Chapter 105

Zinnia gave Yannis a puzzled look, wondering why he was covering her ears.

But with that gesture, the world around Zinnia seemed to fade, and his words became barely audible. Her gaze was drawn to Yannis’s lips instead. She couldn’t make out any of the words. She could only see him talking animatedly.

Faced with Yannis’s relentless accusations, Howard felt completely choked up, as if his throat had turned to stone. He just couldn’t get a single word out.

Yannis glared at Howard and said, “If you can’t even take care of people properly, then just mind your own business. Don’t use your self-righteous attempts at making amends to trouble others, just because you can’t live with your own guilt over what you’ve done. Your so-called apologies are…”

“You’re only trying to ease your own conscience, never once considering if your actions are just a nuisance to Zinnia."

“Right now, it’s nothing but a fleeting sense of guilt. You’ve never truly accepted her. Only when one sister got hurt did you suddenly remember you had another."

“If Betty hadn’t gotten into trouble, would you have even noticed Zinnia? If you really want to make amends, clear your mind first and think it through before you come back."

“Don’t dump your guilt on her and make her feel even worse."

“You think a few half-hearted apologies can heal a heart that’s been wronged over and over?"

“Not a shred of sincerity. Are you serious?"

“You can’t even clean up your own mess, yet you want to drag someone else into it. How dare you,” Yannis said.

Yannis hadn’t known exactly what Zinnia had endured in the Shaw family, but today’s investigation ignited an inexplicable rage within him. No wonder Jackson was so furious and refused to ever send Zinnia back there.

In the end, Zinnia never found out exactly what Yannis had said. All she saw was Howard’s face turning deathly pale as he staggered away.

‘He looked completely shattered,’ Zinnia thought to herself.

“Yannis, can you let go now?” Zinnia tapped lightly on the back of his hand.

Only then did Yannis realize his hand was still covering her ears, his palm growing strangely warm. He quickly withdrew his hand, hiding it behind his back, his fingers unconsciously rubbing together.

‘This girl is delicate in every way–her skin unbelievably soft,’ he thought, flustered. ‘Even now, I can still feel that silken sensation lingering in my palm. Is it just the heat, or am I actually sweating?’

The Shaw family’s actions were truly infuriating, so Yannis ended up saying more than he intended.

“What did you say to him? He looked completely shattered,” Zinnia said. After all, she’d been raised by her Master since she was little. He took care of everything for her, from washing her face to brushing her hair and dressing her. She was curious about what Yannis had said to Howard. ‘He was going on and on–must’ve used all kinds of fancy words,’ she thought. Too bad my ears were covered. I couldn’t even learn from it!

‘I’m a good student who loves to learn,’ Zinnia thought to herself.

“Don’t pick up all that weird slang from Maisie,” Yannis teased. “What’s with saying someone’s ‘shattered!’ That just means he’s hurt emotionally."

Hearing her choice of words, Yannis immediately knew she’d picked it up from Maisie. Zinnia only ever uses a handful of phrases—something like ‘shattered’ definitely isn’t one of hers.

“Nope,” Zinnia mumbled, her eyes darting away, unable to meet his gaze.

“You look guilty. Come on, let’s go home for dinner,” Yannis said with a chuckle, gently patting Zinnia’s head as he took her backpack. They walked toward the residential area together.

He’d been so busy lately that by the time he got home, Zinnia was already asleep. It had been ages since they’d shared a meal.

“I can just order takeout myself,” Zinnia said as Yannis led her into the elevator to the 19th floor. She’d already learned how to order food delivery. Maybe she’d even treat herself to a cup of orange juice.

“Takeout isn’t healthy. You’re still a child."

‘She must not have been properly nourished as a child. Otherwise, how could she be light enough for me to lift with just one hand?’ Yannis thought to himself.

“I’m not going to get any taller,” Zinnia mumbled, tilting her head up to compare their heights. He must be close to 6 feet 3 inches. She sighed inwardly, ‘Compared to him, I wouldn’t ever be that tall.’ Honestly, it was already a miracle she’d grown this much, only thanks to a whole mountain of healthy food Master gave her. She was nearly stillborn. If it weren’t for Master’s medical skills, she wouldn’t even be here.

Yannis retorted with a grin, “Who says? With proper care, you’ll still grow taller. You’re so tiny now, anyone could just pick you up and walk off with you. Walk next to me and people might think you’re my kid.”

Zinnia retorted playfully, “You’re not that much older than me. You couldn’t possibly be my father.” There’s only a six-year gap between them. When he was six, he was still in elementary school. There was absolutely no way he could have fathered Zinnia.

“Jackson entrusted you to me, and if he comes back and sees you’ve lost weight, he’s definitely going to give me a hard time."

“You can’t cook, so I’ll find you a good delivery place. Just order whatever you want each day and they’ll bring it to you,” Yannis said, gently patting her head. He’d already checked with Jackson. Zinnia didn’t want a housekeeper around and wasn’t comfortable with strangers at home. Yannis didn’t like having unfamiliar people in his place either. But lately, he’d been so busy that he couldn’t promise to come back and cook for her every day. Arranging a delivery service would at least make sure she ate something healthy. That tiny frame of hers was already too thin. If she kept eating junk food, she’d only get skinnier.

‘This is the time when her studies are most demanding. I can cut corners on other things, but never on her health,’ he thought.

“Takeout’s really convenient,” Zinnia said, not wanting to trouble him. “And it’s more budget-friendly too."

“It’s just as convenient for them to deliver meals to you. Come on, let’s go to my place first,” Yannis said. The elevator had arrived, and he waited for Zinnia to step out before following her.

Yannis didn’t rush to open the door. Instead, he tapped twice on the digital lock and said, “Zinnia, come here and register your fingerprint scanner.”

Zinnia had thought he was just making small talk before, but now she realized he was completely serious about it.

After some consideration, Zinnia said seriously, “No need.” She really didn’t think she’d ever have a reason to visit his place.

Yannis put on a wounded look and said, “Zinnia, you’re breaking my heart saying that. Don’t you see me as family? I’ve always treated you as my own little sister.” He let out a dramatic sigh. “I’m all alone in this world–if anything ever happens to me, there’ll be no one to help me."

Yannis’s voice softened, his long, beautiful lashes lowering to cast a shadow over his eyelids. Zinnia thought, ‘He suddenly looks so down.’

Zinnia hadn’t expected Yannis to suddenly look so wounded. Every time she’d seen him before, he was always smiling–even yesterday when he was angry, he never showed the slightest hint of vulnerability. But now, he was pouting pitifully, saying he was all alone in the world, and a tiny pang of guilt stirred in Zinnia’s heart.