Chapter 143
Chapter 143
When Zinnia received calls from Jackson and Sofia, she felt a bit uneasy and couldn’t help but curse Howard in her mind. Facing Sofia’s self reproachfiel words, Zinnia reassured, “I’m not bothered by it, Sofia, and you shouldn’t be either.”
Zinnia never dwelt on those matters. The Shaw family meant nothing to her now, and past grievances had long faded from her mind
Sofia gently stroked Zinnia’s head and said, “Zinnia, you have suffered so much.” Her eyes brimmed with tenderness. In her heart, she had already refused Maelis’s request to speak to the Carson family on her behalf.
Sofia thought, ‘Betty must face the consequences of her own actions. Betty has Maelis to protect her, but Zinnia has no one. So our family must be her shield now.
‘We owe her that much. After all those years lost and suffering, even after we found her, she’s still wronged. She has suffered more than her share of hardships.
Zinnia smiled gently at Sofia, her eyes warm and clear. She said, “Sofia, I’m not wronged at all, not with you all protecting me.”
Zinnia didn’t care anymore. Perhaps after being abandoned so many times, she was no longer surprised when Betty schemed against her. She had long since grown accustomed to Shawn’s attitude.
Zinnia had always been emotionally numb. It was a lingering effect of childhood trauma that left her detached for years. Whether others disliked, resented, or even liked her, she could barely register their feelings.
For Zinnia, this emotional numbness was her way of protecting herself. Her Master had tried everything he could to help her, and eventually she was able to start sensing other people’s emotions again.
Even so, her perception was still weaker than most people’s. When Zinnia first returned to the Shaw family, their constant neglect did sting a little, though not deeply.
As for how they doted on Betty, or how Betty constantly flaunted their affection, Zinnia barely registered it. What she cared about most was that Master
had left her.
While Zinnia and Sofia were talking, Henry returned. Seeing Zinnia, Henry beamed. He lifted a fishing creel and said, “Zinnia, you’re back! Look what I caught, fresh fish. I will have the chef cook it for dinner tonight.”
“Got it!” Zinnia chirped, her voice bright and clear.
Only the three of them, Zinnia, Sofia, and Henry, were having dinner, making the house feel especially quiet.
Sofia served some food on Zinnia’s plate and said, “Charlie probably won’t make it home for dinner again. He’s been so busy lately that sometimes he even forgets to eat.”
Charlie had been swamped with work at the hospital these days, while Jackson was away on a business trip abroad.
When Jackson first heard about what happened to Zinnia, he was ready to fly back immediately, but Yannis reassured him that everything had been resolved, finally putting his mind at ease.
Zinnia offered, “Sofia, could you pack up some of Charlie’s favorite dishes? I’ll take them to him. I haven’t seen him in days.”
“It’s too much trouble. Let Charlie just grab a quick bite at the hospital,” Grandma Sofia said, torn between her concern for Charlie and not wanting Zinnia to tire herself out with another trip.
Zinnia insisted, “It’s no trouble at all. I don’t have class tomorrow, and it’s still early. I’ll bring dinner to Charlie and wait for him so we can go home together.”
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Chapter 143
She thought, ‘If I remember correctly, Anne is at the same hospital as Charlie. Maybe I could take the opportunity to visit Anne?
Hearing this, Sofia thought, ‘If someone else brings food to Charlie, he’ll just let it go cold and eat it later when he’s done. But if Zinnia brings it, he’ll do. it right away.‘
So she said, “Alright then. Zinnia, you must be tired from being cooped up at school all day. It’ll do you good to get out for a bit. I’ll have Benedict arrange a car to take you.”
After dinner, Zinnia grabbed the packed meal and headed to the hospital by car.
Charlie worked at Jinston’s top hospital as a neurologist.
