Chapter 65 Someone Sent Her Red Roses
Lucas wanted to say something more but ultimately stayed silent.
The moment the car stopped at the hospital entrance, Quinley yanked the door open and stepped out.
Minutes later, she appeared in Colin's room. Marlee was giving Colin a leg massage when she looked up and saw Quinley walk in, surprise flickering across her face.
"Quinny, weren't you away on that intensive training program? How did it end so quickly?"
Quinley hesitated. She'd been taken away so suddenly that she hadn't had time to tell her family. Someone had clearly covered up her arrest.
"Yeah, it's finished," she replied simply.
"Look how exhausted you are—you've lost so much weight." Marlee's voice was full of concern. "Let me finish massaging your dad's arms, then there's fruit in the bowl. Go wash some and eat."
Quinley was indeed hungry. She got up to get some fruit but stopped short when she saw what was in the bowl. Several exotic varieties she couldn't even name, all bearing imported labels with hefty price tags. Colin and Marlee had been frugal their entire lives, usually buying inexpensive apples and bananas. They would never splurge on imported fruit.
"Mom, did you buy these?"
Quinley picked up one piece, then set it back down.
"We could never afford these! They were sent by one of your former colleagues. Look, he even brought premium supplements." Marlee continued massaging Colin's shoulder as she gestured toward the door.
Following her gaze, Quinley noticed several boxes of high-end nutritional supplements stacked by the entrance. During her years with Zachary, she'd handled plenty of gift-giving—expensive, rare, meaningful items. Those supplement boxes were all imported goods she recognized, each costing twenty to thirty thousand dollars.
Which of her colleagues could be so generous? Only Zachary.
"Quinny, why don't you go back to your old company? Look, they haven't forgotten about you!"
The suggestion hit Quinley like a slap. She had already told Marlee about her relationship with Zachary, yet here her mother was, encouraging her to return. At the time, she'd assumed Marlee was just being naive.
"Mom, we can't accept these things."
Quinley found a bag and packed all the fruit, then grabbed the supplement boxes and hurried out of Colin's room.
On the twenty-fifth floor special care unit, Quinley's sudden appearance drew immediate hostility from Mary.
"Bitch, you still have the nerve to show up here?"
Mary had once addressed her respectfully as Ms. Elikin, but now the insult came naturally. Quinley didn't bother arguing. She set the items on the ground and turned to leave.
Not understanding the situation, Mary stepped forward and trampled the fruit with her feet, then grabbed the supplement boxes and hurled them at Quinley. "Stop putting on an act! Ms. Parker won't eat your stuff. Get lost—"
One box flew straight toward Quinley's head with surprising force. Suddenly, large hands shielded her.
"Bang!"
The box hit the ground with a dull thud.
"M-Mr. Jennings!" Mary was stunned. She had meant to drive Quinley away but had accidentally injured Zachary instead. The corner of the box had grazed his chin, immediately drawing blood.
"Are you okay?" Even though he was the one hurt, he was concerned about Quinley.
The familiar scent lingered around her. Quinley quickly pushed Zachary away. "Mr. Jennings, we appreciate the gesture, but we don't need it."
She hurried back into the elevator and pressed the down button.
Zachary's eyes narrowed. She was angry with him. Very angry.
Fruit lay scattered across the floor. Mary clasped her hands nervously, her aged face pale as paper. "Mr. Jennings, I really didn't mean to. She came here with these things, and I was just refusing them on Ms. Parker's behalf. I never intended to hurt you."
Mary's loyalty to Sylvia was absolute. Since Sylvia didn't like Quinley, neither did she. Since Sylvia cared about Zachary, so did she.
"Don't let it happen again." Zachary's warning was cold but controlled.
"I guarantee there won't be a next time," Mary promised hastily.
Quinley rode the elevator to the first floor lobby, the anger in her chest refusing to dissipate. At the crucial moment, he hadn't trusted her, choosing instead to stand with Alicia. Afterward, he thought some compensation would make her forgive him.
The most frightening realization was suddenly understanding that while you thought you were important to someone, you were actually insignificant.
Having seen reality clearly, Quinley only wanted to completely sever ties with Zachary.
Leaving the hospital, she turned into a nearby alley that housed a small food street. She randomly chose a restaurant and ordered stew and bread, forcing herself to eat despite having no appetite.
Halfway through her meal, her phone rang. The call was from the orphanage.
"Ms. Elikin, sorry to bother you so late. Iris suddenly said she had something to tell you and insisted I call you."
Agnes's voice came through the phone. Quinley switched hands, her tone becoming gentle and sweet.
"Iris, did you miss me? I'll come see you in a few days, okay? I'll bring you lots of candy. You need to listen to Agnes, all right?"
Quinley had a way with children. It had taken her less than two hours to win Iris's complete trust.
"Ms. Elikin." Iris's voice was crisp, then dropped to a whisper. "That person you mentioned—I actually saw him."
Quinley's heart skipped a beat. Her knife and fork clattered to the ground.
"Do you remember what he looked like?"
"That man had a black mole at the corner of his mouth and wore glasses. He wasn't very tall. He contacted Aunt June to meet up, and I saw him give her a really thick stack of money."
Iris shared everything she knew.
A man with a mole at the corner of his mouth who wore glasses. The description was distinctive, and Quinley's mind immediately went to one person: Harold's assistant, Kevin.
In an instant, the fog clouding her thoughts cleared. Sylvia was Zachary's biological mother. Only by hurting her could someone truly wound Zachary. The perpetrator had orchestrated everything carefully, using Quinley's name to harm Sylvia to the point where her life hung in the balance. No matter how much Zachary cared about Quinley, he wouldn't ignore his mother's life and death.
Only if he turned against her would Quinley experience the deepest pain. Only when she was broken might he let go.
This move killed two birds with one stone. Ruthless.
"Iris, remember what I'm telling you. Don't mention what you just said to anyone else, understand?"
"I understand. Iris doesn't remember anything," the clever girl agreed.
After hanging up, Quinley couldn't eat another bite. Kevin was Harold's man, carrying out Harold's orders. He had bribed Aunt June, manipulated Iris into stealing Quinley's phone, then sent messages to Sylvia using Quinley's name.
Sylvia, unaware of the trap, had kept the appointment and walked into their snare. They had sent the messages, and it wasn't hard to guess who had pushed the flower pot. To frame Quinley, they had gambled with Sylvia's life.
Their hearts were truly vicious.
But Aunt June was dead—no one left to testify. Even knowing the truth, Quinley couldn't clear her name.
She left the restaurant and walked back toward the hospital. As she neared the main entrance, a delivery guy called out to her.
"Excuse me, are you Ms. Quinley?"
"I am." She nodded numbly.
The delivery guy turned and pressed a large bouquet of bright red roses into her hands. "These are from your boyfriend!"