CHAPTER 57: CHAPTER 57: BE GOOD, COOPERATE WITH ME

Zinnia Lawrence lifted her head and stared at Jenson Forrest.

"My left eye says you have a delusional disorder, and my right eye says you’re a narcissist. Both in the terminal stages. Hold on, let me look up where you can get an appointment."

Jenson Forrest wasn’t angry. His thin lips merely curled. "Before you say that, it would be more convincing if you put your dress on first."

Zinnia remembered how she’d been bent over, struggling out of her dress when he’d walked in. The pose must have been truly humiliating. Now, the torn dress was still caught around the back of her knees, leaving her legs feeling chilly.

Compared to her utter disarray, the man looked like he was about to attend an important event, with his bow tie knotted perfectly. Anyone who saw this scene would probably assume she was the one trying to seduce him.

Zinnia’s face burned with humiliation, which quickly turned to indignant anger. "President Forrest, don’t be so full of yourself! I didn’t know you were home! If I had, I wouldn’t have come in. Let me go!"

She struggled and twisted, but Jenson Forrest just let out a low hum. The sound was impossibly sensual, dripping with raw desire.

Zinnia froze, the tips of her ears burning. Before she could react, her world spun. The man’s large hand cradled the back of her head as he wrapped an arm around her waist, pressing her down beneath him. The walk-in closet had a soft, long-haired carpet, and Zinnia sank into it.

"You—mmph!"

Her words were sealed back inside her mouth by his scorching breath. Zinnia’s eyes flew open. The man hadn’t closed his eyes either.

Their gazes locked at close range. His deep eyes, usually so calm and indifferent, were now filled with a possessive, plundering hunger, like a vortex threatening to swallow her whole.

Zinnia’s heart trembled, and she tried to bite him. But the man anticipated it, releasing her lips and lifting his head.

Zinnia panted, "Did you take some kind of drug?"

He’s suddenly gone from sexually frigid to a horny bastard who could go into heat anytime, anywhere!

"And if I did, does that mean I can use you to cool off?" Jenson Forrest’s thin lips curled.

Zinnia was astounded by his shamelessness.

"Get off me! I don’t want this. I came back to get something, not for this. I really didn’t mean to seduce you; you’ve misunderstood."

She was frantic. She had just confirmed that she was pregnant with their baby. The doctor had even warned her to avoid intimacy during the first trimester. Zinnia struggled fiercely.

But Jenson Forrest held her hands fast, pinning them above her head. "Why not? We haven’t tried it in other places. Be good and cooperate with me. It’ll save you from suffering later!"

The more she resisted, the more the emotions in his eyes churned.

She shouted, "No! We’re about to get a divorce, we can’t do this! If you’re that turned on, go find Crystal Sutton! Let me go..."

Hearing her tell him to go find Crystal Sutton, a spark of fury ignited in his heart, quickly blazing through his entire body.

"Your words say one thing, but your body is much more honest..."

Zinnia trembled with shame and helplessness. She couldn’t control her body’s reaction. Maybe her heart hadn’t been successfully hypnotized after all; maybe it still loved him. But so what? She didn’t want this. She refused.

"I’m a normal woman. It’s perfectly normal for my body to react. It would be the same with any other man—mmph!"

Before she could finish, Jenson Forrest pinched her cheeks, making it impossible for her to speak. His expression darkened. "Zinnia Lawrence, listen to the words coming out of your mouth!"

Zinnia’s mouth was open, her small face flushed red. Her pinched cheeks were inflamed, and her eyes were red-rimmed and watery. She looked so pitiful.

Jenson Forrest released his grip. Two distinct red marks from his fingers were visible on her cheeks, and he frowned. "So delicate. If it hurts, then stop deliberately provoking me."

Zinnia moved her numb jaw, about to speak, but his lips descended again in a searingly deep kiss.

Zinnia had thought he’d calmed down, but to her horror, he hadn’t given up. She began to struggle frantically again. He forcefully suppressed her, and she squeezed her eyes shut, sinking into fear and chaos. Just then, the memory of her recent traumatic encounter resurfaced. Zinnia’s emotions instantly shattered, and tears began to stream silently down her face.

