CHAPTER 55: CHAPTER 55: THE SANCTUARY SHE GUARDED, SHATTERED BY HIS OWN HANDS

These words made even Jenson Forrest cringe.

Moonlight snuck in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, quietly tingeing the man’s ear with crimson. He waited for her response, feeling surprisingly nervous, yet there was no sound from her end.

"Zinnia?"

Jenson pulled his phone away to check. Great. She hung up without me even knowing!

The man’s handsome face darkened as he called again. Then, he discovered he had been blocked again.

Zinnia had gone to bed late after the commotion, but fortunately, she had no part-time job the next morning. Her slumber was interrupted by Yara Fairchild’s shout. She opened her eyes to see Yara waving a phone and rushing in.

"I’m so pissed! Sutton the Bitch really can’t go a single day without stirring up trouble! Zinnia, quick, look! You’re trending for all the wrong reasons!"

Zinnia was pulled to her feet. She rubbed her eyes and took the phone. Her Weibo account, under the alias "Backlit," had been pushed onto the ’hot search’ list with a negative topic.

#MediocreTalentBigMoneyGrabs#

Following Yara’s finger, Zinnia tapped the trending topic and quickly figured out the whole story.

Last night, Crystal Sutton had posted a short, thirty-second video of herself playing the violin in the moonlight. Her fans showered her with praise, flooding the comments to ask what the beautiful piece was.

Not long after, Sienna Forrest replied to the netizens.

[Stop searching, everyone! The piece was a two-million-dollar gift for a certain someone’s sweetheart. It’s the latest arrangement by the composer Adverse, and this is its national debut. Mr. Adverse only authorized Crystal to play it once, so if you liked it, remember to buy tickets for Crystal’s solo recital! Don’t miss out. Link here.]

Since returning to the country, Crystal Sutton had been relentlessly promoting her romance with Jenson Forrest. Meanwhile, Sienna Forrest, the precious daughter of the Forrest Family, had been showing off her riches on Weibo, amassing over three million followers. Their frequent interactions lent credence to the rumors that Crystal Sutton was set to marry into the Forrest Family, which earned Crystal a huge number of "couple fans."

This public display of affection sent those fans into a frenzy, and they immediately swarmed the post, weeping over the "divine romance."

But voices of discontent and criticism soon followed.

[Who the hell is Adverse? Are they supposed to be a big deal? Never heard of them! Crystal is one of the best young violinists out there. Is playing their song supposed to be an insult to her or something? Two million just to play it once? What a blatant cash grab! I can hear them counting the money from here!]

[Composing is that profitable now? Two million for one performance of a song from some unknown? My mind is blown!]

[I know this person. They’ve posted a few so-called "original" pieces online but are hardly a real composer. Honestly, their talent is just average.]

[They probably found out Crystal is the future Young Mrs. Forrest and decided to start price-gouging.]

[President Forrest adores Crystal, so this composer knows he’ll pay any price to make her happy. Milking them for all they’re worth. So tasteless.]

...

This kind of sentiment quickly took over Crystal Sutton’s comments section. It was at this point that Crystal followed Backlit and posted her own message.

[Mr. Adverse is a very talented composer. I was willing to pay two million for a single performance because I love his style so much. Thank you for the honor, Mr. Adverse. @Backlit]

Her seemingly humble post only made the netizens crazier. Thanks to her pointing the way, Zinnia’s Weibo was instantly flooded, its comments section a sea of insults.

"Sutton the Bitch did this on purpose! Those first few comments were definitely from her paid trolls. She’s just getting revenge because you rejected her before! She’s manufacturing this whole romance, building up an image of That Dog Forrest doting on her, all while dragging you through the mud. Her mind must be a pretzel, full of nothing but twisted plots! I’ve never seen such an ugly soul. YUCK!"

Yara Fairchild was furious. She had fought over three hundred rounds with netizens online, but the enemy’s numbers were overwhelming, leaving her fuming.

Zinnia, on the other hand, seemed rather indifferent. Turning off her phone, she asked, "A trending topic? Didn’t you notice I gained over 200,000 followers this morning?"

"But they’re hate-followers! All of them!"

Yara’s eyes reddened. Zinnia had been running this account for five or six years. She focused on composing music and choreography, consistently producing at least five high-quality original pieces a year. While not every song was a viral hit, her work was a staple on the popular music charts every year. Her choreography was even more spectacular; several of the hottest pop idols had performed her dances in recent years. Last fall, a series of her ancient-style dances was acquired by Gigatrend Games for their hit mobile title, ’Immortal Hero,’ which made her alias famous all over again.

She had earned five million followers through pure talent. It hadn’t been easy!

And they called this "no talent"?

They called this "average"?

