CHAPTER 117: CHAPTER 117: HE WILL NEVER CHOOSE HER

Zinnia was questioned for half the day before she finally understood the full story.

It turned out that as soon as she left the hospital, Yara Fairchild had gotten into a dispute with Crystal Sutton. Yara called the police directly, claiming someone was using online defamation to incite people to cause trouble and extort money at the hospital. She had even waved the tall man’s live-streaming phone in front of Crystal Sutton’s face, scaring her half to death.

Who would have guessed that Crystal Sutton, with her guilty conscience, would walk right into Yara’s trap?

Worried about what the police might find, she sent someone to try and steal the phone back. But Yara was prepared; the person failed to get the phone, and Yara caught them red-handed. The police arrived promptly, and the phone thief immediately implicated Rose Lowell on the spot. Following the information on the phone, the police also arrested the tall man from the livestream, confirming he did have financial transactions with Rose Lowell.

This time, Crystal Sutton wasn’t getting away with premeditated online harassment and defamation!

"We haven’t been able to contact Gloria Grant and the other two. Miss Lawrence, do you still wish to press charges for extortion?" Officer Cohen asked Zinnia.

Gloria Grant and the others had been taken away by Jenson Forrest, who had also promised Zinnia he would handle it. Besides, even if Zinnia did accuse Gloria Grant of extortion, the crime wasn’t technically completed. Plus, Gloria Grant was her biological mother, so it would likely end with nothing more than a few words of criticism from the police.

Zinnia shook her head. "Let’s not waste police resources. Thank you."

"Very well," Officer Cohen said. "As for the defamation case involving Crystal Sutton and her agent Rose Lowell, we will investigate further and will contact you both with any developments..."

Zinnia and Yara Fairchild exchanged a look, a smile in their eyes. After all, Crystal was always up to some petty scheme, so getting a bit of payback felt good.

They said their thanks and were about to leave when Officer Cohen added a word of caution to Yara. "Miss Fairchild, although you can handle yourself, you should still prioritize your safety. We don’t encourage putting yourself in danger to bait criminals like that. You should go get that injury looked at."

"You’re hurt?" Zinnia asked, her expression changing to one of alarm.

Yara extended her right hand from inside her sleeve. "It’s just a scratch. Nothing serious."

It was indeed just a scrape, but Zinnia’s heart ached for her. "You should listen to the nice officer!"

"Yes, yes, I’ll definitely listen," Yara said with a smile, comforting Zinnia.

She thought it was worth it to get that bitch Sutton and her obviously malicious manager detained for a few days, or even sentenced. A minor injury was a small price to pay.

But just then, a young officer walked over and whispered something in Officer Cohen’s ear. Officer Cohen’s expression shifted slightly as he glanced at Zinnia and Yara with a small frown. Zinnia had a gut feeling something had gone wrong.

Sure enough, Officer Cohen spoke. "According to the preliminary interrogation from my colleagues, Rose Lowell confessed that she did everything on her own and that Crystal Sutton was unaware of her actions. Moreover, someone has already come to bail Miss Sutton out. She has been released."

The joyous mood Zinnia and Yara had been in was instantly frosted over.

"How could that happen?! I want to see who this detestable person is, rushing over to bail Crystal Sutton out!" Yara was furious, pulling Zinnia as she stormed out of the police station.

Right at the entrance, they saw Jenson Forrest’s familiar Cullinan. The rear window was half-open, revealing the man still in the same suit and a black mask, his profile cold and perfect. And sitting beside him was the pale and delicate Crystal Sutton.

Zinnia froze in her tracks. She had assumed it would be Simon Sutton or Mandy Lowe who would bail Crystal out. She never imagined it would be Jenson Forrest.

"Damn it! That dog Forrest really is that bitch’s loyal lapdog, isn’t he? Always at the front line, cleaning up her messes, never a step behind! Zinnia, thank God you came to your senses and filed for divorce from that scumbag. Otherwise, you’d be so mad your boobs would explode!" Yara cursed aloud after a moment of shock.

Her voice was loud, and she didn’t care if the people in the car heard. In fact, she was yelling specifically for that rotten pair to hear.

