CHAPTER 123: CHAPTER 123: MARITAL FUN, MUTUAL CONSENT

Zinnia hadn’t rested well all night. She even woke up in the middle of the night to check on Eighth, gently touching his head.

When she woke up the next day, it was already bright outside. Zinnia turned her head.

Beside her, Julia was wrapped in his quilt, lying motionless with his back to her.

Zinnia reached out and tousled the boy’s hair.

"The sun’s already up. Time for you two sleepyheads to get out of bed!"

Julia still didn’t wake up. Amused, Zinnia propped herself up.

"Stop pretending. Get up. After breakfast, I’ll take you home..."

She hadn’t finished speaking when her expression suddenly changed.

Julia’s little face was burning hot. When Zinnia turned him over, she saw the blood smeared under his nose.

The nosebleed had already soaked through a large part of the pillowcase.

"Eighth, wake up! Jenson!"

Panicked, Zinnia helped Julia sit up, grabbed tissues to wipe away the blood, and yelled for Jenson.

He answered and pushed on the door, but it was locked from the inside.

Zinnia was about to get out of bed to open it for him when, with a loud BANG, Jenson burst through it.

He saw Zinnia on the bed, her expression panicked as she held the unconscious Julia. His gaze darkened. Stepping forward, he wrapped Julia in a thin blanket and lifted him, quilt and all.

"Don’t panic. Put something warm on before you come down."

The man’s voice was steady and reassuring.

Zinnia ran to the door after him, then hurriedly threw on some clothes.

By the time she got downstairs, Jenson had already placed Julia in the backseat of the car and was on the phone with what sounded like a doctor.

Zinnia climbed into the car and held Julia as the man sped away.

Upon reaching the hospital, Julia was immediately wheeled into the emergency room. Zinnia stared at the closed doors, her legs feeling weak.

A man’s warm, broad chest pressed against her from behind. Jenson wrapped an arm around her waist, steadying her.

"Scared?"

Jenson’s voice was low and gentle. Zinnia hummed a soft "yes," leaning against him to draw strength.

She had never seen Julia have an attack before and hadn’t expected it to be so terrifying.

All the way there, she had held Julia, but she couldn’t wake him. His nose kept bleeding, the flow so incessant it seemed like it would never stop.

"Eighth will be okay, right?" Zinnia looked up, her heart aching.

Jenson guided her to a nearby chair, handed her an alcohol wipe, and meticulously cleaned the bloodstains from her hands, one finger at a time.

"Everyone knows he’s the little terror of the Forrest family. Scourges like him live for a thousand years. What could possibly happen to him?"

Perhaps his teasing tone helped her relax a bit, and she chided, "How can you talk about your own brother like that? If there’s a troublemaker in the Forrest family, it’s you. Eighth has always been a little angel."

"Fine, whatever you say. So, have I been a troublemaker for you?"

Jenson finished wiping her hands, tossed the tissue, and squeezed her fingers as he looked up at her.

His eyes were as dark as ink, and Zinnia’s heart began to race.

Isn’t he the biggest troublemaker of all? He’d tormented her until she’d lost her heart. He’d been the death of her.

It was only then that she realized how intimate their posture was. She panicked and tried to pull her hand away, but Jenson’s grip suddenly tightened.

The man raised his eyes and asked, "Why were you crying over the noodles last night?"

Caught off guard by his question, Zinnia averted her gaze and answered nonchalantly, "It was nothing. Women are like that sometimes. We cry for no reason."

Jenson’s eyes remained fixed on her. "You were crying because the noodles brought up some kind of emotion. What was it?"

Zinnia felt his gaze was practically tangible, its penetrating and oppressive force leaving her with nowhere to hide. She couldn’t hold out much longer. Tugging at her hand, she retorted angrily, "Eighth is still in the emergency room, and you want to talk to me about feelings over some noodles? There’s nothing..."

She tried to stand, but Jenson suddenly opened his hand and interlocked his fingers with hers.

"If there’s nothing, what are you running from?"

"I’m not running from anything!"

"But you don’t dare to look me in the eye," Jenson said sternly.

Zinnia took a deep breath and finally stared right back at him. She pursed her pale lips. "Yes, I was feeling nostalgic for that taste. It reminds me of my brother, and the thought that I might never have it again made me sad. That’s all."