Crystal Sutton wasn’t a fool; there was a reason she was willing to pay two million for a single performance of Zinnia’s work.

Yara punched the bed in frustration. "These haters don’t even try to learn anything about you before they start attacking! AHHH! I really want to grab a kitchen knife and chop up Sutton the Bitch!"

Zinnia soothed her. "Don’t be angry. I’m not taking it to heart."

But she’s not made of stone. How could she not be hurt after being insulted by so many people?

Yara picked up her phone. "I have to ask if this trending topic was paid for and if it can be taken down."

As a student at the film academy who frequently worked on film sets, Yara had some connections. She quickly got her answer, and after hanging up, she was even angrier.

Zinnia had already figured it out. "Jenson Forrest’s handiwork?"

Yara’s eyes were burning red. "The Forrest Group ordered the topic to be pushed. They said it has to stay up for two days, and no one is allowed to take it down."

Zinnia had expected as much. How could a minor composer like her shoot to the top of the trending list and incite public outrage so easily without someone pulling the strings?

"Zinnia, stop smiling. If you want to cry, just cry. You’re scaring me like this..." Yara hugged her.

Zinnia wasn’t that strong. During the four years of Jenson’s inaction, she had endured endless gossip from high society. A few years ago, she had even suffered from mild depression and had only just managed to recover.

"I’m fine. I’ve heard plenty of insults and slander to my face, let alone over the internet. Besides, not everyone gets to be famous by being infamous, right?"

"But you care so much about this account! You’ve always protected its integrity, never trying to profit from it. You treated it like your own sacred space for music, and now Crystal Sutton has completely ruined it!"

Zinnia’s gaze flickered. She seemed dazed for a moment, then let out a soft laugh.

"Yara, do you know where the name ’Backlit’ comes from?"

Yara shook her head. Zinnia had never told her.

Zinnia’s lips curled slightly. "Fourteen years ago, on that snowy night when Jenson Forrest brought me into the Forrest home, this was the lyric playing on the phonograph."

*With desperate obsession, I will finally see your silhouette, backlit,*

*Through every hardship, I await your arrival; the best person will appear by my side.*

"So, the sacred space you were protecting wasn’t your dream of music and dance... it was Jenson Forrest?" Yara’s voice quivered.

Zinnia’s eyes curved into a smile that was both relieved and desolate. "Yes. And you see, now he’s shattered it with his own hands. It has a beginning and an end. You could call it fate. It’s for the best."

She was smiling, but Yara felt as though she was about to shatter. I wonder if Jenson Forrest will regret this one day when he finds out.

Just as Yara was thinking this, Zinnia’s phone rang.

It was Timothy Cohen. Zinnia frowned slightly, hesitating before answering. After all, Timothy Cohen had never done anything to offend her. "Assistant Cohen?"

However, it was a familiar, low, magnetic male voice that came through the receiver.

"Unblock me. And get to the office."

Zinnia frowned. "Jenson Forrest, I’m not your employee, and I’m not your sister. In what capacity are you ordering me around?"

"As your husband, Mrs. Forrest!"

Zinnia’s eyes stung as she gripped the phone tightly. Day after day, I waited for him, and he never once acknowledged my status as his wife. Now that I’m trying to let go, he’s calling me ’Mrs. Forrest’ over and over again. It feels like a cruel joke.

"That’s not how a husband acts! And I don’t want to be your Mrs. Forrest anymore." Her voice grew calm as she finished speaking and hung up the phone.

「Stellar CEO’s Office」

Jenson Forrest stared at the disconnected call, a flash of irritation crossing his brow.

Timothy Cohen stood before the desk, not daring to breathe. My phone, my poor phone... A moment ago, the President’s call actually went through, and he realized his wife hadn’t blocked *my* number. His expression turned foul then, and now he’s been hung up on and lost face completely.

"Worried about your phone?" Jenson Forrest’s voice was cool.

Timothy Cohen reflexively blurted, "It’s a new phone... No, no! I’m worried about you, President! All this anger can’t be good for your health..."

Jenson Forrest’s handsome face grew even colder. Timothy Cohen snapped his mouth shut, sensing he had misspoken again.

As sweat beaded on his brow, Jenson Forrest had already regained his composure. He tossed the phone back to Timothy, then gathered the documents from the desk and threw them over as well. "Get out."

That stack of documents contained information on the three most renowned dance troupes in Veridia. The president had prepared it specially for Mrs. Forrest and had already smoothed things over with all of them. Whichever one she chose, she could have met directly with the troupe director. It’s a real shame to just put them away now.

Timothy Cohen hesitated for a moment before speaking up. "President, perhaps I should deliver these documents to Mrs. Forrest?"