CHAPTER 6: CHAPTER 6: IF I KICK YOU, WHO SHOULD I FIND?

It was evening when Zinnia Lawrence finished her part-time job. She had been working as a dance teacher at this training institute for a year, teaching adult contemporary dance on evenings and weekends.

Today, she was called in by the manager to substitute for a children’s class. With her solid skills, beauty, and patience, she was a huge hit with the kids and received exceptionally positive feedback.

As she came out of the changing room, the manager handed her a red envelope.

"Teacher Lawrence, thank you for saving the day. Would you be willing to transfer to the children’s group? We can add one hundred to your hourly wage."

Zinnia’s eyes lit up. "Yes, I’m free during the days lately."

After leaving the training institute, Zinnia took a taxi to the hospital.

She’d heard Katherine Rhodes’ words last night. The conversation had left her shaken, but she was still very worried about Julia Forrest.

When she arrived at the hospital room, a maid was trying to get Julia Forrest to eat his meal, but the boy was throwing a tantrum and refusing.

He was the little tyrant of the Forrest family, and the maid couldn’t do a thing with him. Seeing Zinnia was a huge relief, and she immediately excused herself.

"Heartless Sister! What took you so long to visit me?"

Zinnia walked over. "I’m here now. Eat your food."

"Seventh Sister, why didn’t you come with my brother? Did he bully you again? Seventh Sister, you’re so pretty. You should just dump my brother and find someone who’ll treat you right. Or you could just wait for me to grow up."

Zinnia found it amusing. How could such a young child know what it means to be treated right?

Nonetheless, she nodded in approval. "Yeah, I’m thinking about it."

But in the next second, Julia Forrest pulled a phone out from under the blanket and spoke into it.

"Brother, did you hear that? Seventh Sister doesn’t want you anymore!"

Zinnia was speechless.

After saying his piece, Julia hung up and grinned at Zinnia.

"When you’re mad at my brother, you have to let him know! Don’t keep it to yourself. That’s the only way he’ll come and comfort you."

"You think you know everything, you little elementary school kid," Zinnia said, tapping the boy’s head.

As if Jenson Forrest would ever comfort her.

"Hey, that’s ageism! Elementary schoolers know all about romance."

"That’s what they call puppy love, and it’s not a good idea. Don’t you dare!"

"I’m not interested in the snotty-nosed girls at my school."

"Says the little brat."

"I’m not—"

POOT!

Before Julia could finish his sentence, a loud, uncontrollable fart escaped him. Zinnia shook her head in amusement.

Julia pulled the covers over his head in embarrassment, and Zinnia tried to pull them off.

"Someone’s feasting on farts in there! Let the blanket go!"

Julia was the youngest of the seven children in his generation of the Forrest family. With a significant age gap between him and his siblings, he had always been closest to Zinnia, and the two were practically brother and sister.

Julia kicked and wrestled with the blanket, playing with Zinnia for a moment before poking his head out. He sidled up to her and asked slyly, "Seventh Sister, did my brother give you the jade bracelet yesterday?"

Zinnia’s movements paused. She changed the subject.

"Do you still have a fever today?" She reached out to feel the boy’s forehead.

But Julia wasn’t so easily fooled. He grabbed Zinnia’s hand and pushed up her sleeve.

"Why isn’t it on you? I’m going to go ask my brother!"

As the boy leaped off the bed, a warmth spread through Zinnia’s heart, but her eyes welled up with worry for his health.

Just then, a man’s voice sounded from the doorway.

"Ask me what?"

Zinnia turned her head to see Jenson Forrest striding in.

The man’s words were for Julia, but his deep eyes were locked on Zinnia.

Zinnia quickly averted her gaze, not wanting to even be in the same space as him.

"I’ll go wash some fruit."

Zinnia headed for the kitchenette, brushing past Jenson. Behind her, Julia’s voice rang out.

"Brother, you didn’t give Seventh Sister the family heirloom jade bracelet? I’m telling you, the only reason I’m not fighting for it is because it’s for her! Otherwise, I’d have Mom save it for my future wife..."

Zinnia, who had already stepped into the kitchenette, paused with her hand on the door.

"Ouch!"

Julia yelped in pain from outside. Jenson had just smacked him on the back of the head.

"Adults are talking. Kids should stay out of it!"

Zinnia closed the kitchenette door, her lips pressed into a pale line.

He gave the jade bracelet to Crystal Sutton, yet he didn’t even feel the need to offer an explanation or an excuse to her, his wife. What Zinnia really couldn’t understand was why Jenson refused to sign the divorce papers and marry Crystal Sutton.

"I know everything. If you like a girl, you have to treat her well. If you keep this up, Seventh Sister is going to leave you, and then you’ll have to crawl through fire to win her back!"

