timothy, and Howard, nor make a scene with Donald. Betty was the child she truly cherished—even when everything stemmed from Betty, she couldn’t bring herself to blame her. So Zinnia became her punching bag. She felt little affection for this newly recovered daughter. Yet their blood ties gave her license to vent her rage. This twisted logic erased any trace of guilt.

Maelis never had much love for Zinnia. Maybe she felt a flicker of guilt at first, but that died fast, crushed by Betty’s schemes. She never bothered to seek the truth, blindly believing everything Betty said because, deep down, she resented Zinnia’s sudden appearance.

If Zinnia hadn’t left the Shaw family, Maelis would likely have become one of her tormentors. As for Maelis’ later visits to the Lynn residence, clearly they were all just for show. Thankfully, she made the right decision to leave and avoided worse consequences.

“Yes…