CHAPTER 126: CHAPTER 126: THIRD BROTHER, THAT CHILD ISN’T YOURS AT ALL

"Hiss... let go. It’s me." A deep, familiar male voice sounded from above his head.

Only then did Zinnia Lawrence belatedly realize the embrace holding her was also so familiar. The reassuring scent of cold pine from the man’s body filled her nostrils; she had been so tense she hadn’t noticed it before. Her entire body went limp, and as she released her bite, she leaned into Jenson Forrest’s arms.

Jenson shook his bitten hand, his expression helpless. "Tsk, have you gotten addicted to biting?"

His chin still hadn’t healed, and now his palm bore a new set of teeth marks. To make matters worse, Zinnia had bitten the same hand that had been cut by the bank card earlier. The freshly healed wound had been torn open again, and blood spread across his palm.

Zinnia grabbed Jenson’s hand in astonishment. "I didn’t bite that hard. Why is there so much blood?"

Seeing droplets of blood hit the floor, Zinnia held his wrist. "We need to disinfect this and put some ointment on it right away."

This kind of wound didn’t require a nurse. Zinnia bought some iodophor and gauze, and she tended to Jenson’s injury in the glass corridor connecting the outpatient and inpatient buildings. As she dabbed his palm, she realized it was a cut, not the bite mark she had just made.

"How did this happen?"

"So you do care about me?" Jenson’s lips quirked up slightly. He didn’t answer her, changing the subject instead. "What happened just now?"

Zinnia looked up at Jenson, her expression complex.

Jenson felt her gaze was a bit strange, as if she were looking at his hair. He raised a hand to touch his head. "Is there something in my hair?"

Zinnia shook her head. "I’m checking to see if your head is glowing green."

Jenson chuckled, then reached out to pinch her chin, his eyes darkening. "What’s that supposed to mean? Are you saying I’ve been cuckolded?"

Zinnia swatted his hand away. "We’re divorced, how could I cuckold you? It’s your precious darling, Miss Sutton."

Jenson frowned, and Zinnia took out her phone. "I recorded something. I’ll show it to you, but try not to get too worked up."

He sneered again. "Why don’t you go buy me some emergency heart medicine first?"

Zinnia rolled her eyes and handed the phone to Jenson.

When the video started, the camera was shaky and no one was visible, but two strange, panting gasps could be heard.

Jenson glanced up at Zinnia with a half-smile. "Are you showing me a sex scene?"

Zinnia’s toes curled in embarrassment. She quickly looked around, relieved to find they were mostly alone. She hastily lowered the phone’s volume and said with annoyance, "Just watch carefully!"

Just then, Crystal’s voice could be heard, and the camera finally found its target, bringing the scene into view. Zinnia had filmed it by blindly extending her arm, so she hadn’t gotten a clear look at the man involved. In her haste, she hadn’t had a chance to watch the video herself. Curious now, she leaned in to watch with him. However, before she could see the screen clearly, Jenson pulled her into his arms and covered her eyes with his hand.

"What are you doing!"

Zinnia tried to pry his hand away, but his grip was firm. He leaned down, his lips brushing her ear as he spoke in a low, displeased voice. "Zinnia, who taught you this? Since when do you have such a morbid curiosity, running off to film people’s sex scenes? Did you see anything?"

Jenson’s tone was laced with displeasure and accusation, leaving Zinnia feeling dizzy.

What does he mean? Shouldn’t he be furious with Crystal right now? Why isn’t he blaming her for the deception? Why is he questioning me instead? Could it be that even after this, he’s still on her side?

Her voice became sharp. "You need to look and listen carefully! Jenson, the baby in Crystal’s womb isn’t yours! She’s been hiding a lover behind your back and tricked you, all so you would inject capital into the Sutton Family!"

Jenson glanced at the shaky footage on the phone, where a man and woman were in a state of undress—an indecent sight. He only skimmed it for a moment before closing the video without even letting it finish. With a few taps, he forwarded the video to himself, cleared all traces of it from her phone, and deleted the original file.