Jenson sat on the sofa with his legs crossed, replying to emails and clearly ignoring the little brat’s words.

Feeling disrespected, Julia launched into some gossip.

"Don’t take this lightly. Girls are queens these days. In our class, Lisa and Lino were a couple. But when Lino gave his only piece of chocolate to Ella, Lisa dumped him after class and got with Jerry. She even told the teacher Lino secretly brought his phone to class to play games, so Lino’s parents got called! Scary, right?"

Jenson had no desire to hear about the elementary school drama sparked by a piece of chocolate. He stood up, his gaze darkening. "Shut up!"

Julia was still afraid of him. He pouted and mumbled, "You’ll regret this, brother..."

Zinnia was peeling an apple when a pair of arms snaked around her from behind, locking tightly around her waist.

Her back was pressed firmly against the man’s broad, hard chest, and the air filled with his scent.

Zinnia went rigid. Jenson rested his chin on her slender shoulder, his voice a low, cold whisper in her ear.

"You’re going to dump me? For who?"

Zinnia pursed her lips. "After we’re divorced, who I find is none of your business!"

"There won’t be a divorce!"

His tone was absolute, as if Zinnia wasn’t allowed to have any thoughts of her own in this marriage.

Zinnia stabbed the fruit knife into the apple with force. "Whether we get divorced or not isn’t for you alone to decide."

She broke free from his grasp, took the fruit platter out, and grabbed her bag. She patted Julia’s head.

"I’ll come see you again tomorrow."

Julia blinked. "Seventh Sister, you’re not going home with my brother?"

"He just got here. Let him spend more time with you." Zinnia walked out without a glance at Jenson, who was emerging from the kitchen.

"Brother, has Seventh Sister really left you?" As the door closed, Julia stared wide-eyed at Jenson.

"We’re fine. You just listen to the doctors."

Jenson was about to leave, and Julia knew not to stop him, but he still offered a worried reminder.

"Brother, you have to comfort Seventh Sister! She’s the easiest person to comfort!"

Jenson left the hospital room just as a nurse arrived with a medical cart to draw blood from little Julia.

Watching the nurse enter, Jenson narrowed his eyes and instructed Timothy Cohen, "Look into Eighth’s illness."

It’s just a common cold. Why draw blood every day?

Zinnia had been on her feet teaching all day, and her foot injury had worsened.

After leaving the hospital, she had planned to take the subway, but the severe pain in her foot made her book a ride-share instead.

She leaned against a tree by the roadside to wait.

A black Bentley glided to a stop beside her, the window half-lowered.

The streetlights were still off. In the dim glow, the profile of the man in the driver’s seat was elegant, his knuckles on the steering wheel looking like they were carved from cold jade.

He glanced over at her. "Come back with me."

Zinnia looked at him through the car window. Maybe because she had already decided on divorce, she felt an insurmountable distance between them, even though he was right there. It was as if countless mountains separated them, and he was forever out of her reach.

She shook her head at Jenson. "I’ve already called a car. And I’ve moved my things out. I’m not going back."

His fingers tapped a few times on the steering wheel—a sure sign of his extreme impatience.

"Zinnia. Get in the car. Be good."

Be good, listen to your brother... Zinnia had listened to Jenson for fourteen years, but he had never fallen in love with her. Now that she was grown up, she no longer wanted to be obedient.

Suppressing the stinging in her nose, Zinnia firmly shook her head at Jenson. "Just tell me when you’re free, and we can go sign the papers."

Three sentences, and every one was about divorce. Jenson’s handsome face visibly darkened.

A car approached from behind and honked.

That was likely the extent of Jenson’s patience with her. He averted his gaze, raised the window, and drove off.

Zinnia’s clenched fist slowly relaxed. She lowered her head, hiding her reddened eyes.

A discreet white BMW stopped slowly in front of her. The man who stepped out was slender and tall, with refined, handsome features. A pair of silver-rimmed glasses added a touch of gentle elegance to his appearance.

"Senior?"

While Zinnia was still processing her surprise, Alaric Hawthorne had already walked around the front of the car and opened the passenger door.

"Where are you headed, Junior Sister? Hop in, I’ll give you a ride."

"Oh, no, I’ve already called a car. It’ll be here any..."

"Actually, I have an update about your older brother that I wanted to talk to you about."

Alaric Hawthorne was Zinnia’s senior from high school. They had also both studied dance under Teacher Rhiannon Young. More importantly, he was the attending physician for Zinnia’s older brother, Mason Lawrence.

A year ago, Mason Lawrence had fallen into a vegetative state after a car accident, and Alaric had been overseeing his treatment ever since.

Zinnia canceled her ride-share. Once she was in the car, she asked anxiously, "Senior, what’s happened to my older brother?"

She had been so busy the last couple of days that she hadn’t had time to visit Mason.