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    “Betty, if you truly believe you’ve taken Zinnia’s ce, do the right thing and leave. Stop making things hard for everyone.


    “Actions speak louder than words, and I’m not falling for any more passive-aggressive tactics. I’m warning you-leave Zinnia alone, or you’ll have me to deal with.” Jackson’s tone was icy, and his piercing look made Betty feel uneasy.


    Betty felt a shiver run down her back-it was like he saw right through her.


    “Jackson,e on. Betty is a little girl. Where would she go if we kicked her out?” Timothy stepped in, trying to defend her.


    “Have you even thought about where Zinnia would go after you pushed her out?”


    “Of course we’d take care of her. We’d set her up somewhere,” Timothy said. At home, Betty and Zinnia were always shing. He thought sending Zinnia away wasn’t about cutting her off-it was about giving her some space to breathe.


    “You can set Zinnia up somewhere, but you can’t do the same for Betty? And once she’s gone, you’ll just forget about her?” Jackson’s voice dripped with sarcasm.


    “Of course not-” Timothy replied automatically. They couldn’t just abandon Betty.


    But his eyes drifted to Zinnia sitting off to the side, idly ying with her cup of juice, their gaze distant and disinterested.


    Zinnia nced up at Timothy briefly, her eyes so indifferent that it made his heart feel uneasy. It was as if something was slipping away from him, something he couldn’t hold on to, leaving him feeling helpless and anxious.


    Timothy, awyer ustomed to dealing with all sorts of people, couldn’t shake the feeling that Zinnia had simply given up on them. She looked at them like she was seeing right through their facades, her gaze cold and distant.


    It was as if she’d seen their true colors long ago and decided to let go of any expectations. She epted whatever came her way-good or bad-with a quiet resignation.


    If they wanted to send her away, she’d go. If they favored Betty over her, that was fine too. If misunderstandings caused her pain, she didn’t let it show. She just didn’t seem to care


    anymore.


    She didn’t seem to care what they thought of her, whether they approved or disapproved. She was an observer, detached and uninvolved, as if she had no stake in the oue.


    Her heart had been broken, and in response, she’d closed it off, fortifying it against further


    11:11 Wed 17 Septe


    hurt. Her indifference was unsettling, making those around her feel uneasy.


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    Timothy couldn’t understand why he was so bothered by her attitude. All he felt was a growing irritation—why could she remain so calm and indifferent while he felt so frustrated


    and unsettled?


    Timothy hadn’t paid much attention to Zinnia. He was always busy with work and often stayed elsewhere. He only came home when something required his presence, and even then, he rarely saw her. Zinnia kept to herself, holed up in her room like a snail in its shell.


    Most of what Timothy knew about Zinnia came from Betty. She was always getting into trouble-breaking Maelis’s favorite jewelry, smashing Donald’s vase, or sneaking into Yosef’s room for who knew what reason.


    Once, she made him a “healthy” soup that gave him a stomachache for hours. And she was always badmouthing Betty to Maelis, saying Betty had taken her ce and should leave.


    All this made Timothy feel frustrated whenever he thought about Zinnia. She seemed so petty and narrow-minded, like she hadn’t been taught to get along with others. And he just couldn’t bring himself to like her.


    But today, and during theirst meeting, he felt like he didn’t really know her at all.


    Last time, she was sharp-tongued and quick to anger, always on the defensive. She even ran away once because she felt wronged.


    But this time, she seemed different. She smiled more, but there was still a hint of disdain in her expression. Despite her own brother being there, she never acknowledged him, acting as if he wasn’t even in the room.


    He sneered inwardly, ‘Betty says Zinnia just isn’t much of a talker, but now it seems less like shyness and more like rudeness.’


    “Hah, Timothy, if you don’t want Zinnia, we’ll take her in. If Betty’s the only sister you’ve got, then stay out of our way,” Jackson said with a sneer. It seemed they didn’t think there was anything wrong with getting rid of Zinnia.


    He added, “If you can’t handle two girls, we can help out. Besides, Zinnia already thinks of us as family. You keep Betty, and we’ll take Zinnia.”


    “But Jackson-“Timothy frowned. Their family could take care of them both and he thought they had never rejected Zinnia. In his eyes, it was ridiculous to consider the Lynn family took


    Zinnia in.


    The cold look in Jackson’s eyes felt like a p. It was like he was calling out Timothy for being blind to the situation. Jackson’s words were sharp, showing no mercy for Betty or Timothy. Before he could even get a word in, Jackson cut him off.


    11:11 Wed, 17 Sept


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    Timothy’s irritation was building. He hadn’t been sleeping welltely, thanks to a tough case that had kept him up for days. His nerves were on edge. Running into Zinnia and getting chewed out by Jackson only made things worse. He wished he’d nevere out at all.


    But Jackson held a lot of influence over the Shaw family, and none of them wanted to cross him. Timothy suppressed the mounting frustration and tried to quell the anxiety that was stirring inside him.


    For a moment, neither Timothy nor Betty knew what to say.


    Betty felt like every mocking nce around her was aimed at her, like everyone was looking down on her.


    *****


    Jackson took Zinnia’s hand and led her toward the counter. “Hi, I’m here to pick up my order,” he said.


    The clerk had been thinking about sharing this juicy gossip with her friends after work, but she quicklyposed herself and smiled politely, “Sure, Mr. Lynn. Your custom piece is ready. It’s right over here-please take a look.”


    She walked over to the jewelry disy where Betty had been browsing earlier and showed the jewelry set.


    “Zinnia, do you like it? This is a wee gift I prepared for you. I didn’t get the chance to give it to you earlier, so I thought I’d make it up to you now,” Jackson said as they approached.


    He had ordered the jewelry in a rush the first time he met Zinnia, and it had finally arrived that day. He wanted to surprise her with something special.


    Zinnia’s eyes widened as she looked at the gemstone in the ss case. Her fingers, which had been nervously gripping her cup, rxed. “Thank you, Jackson,” she said softly, her lips curving into a smile.


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    11:11 Wed, 17 Sept