Chapter 31

“Timothy, I’m not feeling so good. My stomach hurts,” Betty winced, clutching her stomach. “Can you wait for me a minute?”

“Excuse me, where’s the restroom?” she asked a passing clerk, her fingers digging into her handbag. She bit her lip, trying to hold back the nausea.

“Down that hallway,” the clerk replied, pointing.

Betty hurried to the restroom. Timothy stood there, watching as Jackson led Zinnia upstairs.

From a distance, Jackson’s voice echoed softly. “Come on, Zinnia. Let’s get some dinner.”

Timothy just stood there for a long while, silent and lost in thought, beside him, looking up at him with a smile.

“Jackson, aren’t we going home for dinner with Grandma and everyone else?” Zinnia asked.

“Not tonight. I thought we’d grab something different. I’ve got a table upstairs,” Jackson said, steering her toward the elevator. Zinnia just nodded and stayed close.

“Mr. Lynn, your table is this way,” the waiter said, guiding them through the quiet private dining area on the 17th floor. Jackson had booked a table by the window instead of a private room.

The tables were separated by curtains, each with its own distinct style: elegant and traditional, sleek and modern, sweet and charming, bold and flashy, and even cool industrial vibes.

Each table had its own custom menu. The owner of this place definitely had a knack for making every spot feel special.

Jackson’s eyes scanned the room, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit overwhelmed by the over-the-top decorations. Perry had really gone wild with the design. He started to wonder if bringing Zinnia here was such a great idea after all. It felt a bit too much.

“Zinnia, maybe we should…” he began, thinking about suggesting they go somewhere else, but he was interrupted before he could finish.

“Hey, Jackson, who’s this beautiful lady beside you?” a man said.

Jackson turned and saw his friend Perry Stark standing a few steps away.

Zinnia also turned to look at Perry. He was wearing a yellow-and-white flashy shirt, had pink hair, a pale face, silver earrings, and a charming smirk. He stood with one hand in his pocket, looking both rebellious and charming. But Zinnia quickly looked away.

“Hey, Jackson, what a cute girl, huh? She’s a bit young for you, though,” Perry checked Zinnia out and teased with a smile.

“Cut it out. This is my cousin, Zinnia,” Jackson said, giving him a warning glance.

“Zinnia, this is my friend Perry Stark,” Jackson gently introduced him to Zinnia.

“Hey, Perry,” Zinnia said obediently. Her voice was naturally sweet, and even though she kept a straight face, it was hard not to like her.

“Hey, Zinnia,” Perry replied, instantly straightening up when he heard she was Jackson’s cousin.

“Glad to see you here. Wanna grab a bite with me? Oh, and what do you guys feel like eating? My treat today,” Perry said with a grin, stepping forward. He tried to clap Jackson on the shoulder, but Jackson’s cold stare made him think twice.

“Zinnia?” Jackson looked over to Zinnia instead of replying to Perry right away.

“It’s up to you, Jackson,” Zinnia said without any fuss.

“If you’re eating with us, keep it cool and drop the act,” Jackson said, glancing at Perry.

It had been a while since they last hung out, and it was about time for a meal together. Besides, with how things had been with the Tamiy show, he thought Perry’s easygoing nature could lighten the mood and make Zinnia smile.

“Come on, Jackson, don’t mess this up for me,” Perry said, rolling his eyes. He turned to Zinnia and pulled out his phone. “Hey Zinnia, ignore him if you need anything, just hit me up. Let’s add each other on WhatsApp.”

Zinnia had been quietly observing them, but she never expected to suddenly become the center of attention. She glanced at Jackson, puzzled, and couldn’t figure out why. After all, since coming here and joining the Shaw family, she had felt almost invisible, with everyone’s eyes always on Betty.

“Zinnia? Is it not okay? I’ll be super hurt if you don’t.” Perry still held his phone out to Zinnia, his tone full of mock grievance.

“Yeah, go ahead, Zinnia. You can always hit Perry up if you need anything,” Jackson chimed in with a smile.

Jackson knew his friends would look out for Zinnia once she joined their circle. He’d planned to introduce her to a few of them soon, even if Perry hadn’t shown up today.

There would be times when he couldn’t be there for her, and it was good to know his friends would have her back. He didn’t trust the Shaw family, and his own friends were far more dependable.

Zinnia took out her phone–a new gift from Charlie after she moved in with the Lynn family. When she was out one day, she found its box hanging on the door. Before that, all she had was a call-only smartwatch given to her by her master.

Thinking of Charlie, Zinnia couldn’t say no. The phone came with a neatly handwritten instruction sheet explaining how to use all its features. Zinnia appreciated Charlie’s thoughtful gesture and followed the instructions step by step, downloading all the necessary apps.

Charlie had suspected Zinnia didn’t have a phone since she’d never mentioned needing one. He figured the Shaw family probably hadn’t bothered to get her one. Keeping their attitude toward Zinnia in mind, he wrote out an instruction guide just in case.

As it turned out, Zinnia really needed it now.

Thankfully, Zinnia wasn’t a stranger to technology. After a few days of playing with her phone, she picked up the basics pretty quickly.

“Awesome, Zinnia,” Perry said, grinning as he added her as a friend and jotted down a note in his contacts. “Remember to hit me up if you need anything. I’m here for you.”

Perry and Jackson had been thick as thieves for over ten years. Perry could tell from the way Jackson spoke that he had a soft spot for Zinnia, so he was being nice to her.

“Sure.” Zinnia nodded.

“Come on, let’s get some food. I’ve been dragging Zinnia around all afternoon. We don’t want her starving,” Jackson said, tugging Zinnia along. Perry fell into step behind them, eager to keep up.

They found themselves in a cozy little nook. The walls were adorned with limited-edition plushies–treasures that most people would dive for, yet here they were, casually hanging around as mere decorations.

Perry noticed Zinnia’s eyes lingering on one of the plushies. He quickly took it down and handed it to her. “Hey, Zinnia, do you like this one? It’s a bit worn out, but you can play with it for now. I’ll get you a brand-new one tomorrow, promise.”