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    “Howard, you’re hurting Zinnial Let go of her!” Isaac eximed, startled by Howard’s sudden action. He quickly stepped in…


    to intervene.


    Howard froze for a moment. Looking at Zinnia’s emotionless face, he released her hand.


    Zinnia’s hand fell limply to her side, the spot Howard had gripped now an rming shade of red. Her skin was so delicate, and Howard, in his frustration, had lost control of his strength. The vivid red marks stood out starkly against her porcin


    skin.


    Howard felt guilty as he stared at her reddened hand. “Zinnia, I didn’t mean it,” he muttered. He wanted to apologize properly, but when he looked up, he was met with her cold, distant eyes. The words froze in his throat, refusing toe


    out.


    Zinnia merely nced at Howard indifferently before looking away, as if he wasn’t even worth her attention.


    A suffocating weight settled in Howard’s chest, his lips pressing into a tight line.


    “Zinnia, does it hurt? Benedict! Hurry, call the doctor!” Isaac eximed, carefully holding Zinnia’s hand. The five bright


    red finger marks on her skin made his heart ache.


    “Isaac, I’m fine,” Zinnia said softly.


    “Fine or not, we should still have it checked,” Isaac insisted, his tone firm and unwavering.


    “What’s all thismotion?” Sofia’s sharp voice cut through the air as she stepped into the hallway. She swept over the group and asked, “Can’t you even check if everyone’s back without making a mess?”


    Sofia said, “Howard, look at Zinnia’s hand! Can’t you talk things out without resorting to this?” Her voice was filled with both anger and heartache as her eyes lingered on Zinnia’s bruised skin.


    Isaac knelt beside Zinnia, holding a tube of white ointment. He carefully applied it to her hand, blowing gently on the area as if afraid to cause her even the slightest pain.


    Howard stood off to the side, his expression dark. He said, “Grandma, I didn’t mean to.”


    “Whether you meant to or not, you hurt Zinnia,” Sofia said sharply.


    Sofia had thought Howard came to mend his rtionship with Zinnia, to show some care, and patch things up. Instead, his arrival had only caused her harm.


    Howard had no words to defend himself. He stood there silently, watching as Zinnia was surrounded by the Lynn family’s unwavering care and concern.


    “Be gentle, Isaac. If you hurt Zinnia, you’ll have me to answer to,” Sofia warned, her voice stern but protective.


    “Got it, Grandma,” Isaac replied,


    Benedict stood nearby, his eyes full of concern as he looked at Zinnia. “Zinnia, how about strawberries? A sweet treat will make the pain go away,” he said, holding out a te of bright red strawberries in an attempt to cheer Zinnia up.


    Howard thought, ‘It seems that everyone adores Zinnnia. Even the servants from the Shaw family like her. Whenever they mention Zinnia, their eyes always lit up with a smile. It appears that only we don’t like her, and we have even made her


    feel wronged.’


    Howard felt a sharp pang in his chest. He thought, ‘How had ite to this? We are her family, yet we treat her like an outsider, while everyone else seems to treasure her.’


    “The person you should apologize to isn’t me,” Sofia said with a cold snort.


    “I’m sorry, Zinnia. I really didn’t mean to hurt you,” Howard murmured after a moment of silence, his voice hoarse and filled with guilt as he looked at her.


    “It’s okay, Isaac. It doesn’t hurt,” Zinnia said softly to Isaac, ignoring Howard.


    Howard’s face clouded over, a pang of sadness hitting him. <fn0c98> Official source is fι?dnοvel</fn0c98>


    Sofia caught the hint of mncholy in his expression and scoffed inwardly. “When are you leaving?” she asked, her tone sharp.


    “It’s been so long since I had dinner here, Grandma, and even longer since I spent time with you. I’d like to stay the night,” Howard said.


    Zinnia’sshes quivered as she listened. She pressed her lips. She didn’t want to see Howard, but this wasn’t her house; she had no say in the matter.


    Sofia nced at Zinnia, then at Howard, who was sneaking nces at Zinnia. She sighed quietly, her thoughts heavy.


    Howard ended up staying at the Lynn residence. After applying her medicine, Zinnia went upstairs. As dinner approached, Howard offered to go call her down.


    Howard climbed to the third floor and stopped in front of the room at the center, where Zinnia was staying. A pang of difort flickered in his chest.


    He thought, ‘The Lynn family treats her far better than we ever did.’ That realization stung, but he pushed the feeling aside and knocked on the door.


    The door opened almost immediately. Zinnia had changed into cozy loungewear. Her smooth hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her delicate features seemed to glow. A faint herbal scent lingered around her.


    When she saw Howard standing outside, Zinnia’s expression turned frosty. Without saying a word, she reached out to


    close the door.


    Howard pressed his hand against the door to stop it. “Grandma asked me toe get you for dinner,” he said.


    Zinnia let go of the door, leaving it open.


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    Howard’s gazended on the room. The decor was stunning, almost like something out of a dream. It was worlds apart from the guestroom-like space she had back at the Shaw family home. The stark contrast made the heaviness in Howard’s


    chest grow stronger.


    Zinnia stepped out of the room with a cold expression, and Howard followed her down the hall. When they reached the living room, Sofia was nowhere to be seen.


    Isaac was upstairs working on his studies. His advanced cement ss had a different curriculum from Zinnia’s ss.


    Now in his senior year, Isaac was preparing for the college entrance exams. As a top student, his grades came from hard


    work.


    The living room was empty except for Howard and Zinnia. Not wanting to stay near Howard, Zinnia headed toward the garden. She nned to pick some flowers to dry and use as medicinal herbs.


    The garden wasn’t just filled with flowers; it also had a variety of medicinal nts. After learning about Zinnia’s expertise in traditional medicine, Isaac had spent a fortune creating a dedicated herb garden for her, nting numerous medicinal


    herbs there.


    Jackson was often busy with hispany and couldn’t always make it home for dinner. Whether he would return tonight


    was uncertain.


    Zinnia wanted to make herbal tea for Jackson, who was always drinking coffee to stay awake. And for Jackson’s friends, she nned to prepare remedies to boost their appetite and help them sleep better.


    She thought, ‘Now that I am back in school, I won’t have as much free time once assignments start piling up. I wonder if Jackson’s friends are doing better. I should ask Jackson if he returns.


    ‘Both of them seem important to Jackson. I don’t want anything bad to happen to them. I can’t help with other matters; I can at least assist in improving their health.’


    Howard followed Zinnia as she walked away.


    When they reached the garden, Zinnia headed straight for the herb patch. She picked up a small basket and a trowel, but as soon as she turned around, she saw Howard standing awkwardly behind her. “Watch where you’re stepping! You’re ruining my herbs!” she snapped.