Chapter 131

Zinnia had just stepped out of her room when the doorbell rang. Assuming it was the food delivery, she went to answer. But as soon as she opened the door, a thunderous roar exploded in her ears.

James bellowed, “You damn brat! Been back this long and not once come home? Do I have to come fetch you myself?”

Zinnia blinked up at James.

James was in his early sixties. His piercing eyes shone with vitality, and his weathered, wrinkled face bore the marks of time. His hair was already streaked with gray.

His posture was ramrod straight, clad in a sharp black suit that amplified his commanding presence. With hawk-like intensity, his piercing gaze swept the empty living room, his brows drawn together in a deep frown.

Zinnia noticed James bore a faint resemblance to Yannis.

“Mr. Perkins, look down,” Victor whispered.

James frowned in confusion. At 6' tall, he towered over Zinnia, who was only 5'3". Not expecting anyone else to be in Yannis’s apartment, he didn’t even bother to look down. So he completely missed Zinnia standing right in front of him.

“Sir, are you looking for Yannis?” Zinnia asked.

Hearing the soft, sweet voice, it was as if someone had flipped a switch in James; his fierce expression froze mid-snarl. Only when he looked down did he notice Zinnia.

Zinnia wore a soft pink dress, her silky hair cascading over her shoulders and neck. Her features were delicate and pure, with eyes that sparkled like polished gemstones.

She was stunningly pretty, her makeup-free face utterly captivating, and so endearing that one just wanted to protect her.

James felt his tough exterior just melt away. Only then did he realize that the living room looked nothing like Yannis’s place. He thought he might have come to the wrong apartment.

As for the “Yannis” Zinnia mentioned, James didn’t even register it, being too caught up in the moment.

James was halfway through the door when he abruptly pulled back. He said, “My apologies, young lady. Wrong place.” He then closed the door with exaggerated lightness, afraid even the slightest sound might startle Zinnia inside.

James moved with such fluid efficiency that Zinnia didn’t even get a chance to speak.

James frowned and grumbled to Victor, “Victor, what the hell! I told you to take me to that damn brat’s place. Why’d you bring me to some young lady’s apartment instead? Hope we didn’t scare the poor girl just now.”

Victor, still a bit dazzled by Zinnia he’d just seen, adjusted his reading glasses and muttered to himself, “This is Yannis’s place. Or are my eyes playing tricks on me?”

He glanced up at the doorplate, double-checking the address. Then he said, “This is the place.”

James frowned. Before he could say anything else to Victor, the door swung open again.

Zinnia said, “Sir, are you looking for Yannis? He’s at work and hasn’t come back yet. Why don’t you come in and take a seat first?”

The moment James saw Zinnia, his stern expression softened. The deep frown between his brows relaxed as he consciously modulated his voice to sound gentle. He said, “So this is Yannis’s place after all. We two old fellows thought we’d gotten the wrong apartment.”

Zinnia nodded and said, “Yannis isn’t back yet. Please come in and make yourselves comfortable. I’ll get you some water.” She opened the door wider to let them in, then went over to the kitchen to pour them each a glass of water.

James turned to Victor and whispered, “What’s a young girl doing in that damn brat’s place? He should’ve given me a heads-up. Hope I didn’t scare her. Victor, you don’t think she’s my future daughter-in-law, do you? That damn brat’s gone too far! This girl looks barely legal. The older he gets, the worse he behaves. I swear I’ll break his legs!”

James’s sharp gaze landed on Zinnia. His stern eyes softened with a touch of affection. He thought, ‘What a lovely little thing. She is far too good for that rascal Yannis. But she looks barely legal! That brat never does anything right. If this really happens, how am I supposed to face her parents? Sure, things might be more liberal overseas, but that brat still can’t go and do something so beastly!’

Victor said, “Yannis isn’t the type to act irresponsibly. There might be some misunderstanding here.”

After Grace passed away, James had a volatile temper that no one could rein in. Whenever Yannis showed up, their meetings inevitably turned into shouting matches.

But faced with Zinnia, James was putting on an artificially sweet tone, which even Victor found hard to get used to.

Victor thought, ‘Even Devin and Layla have probably never heard him talk like this. If they did, they’d get goosebumps and quietly call for a doctor.’

James scoffed, “A misunderstanding? Come on, you and I both know what Yannis is like. He’d never let just anyone into his place unless they meant something to him. And look at this decor, no more of that gloomy black-and-white nonsense. It’s obvious this was all changed for that little girl.”

As James walked on with a cold snort, his sharp, shrewd eyes swept over the dramatically transformed apartment. He was convinced he had it all figured out.

When Yannis was little, Grace had decorated his rooms in warm colors. But once he had a say, every place he lived in was either funeral-black or hospital-white, which always felt stifling. Now, looking around at this softer, warmer space, James felt much more pleasant.

Victor fell silent. He realized that James was right about Yannis. He began to believe that Zinnia truly mattered to Yannis.

As they chatted, the two made their way to the living room and took a seat on the sofa.

Zinnia poured two glasses of water for them and said gently, “Please have some water.”

“Thank you,” James and Victor replied in unison, their eyes still fixed on Zinnia as they carefully accepted the glasses with both hands.

Zinnia felt increasingly self-conscious under their gazes. Though she knew they meant no harm, being stared at for so long made her fidget. She offered, “Let me wash some fruit for you.”

James said softly, “Young lady, don’t trouble yourself. We will just sit for a bit, then we’ll be on our way. No need to fuss over us.”

His eyes remained fixed on Zinnia, a shrewd, curious glint in his gaze. When he tried to soften his voice, the forced gentleness was unmistakably stiff and awkward.

Zinnia said, “No trouble at all.” With that, she hurried into the kitchen. As she thought about James, a slight shiver ran through her. It was not out of fear, but simply because she just wasn’t used to being around someone like that.

She thought, ‘Despite his fierce appearance, his gaze is unexpectedly gentle. He was trying to lower his naturally booming voice, but it came out awkwardly. His voice was sometimes loud, sometimes soft, as if he wasn’t used to it at all. The mix of these qualities gives off such a strange vibe that it leaves me feeling a bit uneasy.

Even though James tried hard to conceal his imposing aura, Zinnia could tell that he was no ordinary person. He was someone who had been through countless battles and seen his fair share of bloodshed.

Victor said, “Mr. Perkins, let’s just talk normally. If you keep this up, I can’t take it, let alone that poor girl.”