Chapter 157
Soon it would be the weekend. Maisie walked up to Zinnia and said, “Zinnia, there’s a party on the street the day after tomorrow Want to go have funt”
They had all made plans to hang out. “Sure,” Zinnia replied as she packed her schoolbag and left the classroom with them.
After school, Zinnia saw Jackson. “Jackson!” she called out, running over to him.
Jackson saw Zinnia, stepped up, and a warm smile appeared on his face.
“Jackson, what are you doing here?” Zinnia asked. She hadn’t seen Jackson for the past two days. After he messaged her saying he’d handle things, she hadn’t heard anything since.
“Now that you have done with your exams, let’s get you something tasty to eat,” Jackson said, taking her backpack and guiding her to the car. Maisie wasn’t coming; she was heading back to Spence residence.
“Jackson, how’s the investigation into Donald going?” Zinnia asked. In the car, Jackson was driving while Zinnia sat in the passenger seat.
“I’m still looking into it. Once I get all the proof, I’ll send him where he belongs,” Jackson said.
Jackson wasn’t kind–hearted about this. Over the past two days, he had people secretly gather proof of Donald cheating–the more they found, the more sickening and creepy the evidence looked.
Donald and his mistress had been sneaking around for years. If Maelis ever found out, it would be a shock. The Lynn family would never accept Donald
after this.
Jackson thought, ‘Donald was a young man who looked clean–cut. Maelis met him when she was doing charity work in a small town. Who knows what sweet talk or tricks he used to fool her?
‘After Maelis went home, she started sponsoring Donald’s college. They fell in love. The Lynn family didn’t care about money or status, and since they’d been together so long, they got married after graduation.
‘After the wedding, Donald treated Maelis well enough that her parents had no complaints. They even helped him start his own business. But Donald turned out to be ungrateful.
‘Donald’s first love was his high school sweetheart from the small town. They even set a wedding date, but right after Maelis left, Donald suddenly called
off the engagement.
‘We thought their relationship was over, but a few years later, their old affair started again. Donald kept her as his mistress, supporting her financially.
‘Betty is the daughter of Donald’s mistress. By some strange twist, she was switched at birth with Zinnia.
‘But two girls born on the same day being switched? That’s no accident.‘ Jackson didn’t believe in coincidences.
Checking into Donald and his mistress was pretty easy, but Jackson was holding back on confronting them. His real goal was to find out how Zinnia got switched at birth..
If either of them was involved, Jackson would make sure they paid. The Lynn family wouldn’t let Donald get away with it either.
But one thing confused Jackson. Zinnia was clearly Donald’s daughter. He wondered, ‘Why did Donald hate her, but go out of his way to spoil Betty, the daughter his mistress had with another man?‘
‘If he doesn’t like daughters, then Betty is a girl too. Not even his own, just his mistress’s kid. Yet he spoils her and treats Zinnia so badly. It’s really strange,’ Jackson thought.
Jackson couldn’t help but wonder, ‘If Donald doesn’t like Maelis’s kids and prefers his mistress’s kids, then why doesn’t he show that same dislike for Zinnia’s brothers? Why is Zinnia the only one he hates?‘
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Chapter 157
Donald was the kind of guy who’d do anything for his own benefit. Seeing how much the Lynn family cared for Zinnia, he’d at least act like a caring dad maybe to get in good with them. But he didn’t even bother to do that.
Sofia said that when she and Henry first visited Zinnia after she came back into the family, Donald already showed he didn’t like her.
‘Something just feels wrong, Jackson thought.
But the DNA test between Zinnia and Maelis proved it–Zinnia and Maelis
wer
“Zinnia, what do you think about Donald?” Jackson asked. He didn’t put up with betrayal. Donald
I wouldn’t get off easy.
Jackson thought, ‘I wonder if Zinnia still has feelings for Donald as her dad. If she does,
think carefully about how to handle him.
to
“I don’t like him,” Zinnia said plainly. She had never liked Donald. Not from the start. There was no aion or attachment, and she couldn’t even
explain why.
“Alright, then I know what to do,” Jackson said firmly. Zinnia’s feelings mattered could deal with him without holding back.
most
to him. Since she didn’t even have a bit of love for Donald, he
Once he figured this out, Donald would be taken away from where he didn’t belong.
After dinner, as Jackson drove Zinnia back to Cloud Harbor, he asked, “Zinnia, why don’t you stay with us for the weekend?”
“Jackson, Maisie wants me to spend the weekend with her,” Zinnia said. She didn’t want to
meet Maelis.
e
“Alright, I’ll arrange for Grandma to join us for dinner outside,” Jackson said, understanding she didn’t want to see Maelis, and not pushing her. “Okay,” Zinnia agreed. Even though she didn’t like Maelis, Sofia had always been so nice to her. She would love to have dinner with her.
“Zinnia, if you’re going back to the Jenkins residence, tell Yannis, or he’ll worry,” Jackson said.
“Okay, I will,” Zinnia answered.
As soon as Jackson parked, Yannis was already waiting to pick her up.
“Yannis, you’re back!” Zinnia called happily as she saw him, rushing over, excited.
While Jackson unloaded the gifts he bought for Zinnia, he saw her pushing to Yannis. With a teasing grin, Jackson called out, “Worried I wouldn’t bring Zinnia back so you had to come over?”
Before, when he came home from work, Zinnia would wait just like this, ready to greet him. Jackson fought a wave of nostalgia and said, “Looks like you aren’t a workaholic anymore. You pick her up on time every day.”
Jackson thought, ‘Now I even have to tell Yannis before taking Zinnia out to eat. And Yannis sent me a long list of foods she can’t have, all figured out by him.’
B