"Ha, reminds you of your brother? Is that really all there is to it?" Jenson said coldly.

He hadn’t expected that this would be the answer that had tormented him and kept him awake all night.

In the end, it was just his own delusion.

Zinnia’s heart ached. She had no idea what kind of answer he was trying to force out of her.

Was she supposed to tell him she’d broken down crying because she loved him, because she was still so attached? She didn’t want to be ridiculed by him again. They were getting divorced. What was the point in talking about love now? It would only make her seem more pathetic, more disgracefully absurd.

"Yes!" Zinnia frowned, her expression turning impatient.

A frosty look settled on Jenson’s handsome face. He was about to say more when the sound of chaotic, hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor.

It was Katherine Rhodes and Patrick Forrest, arriving in a rush with two servants in tow.

The servants had only discovered that morning that Julia was gone, throwing the entire household into chaos. Jenson’s call had come right as they were frantically searching for the boy.

Katherine, beside herself with anxiety, rushed over and glared at Zinnia as if she were the enemy who had harmed her child.

"Zinnia, isn’t ruining one of my sons enough for you? Do you want to harm Julia as well? In this freezing weather, don’t you know his body can’t handle it? You let him sneak out in the middle of the night to find you! What were you thinking?!"

Zinnia remained expressionless under the barrage of accusations, her head lowered in silence. No matter what she said, Katherine would blame her. Besides, she did feel guilty. Eighth had indeed snuck out because of her, and seeing the little guy in this state weighed heavily on her conscience.

"Say something!" Katherine grew more furious, swinging her hand toward Zinnia’s face.

Jenson stepped in front of Zinnia to block the blow. Katherine’s hand brushed past his face, knocking off his black mask. He had put it on right after getting out of the car, and now the distinct wound on his chin was exposed.

Katherine stared in shock. "What happened to your face? Is that... a bite mark? Zinnia!"

Beside her, Patrick also frowned at the mark on Jenson’s chin.

"How outrageous!"

Jenson’s expression remained cold. He calmly put his mask back on, keeping Zinnia firmly shielded behind him. "Mother," he said coldly, "do you know why Eighth ran out?"

"How would I know! It must be Zinnia’s fault again..."

Jenson cut her off. "He ran off because he overheard you and Mrs. Cohen talking about my divorce from Zinnia. It has nothing to do with anyone else."

Katherine’s face turned ugly. "So you’re saying this is all my fault?"

She was seething. Patrick intervened with a heavy tone. "That’s enough. What’s the use of pointing fingers now? Let’s all be quiet and wait for the doctors."

He then turned to Jenson and said sternly, "And you, watch your attitude toward your mother!"

Seeing this, Zinnia no longer wanted to stay.

"I’m going to get some air," she whispered.

She turned and walked toward the elevators. Jenson looked back and started to follow, but Patrick stopped him.

"There’s a limit to how much you can spoil her. Your face represents the Forrest family and Stellar. It can’t be scarred so casually."

"Dad, it was just some marital fun. It was consensual. There’s no need to make a federal case out of it," Jenson replied lightly, completely unfazed.

Patrick’s face darkened, but Julia’s condition was more important at the moment. He suppressed his displeasure and asked about the boy’s health.

When Jenson turned around again, Zinnia was gone from the corridor.

「」

Zinnia went down to the garden and sat on a bench, her hand resting on her lower abdomen.

She wondered if the baby in her belly could be of any help in saving Eighth. She had already made up her mind. No matter what, when she gave birth abroad, she would have the doctor secretly perform a tissue compatibility test.

If they found a match, it would be a good precaution to have.

"My sweet baby, you want to help your little uncle too, don’t you? If you can save him, you’ll be born a little hero."

"Zinnia? Why are you sitting here?"

As Zinnia was murmuring to her belly, a familiar voice called out from not far away.

She looked up and saw Alaric Hawthorne. He wasn’t wearing his white coat but a long, deep-gray trench coat that gave him a refined, gentle air. His light-gold glasses caught the sunlight, reflecting a soft gleam.

This was the first time she had seen him since learning about the Hawthorne family’s marriage proposal four years ago.

The soft smile instantly vanished from her face. She stood up and instinctively took a step back, moving to the side of the bench.

Alaric observed her body language, and the smile on his own lips gradually faded.