Jenson Forrest tasted the bitter saltiness of her tears. Sensing something was wrong, he pulled away from her lips.

She found her voice and let out a weak whimper. The moment Jenson Forrest understood her words, it was as if he’d been struck by lightning.

She was saying, "No, brother, don’t..."

Jenson Forrest stiffly raised his head. The woman beneath him had a face that was now deathly pale. She kept her eyes squeezed shut and had turned her head away. Her eyelashes were soaked, and large, silent tears continued to fall, her expression one of utter despair and terror.

Jenson Forrest’s desire vanished in an instant. The man abruptly let go of her, his face grim and ashen, the emotion in his eyes unreadable.

The weight on her lifted, and Zinnia lay motionless on the floor. After a while, once her breathing and emotions had steadied, she opened her eyes. He was gone from the walk-in closet. Yet, the residual warmth of his body seemed to linger on her exposed skin.

Zinnia wiped her tears, quickly sat up, pulled on her pants, and staggered downstairs.

She picked up the two jars of wine from the table in the small living room and was about to leave when Jenson Forrest’s voice echoed from the spiral staircase. "What are you taking?"

Zinnia froze. I thought he’d left. Why is he still here? She turned to look. Jenson Forrest had already changed into another suit—an iron-gray three-piece that looked exceptionally stylish on him. Standing on the staircase, he looked refined and ascetic, aloof and exceptional, as if what had just happened in the walk-in closet had been nothing more than her own absurd, sordid dream.

Zinnia pursed her lips before answering, "I came back for the plum wine."

"What for?"

"Winston Forrest wants to drink it. I’m leaving now."

Zinnia averted her gaze and turned to go, but she had only taken a couple of steps before Jenson Forrest descended the stairs, striding quickly to catch up and grabbing her arm tightly.

"What do you think you’re doing?!" Zinnia snapped, annoyed. Jenson Forrest’s handsome face only grew colder.

"Weren’t you so full of pride, refusing to take anything? Put them down!"

Zinnia frowned in irritation. "I really don’t want any of your things. These two jars of wine aren’t valuable, and I brewed them myself, so they’re mine. What’s wrong with me taking my own things?" His expression and his gaze made her feel like a shameless thief.

Jenson Forrest sneered. "Weren’t the plums from the Forrest family’s property? And do you have any idea how much a bottle of the rum used to brew them costs? Even these two glass jars belong to the Forrest family, don’t they?"

Zinnia glanced at the two glass jars in her hands. To someone who didn’t know better, you’d think they were antiques.

"You don’t even drink this..."

"Who says I don’t?! Even if I didn’t, it’s still mine! No one is allowed to touch anything that belongs to me, Jenson Forrest!"

Zinnia was speechless. She couldn’t be bothered with this Scrooge. She tried to step past him and leave, but Jenson Forrest wouldn’t let go, reaching directly for the jars.

Zinnia struggled angrily, and one of the jars slipped, falling to the floor with a loud shatter. Wine splashed everywhere, and the soggy green plums scattered across the tiles.

"Are you hurt?" Jenson Forrest pulled her out of the way, frowning as he looked down at her legs.

Zinnia slammed the other jar down on the table. "It’s yours! It’s all yours! Are you satisfied now?!"

With that, she pushed him away and stormed out in a huff.

Jenson Forrest stood there, his handsome face frigid as he stared at the mess on the floor.

Zinnia had just left Sovereign Court and gotten into a taxi when her phone rang. It was Julia Forrest.

"Seventh Sister, Granny Ward brought me to the amusement park for the night session, but I looked away for a second and now I can’t find her! There are so many people..."

Julia Forrest’s voice was filled with helpless panic. Zinnia grew anxious and immediately asked, "Which amusement park? Stay right where you are. Don’t go anywhere. Seventh Sister is on her way. Do you understand?"

After getting the details, she immediately told the taxi driver to change course.

By the time she got out of the taxi, night had already fallen. The amusement park was brightly lit. Sure enough, Zinnia saw Julia Forrest squatting all alone in a corner east of the main entrance. A man with trendy granny-gray hair, an earring, and a large black face mask—who looked suspiciously like a kidnapper—was bending over and trying to coax Julia into taking a piece of cotton candy from him.