Chapter 181-
Chapter 181
Zinnia looked up as the Lynn family showed up. Isaac jogged over to her, smiling happily. “Zinnia, Grandpa and Grandma are here, too,” Isaac said, his smile getting bigger.
Isaac turned to look at Henry and Sofia coming closer, with Jackson and Charlie walking on each side of them. Zinnia and Maisie followed Isaac as they went toward them. With a warm smile, Zinnia greeted them.
After the paperwork was done and Zinnia was officially part of the family, they decided she should call Henry and Sofia just like Maisie did.
“Maisie, Zinnia, you’ve both gotten even more beautiful since I last saw you,” Henry said, smiling warmly.
Maisie giggled, “Grandpa, you’re still as handsome as ever!”
“You’re such a flatterer,” Henry chuckled.
“Zinnia, you look lovely today,” Jackson said, wearing a neat gray suit that fit just right, showing off his broad shoulders and slim waist, giving him a confident and classy look.
His hair was combed back, showing his good–looking face and calm style. Usually, his eyes were sharp and serious, but when he looked at Zinnia, they softened, and a gentle smile played on his lips.
He was usually serious and quiet in public, but in front of his little sister, he was a caring older brother.
“Jackson, you look really handsome today,” Zinnia said with a sweet smile.
“Zinnia, am I not handsome?” Isaac blurted out. “Why do you only notice Jackson? I’m right here!”
“Isaac, you’re really good–looking too,” Zinnia said kindly with a warm
smile.
For the baby shower, Isaac wore a blue suit. He looked confident and lively, his handsome face and energetic attitude making him stand out. Every Lynn family member was special, always the center of attention wherever they went.
Even Zinnia, who just joined the family, was glowing.
“Zinnia has really grown up,” Jackson said softly, with a little sadness in his eyes.
He saw her gaining confidence. Her smiles were brighter and more often. She was no longer the shy girl he first met: back then, she acted like she had spikes sticking out, keeping everyone away, barely talking or smiling.
Now, she looked lively and happy, her smile honest and full of confidence, all this started after she began living with Yannis. A guilty feeling hit him. ‘I’ve failed as her brother,‘ he thought.
“Jackson, what’s wrong?” Zinnia asked, noticing that Jackson looked a bit down. His eyes were sad as he looked at her.
Jackson pulled himself together, his voice deep and warm. “It’s nothing. After lunch, can you wait for me so we can leave together?”
Zinnia nodded.
“Is your shoulder better?” Charlie asked Maisie, his kind eyes full of concern.
“It’s all healed, Charlie. The ointment you gave me worked wonders. I got better so quickly,” Maisie said, smiling happily with a blush on her cheeks.
To Maisie, her shoulder injury was nothing. The group talked and laughed happily, looking like a happy family.
The guests at the party watched the scene, giving annoyed looks at the Shaws, who looked uncomfortable. The guests thought, ‘The Shaws, who made their money by riding on the Lynns‘ coattails, can never compare to the Lynns.’
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Chapter 181
The Lynns were full of love and fun, but the Shaws couldn’t tell good from bad.
“The Shaws are disappointing. The Lynns immediately went to greet Zinnia–unlike the Shaws, who act like they don’t even notice her. Honestly, they re not as good as the Lynns.”
“The Lynns are all here, but the Shaws didn’t even try to say hi. Honestly, the Shaws are ungrateful.”
“The Lynns have stopped helping the Shaws. Now that the Shaws just managed to get into this party; they are busy trying to make deals and get clients and don’t bother saying hello to the Lynns.”
“What did the Shaws do to fall out with the Lynns?”
Some guests sneered, clearly looking down on the Shaws‘ behavior.
After the Lynns cut support for the Shaws, other investors quickly pulled out. Then came the shocking news: the Shaws tried to steal secret data from the Perkins Group, but Yannis caught them in the act.
The news shocked the market, and the stocks of the Shaw Group dropped sharply. People didn’t realize it wasn’t that the Shaws didn’t want to approach the Lynns.
It was that the Lynns were shutting them out. Recently, when Maelis found out Jackson pulled the Lynn family’s money from the Shaw Group, she rushed.
over to cause a scene.
Maelis faced Jackson, her voice trembling with anger: “Why, Jackson? What are you trying to do? Are you really going this far just because of Zinnia? Dol even matter as your aunt anymore?”
But Jackson just sneered coldly, “Maelis, if you weren’t my aunt, pulling the investment would be the least of the Shaw family’s problems.”
‘After how they hurt Zinnia without caring, I see no reason to keep helping them,‘ he thought.
Furious, Maelis yelled at Jackson, calling him heartless and ungrateful, and said Zinnia brought her bad luck. Her angry words almost made Sofia sick, and Henry was so mad he said, “The Lynns won’t help the Shaws anymore.”
The Lynn family had done enough for Maelis over the years. They owed her nothing.
For a while, the Lynns and the Shaws had been pretty much apart.
The Shaws watched Zinnia happily getting all the attention from the Lynns. She looked like she was the most important person there. A mix of jealousy, regret, and bitterness boiled inside them.
They couldn’t help but think, ‘Who thought she would actually do well after leaving our family?‘
Maelis looked tired, but her anger was clear when she looked at Zinnia. Donald was also there, talking to someone. When he overheard the gossip, he clenched his jaw so tight it hurt.
He thought, ‘Nothing made me angrier than people saying I built my fortune on the Lynns. After all these years, these voices finally died down, even if some still knew the truth. And now, because of Zinnia, the old rumors are back!
‘I never should have taken that little troublemaker back. She’s jus
reputation, and Betty’s.
a
curse. Because of her, everything I worked for was ruined–my company’s
‘Betty hasn’t been herself lately. Since she was held for a few days, she barely talks and looks so thin she’s almost unrecognizable.
‘Maelis is a total idiot. I told her to smooth things over with the Lynns, but she went and burned all bridges with them instead!
‘Yosef took over the company a few years ago, but his skills and ideas of business are nowhere near Jackson’s. The business world is full of sharp competitors, and since the Lynns withdrew their support, everyone’s ready to attack my company.
‘After trying to get the invitation for the Shaws and rushing to sign a few deals before the Lynns arrived, the moment the Lynns entered, they looked
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down on us with sneers and scorn.
‘We used to be the center of attention everywhere, but now we’re just a joke.
