CHAPTER 9: CHAPTER 9: TAKE IT OFF, LET ME SEE

Zinnia hurriedly waved her hands. "Grandma, you’ve misunderstood. I’ve had some stomach reflux from a cold these past few days. I was tested the day before yesterday and I’m not pregnant. Jenson knows..."

Holding on to a sliver of hope, Old Madam Forrest immediately turned to look at Jenson Forrest.

Jenson Forrest nodded. "She’s not pregnant."

The old madam’s face fell. The hand that had been patting Jenson’s arm suddenly gave his flesh a fierce twist.

"No matter how successful a man is in his career, if he can’t keep his wife company and can’t produce a child, he’s useless! You’re rarely home, leaving your gorgeous wife uncared for. What good are you?"

Only Old Madam Forrest would dare to speak to Jenson Forrest this way. The man wore a helpless expression.

"Zinnia and I are still young. We aren’t in a hurry to have children."

"You’re almost thirty! How can you not be in a hurry? I’m not leaving this time until you two give me a grandchild!" she declared. "Tonight, you and Zinnia will stay at the old residence. Focus on making a baby!"

"Alright, alright, we’ll listen to you," Jenson Forrest agreed.

"And you, Zinnia?"

Old Madam Forrest’s pressing for a baby right there made Zinnia blush with embarrassment. Fearing what else she might say, she quickly nodded.

"Of course, I’ll come back to keep you company, Grandma."

Zinnia also wanted to find an opportunity to tell Grandma Forrest about her plans to divorce and study abroad.

「That evening.」

When Zinnia emerged from the Dream Dance training institute, she spotted a familiar luxury car parked by the roadside.

Zinnia hurried over, opened the car door, and slid inside, immediately telling Timothy Cohen, "Drive, quickly."

Jenson Forrest sat beside her, lifting his gaze from a document. "Am I someone who can’t be seen in public?"

She was just a part-time teacher; being seen in a luxury car would cause unnecessary trouble. Besides, on the two occasions she had ridden in his car to work, he had made her get out two blocks away from the company building. She had worked at the Forrest Group for over a year, yet no one knew she was Mrs. Forrest. The one who couldn’t be seen in public was her.

Zinnia nodded. "We’re getting a divorce. I don’t want any complications."

Jenson Forrest scoffed, picked up the file beside him, and tossed it at Zinnia. "Take it back. I don’t agree to a divorce. Quit your part-time job and come back to the Group. I’ll pretend these past two days of rebellion never happened."

Today, not seeing her wandering figure had actually lowered his work efficiency.

Jenson Forrest’s tone was domineering. Zinnia picked up the divorce agreement he had thrown back at her, her anger flaring.

Why on earth should she go back to work there? She had only been willing to do odd jobs at the Group for the past year because she loved him and wanted to make their marriage work. But even dangling under his nose every day hadn’t been enough to lure him home. She was tired.

"I won’t go back. I have my own dreams. It’s not like you said—that I can’t survive without the Forrest Family. I’m doing just fine now, I..."

"Your idea of ’just fine’ is being some lousy dance teacher? Could you buy a single necklace if you danced your legs off?" Jenson Forrest’s gaze swept over her feet.

Her injured right foot was hovering in the air, probably throbbing with pain.

Foolish woman, bringing this on herself!

The disdain in his voice made Zinnia’s heart clench. She thought of the call she had received that afternoon from the entertainment company under the Forrest Group. They had raised their offer to two million for her new composition to be the opening piece for Crystal Sutton’s solo concert.

It wasn’t enough that Crystal Sutton had her parents throwing money at her career; even Jenson Forrest was sparing no effort to support her dreams. Meanwhile, she was only fit to be a lowly clerk?

"I want to dance! I can live without jewelry. Can’t I just get a divorce and leave with nothing?"

Jenson Forrest hadn’t expected her to remain so resolute about the divorce, even after he’d made such an effort to keep her. An icy aura emanated from him as he gripped Zinnia’s chin. "You came to the Forrest Family at eight and have lived in luxury ever since. Do you need me to tally up the bill for you? A divorce is possible, but I, Jenson Forrest, don’t make losing deals. Come up with thirty million, and then we can talk!"

Zinnia clenched her fists, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Thirty million? You’ve really cracked the code to getting rich, Young Master Forrest. Get married and divorced once a year, and you’ll be wealthy without lifting a finger."

Jenson Forrest chuckled. "A mere thirty million a year? I wouldn’t stoop to profiting from marriage for that. Besides, in this entire world, you’re the only ungrateful wolf who grew up on the Forrest family’s dime and still wants to leave."

Zinnia was so furious she wanted to bite him, but as if anticipating her move, the hand on her chin moved up to squeeze her cheeks. She was pinched into a pouting duck, still fuming with rage.

"If you can’t pay up, then learn to behave."

He only released his grip when he saw the corners of her eyes turn red.

CLICK.

He flicked open his lighter, lit the divorce agreement on fire, and tossed it into the car’s small trash bin.

Zinnia stared blankly at the flames. "If you won’t divorce me, what about Crystal Sutton?"

"That is not your concern!"

So, he planned for her and Crystal Sutton to coexist? The scumbag!

Zinnia angrily turned her head away. Jenson Forrest said abruptly, "Take it off. Let me see."