And indeed, Jenson Forrest and Crystal Sutton heard her and looked over. Jenson’s gaze fell upon Zinnia, and as he met her vacant eyes, the hand resting on his lap curled into a fist. Immediately, he pushed the car door open and strode toward them. Seeing this, a cold glint flashed in Crystal’s eyes, and she quickly got out of the car to follow.

Jenson stopped in front of Zinnia, looking down at her. "Weren’t you going to the hospital?" he asked softly. "Why are you here?"

Zinnia’s eyes curved into a slight, mocking smile. "If I weren’t here, how could I witness your profound devotion to Miss Sutton, Jenson?"

Her words were laced with sarcasm. Jenson’s brow furrowed, and just as he was about to explain, Yara pulled Zinnia away, shielding her from his toxic presence.

"Jenson Forrest, you have some nerve asking that! What, is being Zinnia’s ex-husband not enough for you? You want to become her enemy, too? Rushing over to bail out the woman who harassed and harmed her online... you’re really something else!" Yara shot him a sarcastic thumbs-up.

Zinnia’s face was a little pale. She, too, found the situation utterly laughable. Just a short while ago, in that very car, this man was repeatedly apologizing to her, acting as if he wanted to make things right. In the blink of an eye, he was using the same car to retrieve another woman who had hurt her.

Indeed, no matter the time or place, when it came to a choice between her and Crystal Sutton, Jenson would always choose Crystal Sutton without hesitation.

"The police have already investigated. Rose Lowell did it all. There is currently no evidence linking Crystal Sutton to this matter. She was released without charge; bail wasn’t required." He had only come to pick Crystal up because he was worried something might happen to her unborn child. He had not interfered with the police investigation, much less bailed her out.

Jenson’s explanation did nothing to quell Yara’s fury. She sneered, "Rose Lowell has no beef with Zinnia, so why would she do something like this? She’s Crystal Sutton’s manager, they’re two peas in a pod! If Crystal Sutton didn’t order her to, why would Rose Lowell go and slander Zinnia online?"

At that moment, Crystal Sutton stepped forward, crying, her face a mask of guilt. "Rose has been my manager for three years. We’re as close as sisters. What you’re saying, Miss Fairchild, makes me feel deeply ashamed, but I honestly didn’t know about this beforehand."

"It was because Rose saw how my face was swollen from the beating, how I lost a tooth, how I was bedridden for days, and how I had to endure the vitriol from netizens and lose countless followers. I was so heartbroken that I nearly had a miscarriage. Rose was just so worried about me, and she didn’t want me to stress, so she did this terrible thing behind my back to protect me. But it was truly just a moment of impulse on her part! She already realizes her mistake, and fortunately, the livestream didn’t end up causing any severe consequences..."

Crystal cried as she explained, one hand protectively cradling her abdomen. She even took a step closer, trying to take Zinnia’s hand as she continued, "Also, my baby bump is showing, but I’ve been having a difficult pregnancy, leaving me weak and sick every day. I just didn’t have the energy to notice what Rose was planning. Zinnia, I’m sorry. I sincerely apologize to you. Can you forgive me?"

Crystal’s words could turn black into white. While speaking of an apology, she brandished her pregnant belly, twisting the knife in Zinnia’s heart with every mention of her "difficult pregnancy."

Zinnia snatched her hand away and laughed lightly. "Stop the act! Do you think you’re the only smart person in the world? Do you really believe that by letting Rose take all the blame, you can continue playing the part of the pure and flawless white lotus? Everyone knows exactly what the truth is!"

Yara pointed a scornful finger at Crystal’s nose and spat, "Such clever, deceptive words. You got beaten because you were despicable enough to spike Zinnia’s drink with sleeping pills! You lost followers and got slammed because your own skills are subpar and your piano playing is terrible! How is it that in your version of events, it’s all Zinnia’s fault and she deserved to be schemed against? Someone as malicious and unrepentant as you will just give birth to a black-hearted, rotten kid who’ll be a menace to society!"

"Yara... Fairchild! Watch what you say!" Jenson Forrest’s face turned cold and stern as he cut Yara off, his icy eyes boring into her.