Maelis heard Zinnia’s words, a hint of madness creeping into her expression. She shrieked, “Zinnia, how dare you disobey me?”

“Please call two security guards,” Zinnia said directly to the attending staff member.

“Of course, Ms. Moore. Security has been called,” the staff member responded. He had alerted them the moment trouble arose. Just then, two towering security guards arrived and took protective positions beside Zinnia—a sight that made Maelis absolutely livid.

“Ms. Moore, let us escort you upstairs,” the staff member said politely. “As for this lady, we’ll have her shown out.”

They should have escorted Maelis out the moment she caused a scene, but seeing she knew Zinnia, they hesitated.

“Good,” Zinnia nodded, surrounded by staff as they escorted her toward the elevator.

“Madam, please leave the premises immediately, or we will have to call security,” the front desk staff said in a firm, no-nonsense tone.

“Zinnia. How dare you ignore me? I told you to take me upstairs. For what?” Maelis shrieked, watching Zinnia walk past without so much as a glance.

In full view of everyone, she felt utterly humiliated. Losing all composure, she lunged forward, reaching out to grab Zinnia’s arm.

But before she could get close, a towering security guard stepped in front of her, looking down from his imposing height. His mere presence made Maelis’s confidence instantly waver.

Zinnia regarded the hysterical Maelis with calm eyes. “Mrs. Shaw, your shamelessness knows no bounds. I never knew you were actually deranged. Need the number for a psychiatric hospital? I’d be happy to give it to you.”

“Are you insulting me? I don’t mind slapping you again!” Maelis screamed, her voice trembling with rage. Zinnia’s calmness seemed to provoke her. She felt it was unfair that she alone was suffering.

“Zinnia,” Isaac called out. Just then, the express elevator doors opened, and he and Maisie stepped out, quickly making their way toward Zinnia.

“Isaac. Maisie,” Zinnia greeted.

“Zinnia, are you alright? Let me take a look at you,” Maisie hurried over, her voice full of concern. Upstairs, they had been shocked by Jackson’s call saying Maelis had shown up again.

They couldn’t believe Maelis was still haunting them—even with the Shaw family in such a mess, she still dared to come after Zinnia.

Neither Isaac nor Maisie dared to tell Sofia that Maelis had shown up again. On such a joyous occasion, Maelis’s presence was nothing but bad luck.

“I’m alright. I’ve already called security. Let’s head upstairs—Grandma must be waiting,” Zinnia said calmly. None of them spared Maelis a single glance as they walked away.

Blocked by security guards and unable to get near them, Maelis’s anger surged as they ignored her completely. “Isaac, take me upstairs. I want to see Mom and Dad!” she shrieked, her rage exploding.

Isaac looked at Maelis coldly and said, “Mrs. Shaw, let me remind you—you are no longer connected to our family. If you keep harassing us like this, we’ll have no choice but to call the police.”

Ever since Henry publicly severed ties with Maelis, they all stopped calling her “Aunt”—after all, they were never truly family. Maelis’s biological parents were just ordinary people, close college friends of Sofia.

When her parents died in an accident, Sofia, out of kindness, took her in and let her enjoy decades of wealth and privilege. But she was never satisfied—Maelis enjoyed a prosperous life in the Lynn family for decades, never content, repeatedly upsetting Sofia and Henry.

If the elderly couple suffered a stroke because of her constant provocations, she could never have made up for it.

Chapter 209

“Zinnia, let’s go,” Isaac said firmly, walking protectively beside her while Maisie linked arms with her in support. The three of them headed together, leaving the scene behind.

Maelis could only watch helplessly as they left, blocked by security and unable to get even a step closer. Her face turned pale, then flushed; her venomous gaze glued to the elevator doors as they closed.

“Madam, please leave, or we will have to take you out,” the staff members said, turning to Maelis with a polite gesture toward the exit.

The lobby was bustling with people, and the commotion drew quite a crowd. Someone said, “Isn’t that Mrs. Shaw? What’s she doing here? I heard the Lynns have already cut ties with her.”

“Is she here to pester them again? How shameless—they’ve made it clear they want nothing to do with her, yet she keeps coming back.”

“The Shaw family is drowning in trouble right now. Without the Lynn family, I don’t think she’d just let go of a golden goose like the Lynns.”

“Honestly, Maelis is such a fool. The Lynn family treated her so well, and instead of being thankful, she actually had the nerve to criticize them.”

“Now that she’s in trouble, just look at her—she doesn’t seem the least bit remorseful. I bet she’s still blaming the Lynns for not bailing her out.”

The crowd watched as Maelis was asked to leave the lobby, clicking their tongues and shaking their heads.

She had once reaped all the benefits of being a Lynn family member, but after her relationship with them was completely severed, she tried to stir up trouble. Once a renowned socialite, ever since marrying Donald, she became petty and small-minded.

The hushed whispers—mostly from the same high-society women who once fawned over her—pierced Maelis’s ears. Her face twisted in humiliation at the cruel irony.

The dramatic fall from their former flattery to their current mockery was too much to bear. Too ashamed to remain and endure their scorn, Maelis could no longer stay.

As Maelis walked out, someone curled their lips in disdain, and the gossip started up again. “Honestly, the Shaws traded diamonds for glass.”

“After everything Betty did, Maelis, as a mother, not only failed to protect her real daughter, but kept defending her adopted daughter instead.”

“How clueless can you get? If she’d just treated Zinnia right, with the Perkins and Lynns all doting on Zinnia now, the Shaws could’ve been riding high.”

“After everything that happened, not only has Maelis failed to recognize her mistakes, but Donald hasn’t either. Instead, he just stands by and watches as his family hurts Zinnia. He doesn’t act like a father at all.”

“They say Donald likes Betty more. I don’t understand why he can’t stand having a daughter raised in a small town. For families like ours, to have one more daughter, it’s no big deal.”

“We can easily afford it. At worst, she could’ve been married off for an alliance. Yet he just stood by and let Zinnia be driven out.”

“That’s weird,” one of the onlookers muttered.