Then, he released the hand covering Zinnia’s eyes.

"I’m not blind or deaf," he said, handing the phone back to her.

Zinnia took it and immediately tried to play the video again. Jenson’s reaction was all wrong; she felt he hadn’t taken it seriously at all. She wanted him to watch it again, but she discovered the video had disappeared from her album. Unwilling to give up, Zinnia checked her cloud storage, but it had been cleared out from there as well.

She glared at Jenson in disbelief. "What is the meaning of this?"

"I already told you the child isn’t mine. Did you really think I’d be fooled into injecting over a billion into the Sutton Family?" Jenson’s face was impassive, making it clear the video truly had no effect on him.

Zinnia stared at him, bewildered. "So, you knew the child wasn’t yours, but you still let Crystal deceive you and willingly invested in the Sutton Family?"

Jenson nodded. "There are reasons. I’ll tell you later."

A tight, spreading pain gripped Zinnia’s heart.

What reason could possibly make a man help a woman to that extent? Hundreds of millions, even over a billion, is not a small sum, and Jenson is the most successful of businessmen. Even if it isn’t love, there must be pity or some soft spot for her. Besides, this whole time, Katherine Rhodes thought the child was his, and Jenson never went out of his way to correct her. His attitude has never changed; he’s clearly happy to take responsibility for Crystal’s child. Even knowing the baby isn’t his, even knowing she has a lover on the side, he’s still willing to raise another man’s child. He’s so selfless and loving toward Crystal, so what was she doing getting angry and worried for him? How ridiculous.

A faint smile touched Zinnia’s lips, but the light in her eyes was gone. She abruptly pushed Jenson away and stood up. "Since you already knew, then I guess I overstepped. We’re divorced, and I’m leaving soon. You never bothered to explain things to me when I was your wife, so there’s no need to say anything in the future. I don’t want to hear it, and I’m no longer interested!"

With that, Zinnia turned to leave.

Jenson frowned and grabbed her wrist. "Eighth should be finishing his treatment soon. Where are you going?"

Zinnia forcefully shook his hand off. "I’m not going back there. I’d rather not run into your mother. It would just make things unpleasant for both of us."

Although she worried about Eighth, she couldn’t be of any help by staying. Patrick Forrest and the others were already there, so she couldn’t even get near the hospital bed. Why bother sticking around only to be snubbed?

Zinnia turned and walked away quickly. Jenson watched her cold, retreating back and started to follow, but his phone rang. It was Patrick, likely calling with an update on Eighth. Jenson had no choice but to turn and hurry in the opposite direction.

On the way back, Zinnia felt a suffocating weight in her chest, as if it were filled with stones. She took out her phone, opened the booking app, and pulled up the flight ticket she’d purchased a while ago, staring at it for a long time.

Soon, I’ll be gone, and all these troubles will be left far behind. Abroad, I’ll have my beloved dance and my sweet baby.

The thought that she likely wouldn’t have to see any of these vexing people before she left finally began to lift her spirits.

But things rarely go as planned. Zinnia hadn’t even made it home when she received a call from Old Madam Forrest.

"Zinnia, come back to the hospital immediately."

"Grandma? What’s wrong?"

"Don’t ask questions. I’ve sent Granny Tilton to wait for you at the entrance. Just hurry."

Old Madam Forrest hung up. Worried that something had happened to Eighth, Zinnia anxiously told the driver to turn the car around and head back. When she got out of the car, Granny Tilton was indeed waiting for her.

Zinnia hurried over. "Granny Tilton, what’s going on?"

"Young Madam, don’t ask. Just come with me."

Granny Tilton walked ahead briskly, and Zinnia followed, her heart pounding in her chest. She couldn’t shake the fear that Eighth’s condition had taken a turn for the worse or that there had been some kind of accident. But she soon realized something was off. Granny Tilton was leading her to the obstetrics and gynecology department.

Her heart skipped a beat. Could Old Madam Forrest have discovered her pregnancy?