Zinnia turned back in disbelief, only to find his gaze fixed on her injured foot.

"You mean... my shoe?"

Jenson Forrest didn’t reply, but his mocking expression made it perfectly clear, as if to say, *’What else did you think I meant?’*

Even more infuriated, Zinnia turned her head away and ignored him. Frowning, he forcibly pulled her leg onto his lap to inspect the injury. He only let go after seeing that it was healing well.

They were silent for the rest of the drive back.

When they arrived at the Forrest family’s old residence, Zinnia opened the car door. Just as she was about to get out, he seized her right hand.

She looked back at him. He had already lifted her hand and was sliding the ring onto her ring finger. It was the wedding ring she had taken off and left with her earrings at Sovereign Court.

Zinnia froze. It was the first time he had ever put the ring on for her.

They hadn’t had a wedding ceremony. He had left the country for several months the very day they registered their marriage. Grandma Forrest had the wedding rings prepared, and Zinnia had put hers on herself, never taking it off since. Jenson, however, had only started wearing his a year ago, after they finally consummated their marriage.

She had seen the wedding ring as a symbol of their marriage, but in the end, all she had managed to defend was its cold, empty shell.

Zinnia tried to pull it off, but Jenson Forrest suddenly interlaced their fingers tightly.

"Grandma’s condition has been unstable lately. Don’t be willful!"

He tightened his grip, the sharp bones of his fingers a clear warning. The ring dug into Zinnia’s finger, causing a slight ache.

Zinnia thought Jenson was just trying to scare her, but when she entered the living room, she saw Old Madam Forrest taking her medicine. There were handfuls of pills, a much larger dose than before.

In the end, Zinnia didn’t dare bring up the divorce. Instead, she went to the kitchen to prepare a few of the old madam’s favorite dishes.

Before dinner, Katherine Rhodes and Jenson’s father, Patrick Forrest, returned.

The moment Katherine Rhodes saw Zinnia, she let out a sneer, her eyes filled with open contempt. "Making a scene about getting a divorce, and then you come crawling back to the old residence. What a shameless, spineless thing you are!"

Zinnia had just entered the kitchen when Katherine Rhodes followed her in. Stirring the soup, Zinnia turned and smiled at her. "That’s right. How could I ever bear to leave the wealth and splendor of the Forrest family?"

She played along with Katherine’s jab, which only made Katherine’s expression darken further. "So you finally admit it! Jenson should really see this true face of yours!" Katherine turned and stormed out.

Zinnia only prepared the dishes Old Madam Forrest liked; the servants handled the rest. After leaving the kitchen, she went to the old madam’s bedroom.

Unexpectedly, Jenson was also there. The old madam, propped up on the bed, reached out to Zinnia. "Zinnia, come here, quickly."

Zinnia sat on the edge of the bed and took the old woman’s hand. Old Madam Forrest asked, "Are you two youngsters hiding something from me? Are you planning to get a divorce?"

Zinnia was startled. This was her chance. She wanted to tell her grandmother about her plans to divorce and study abroad. But the old woman’s eyes were filled with such sorrow and worry, she seemed to have aged five or six years in an instant. The hand Zinnia held was as thin as a twig, trembling slightly.

Zinnia’s lips parted, but how could she possibly say the words?

While she hesitated, Jenson pulled her into his embrace. "Grandma, we told you, we’re doing fine. Right, darling?" he whispered, his head lowered to her ear.

His warm breath tickled her earlobe, his low, magnetic voice sending a tingle straight to her heart. It was the first time he had ever called her "darling." Even if it was just for his grandmother’s benefit, Zinnia found it impossible to resist. Her defenses crumbled completely.

She blushed. "Mm, we’re doing great."

"Grandma isn’t so easily fooled," Old Madam Forrest said, looking at Jenson. "I was convalescing at the sanatorium in the suburbs, and Jenson insisted on bringing me back. Isn’t it because you’re fighting with your wife and couldn’t placate her yourself, so you decided to drag my old bones back to sort things out for you?

"Grandma isn’t senile. I see things as clear as day. Are you going to admit it, young man?"

Zinnia, surprised, also turned to look at him.

Could it really be as Grandma said? That Jenson couldn’t pacify her, so he went to get his grandmother, deliberately bringing her back to persuade her...

Jenson’s expression remained impassive. "Grandma is the wisest. Nothing gets past you."

He admitted it!

Zinnia’s heart began to race. She stared blankly at Jenson.

She had previously assumed he was refusing the divorce out of pride, or perhaps even a desire for revenge, not because he actually wanted to keep her. But now, she couldn’t help but wonder if Jenson wasn’t as heartless as she had thought. Perhaps he did care for their marriage, even just a little.

"Well, hurry up and say something nice to Zinnia!" Old Madam Forrest urged.

A wry smile touched his lips, and a lazy, roguish charm flashed in his handsome eyes. He turned his head casually, his gaze meeting Zinnia’s head-on.

Zinnia’s ears turned crimson, and her heart beat even more erratically.

Seeing her shy, flushed face, Jenson felt his own breath catch in his throat. His Adam’s apple bobbed. He raised his hand and gently tousled her hair, his voice turning husky. "Darling, let’s not get divorced, hmm?"