Chapter 52

“Howard, you’re hurting Zinnia! Let go of her!” Isaac exclaimed, startled by Howard’s sudden action. He quickly stepped in to intervene.

Howard froze for a moment. Looking at Zinnia’s emotionless face, he released her hand.

Zinnia’s hand fell limply to her side, the spot Howard had gripped now an alarming shade of red. Her skin was so delicate, and Howard, in his frustration, had lost control of his strength. The vivid red marks stood out starkly against her porcelain skin.

Howard felt guilty as he stared at her reddened hand. “Zinnia, I didn’t mean it,” he muttered. He wanted to apologize properly, but when he looked up, he was met with her cold, distant eyes. The words froze in his throat, refusing to come out.

Zinnia merely glanced at Howard indifferently before looking away, as if he wasn’t even worth her attention.

A suffocating weight settled in Howard’s chest, his lips pressing into a tight line.

“Zinnia, does it hurt? Benedict! Hurry, call the doctor!” Isaac exclaimed, carefully holding Zinnia’s hand. The five bright red finger marks on her skin made his heart ache.

“Isaac, I’m fine,” Zinnia said softly.

“Fine or not, we should still have it checked,” Isaac insisted, his tone firm and unwavering.

“What’s all this commotion?” Sofia’s sharp voice cut through the air as she stepped into the hallway. She swept over the group and asked, “Can’t you even check if everyone’s back without making a mess?”

Sofia said, “Howard, look at Zinnia’s hand! Can’t you talk things out without resorting to this?” Her voice was filled with both anger and heartache as her eyes lingered on Zinnia’s bruised skin.

Isaac knelt beside Zinnia, holding a tube of white ointment. He carefully applied it to her hand, blowing gently on the area as if afraid to cause her even the slightest pain.

Howard stood off to the side, his expression dark. He said, “Grandma, I didn’t mean to.”

“Whether you meant to or not, you hurt Zinnia,” Sofia said sharply.

Sofia had thought Howard came to mend his relationship with Zinnia, to show some care, and patch things up. Instead, his arrival had only caused her harm.

Howard had no words to defend himself. He stood there silently, watching as Zinnia was surrounded by the Lynn family’s unwavering care and concern.

“Be gentle, Isaac. If you hurt Zinnia, you’ll have me to answer to,” Sofia warned, her voice stern but protective.

“Got it, Grandma,” Isaac replied.

Benedict stood nearby, his eyes full of concern as he looked at Zinnia. “Zinnia, how about strawberries? A sweet treat will make the pain go away,” he said, holding out a plate of bright red strawberries in an attempt to cheer Zinnia up.

Howard thought, ‘It seems that everyone adores Zinnia. Even the servants from the Shaw family like her. Whenever they mention Zinnia, their eyes always lit up with a smile. It appears that only we don’t like her, and we have even made her feel wronged.’

Howard felt a sharp pang in his chest. He thought, ‘How had it come to this? We are her family, yet we treat her like an outsider, while everyone else seems to treasure her.’

“The person you should apologize to isn’t me,” Sofia said with a cold snort.

“I’m sorry, Zinnia. I really didn’t mean to hurt you,” Howard murmured after a moment of silence, his voice hoarse and filled with guilt as he looked at her.

“It’s okay, Isaac. It doesn’t hurt,” Zinnia said softly to Isaac, ignoring Howard.

Howard’s face clouded over, a pang of sadness hitting him.

Sofia caught the hint of melancholy in his expression and scoffed inwardly. “When are you leaving?” she asked, her tone sharp.

“It’s been so long since I had dinner here, Grandma, and even longer since I spent time with you. I’d like to stay the night,” Howard said.

Zinnia’s lashes quivered as she listened. She pressed her lips. She didn’t want to see Howard, but this wasn’t her house; she had no say in the matter.

Sofia glanced at Zinnia, then at Howard, who was sneaking glances at Zinnia. She sighed quietly, her thoughts heavy.

Howard ended up staying at the Lynn residence. After applying her medicine, Zinnia went upstairs. As dinner approached, Howard offered to go call her down.

Howard climbed to the third floor and stopped in front of the room at the center, where Zinnia was staying. A pang of discomfort flickered in his chest.

He thought, ‘The Lynn family treats her far better than we ever did.’ That realization stung, but he pushed the feeling aside and knocked on the door.

The door opened almost immediately. Zinnia had changed into cozy loungewear. Her smooth hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her delicate features seemed to glow. A faint herbal scent lingered around her.

When she saw Howard standing outside, Zinnia’s expression turned frosty. Without saying a word, she reached out to close the door.

Howard pressed his hand against the door to stop it. “Grandma asked me to come get you for dinner,” he said.

Zinnia let go of the door, leaving it open.

Howard’s gaze landed on the room. The decor was stunning, almost like something out of a dream. It was worlds apart from the guestroom-like space she had back at the Shaw family home. The stark contrast made the heaviness in Howard’s chest grow stronger.

Zinnia stepped out of the room with a cold expression, and Howard followed her down the hall. When they reached the living room, Sofia was nowhere to be seen.

Isaac was upstairs working on his studies. His advanced placement class had a different curriculum from Zinnia’s class. Now in his senior year, Isaac was preparing for the college entrance exams. As a top student, his grades came from hard work.

The living room was empty except for Howard and Zinnia. Not wanting to stay near Howard, Zinnia headed toward the garden. She planned to pick some flowers to dry and use as medicinal herbs.

The garden wasn’t just filled with flowers; it also had a variety of medicinal plants. After learning about Zinnia’s expertise in traditional medicine, Isaac had spent a fortune creating a dedicated herb garden for her, planting numerous medicinal herbs there.

Jackson was often busy with his company and couldn’t always make it home for dinner. Whether he would return tonight was uncertain.

Zinnia wanted to make herbal tea for Jackson, who was always drinking coffee remedies to boost their appetite and help them sleep better. And for Jackson’s friends, she planned to prepare...

She thought, ‘Now that I am back in school, I won’t have as much free time once assignments start piling up. I wonder if Jackson’s friends are doing well. I should ask Jackson if he returns.

‘Both of them seem important to Jackson. I don’t want anything bad to happen to them. I can’t help with other matters; I can at least assist in improving their health.’

Howard followed Zinnia as she walked away.

When they reached the garden, Zinnia headed straight for the herb patch. She picked up a small basket and a trowel, but as soon as she turned around, she saw Howard standing awkwardly behind her. “Watch where you’re stepping! You’re ruining my herbs!” she snapped.