Chapter 133

James’s face stiffened as he quickly snatched the napkin and wiped at his mouth in a flustered mess. He said, “Who even likes this stuff, anyway?”

“Left side,” Jackson said coldly, giving him a frosty glance.

James awkwardly switched to wipe the other side of his mouth. He then looked at Victor and Zinnia. He asked, “Did I get it all?”

“Yes,” Zinnia replied as she nodded.

Victor also nodded.

“Fine, if you don’t like them, I’ll stop having them delivered,” Jackson said coolly as he took a seat beside Zinnia.

James shot a glare at Yannis and quickly said, “Keep sending them then. Otherwise, what’s Zinnia supposed to snack on when she comes over?”

“Why not just have someone buy fresh snacks when Zinnia visits? By the time she gets here, whatever’s in the pantry might as well have expired,” Yannis said as he opened a bag of chips for Zinnia.

His long lashes cast shadows as he looked down, his veined hand deftly handling the packaging.

James shot back, “Nothing anyone else buys could ever match what you have delivered to her taste. And if they expire, just order more.”

“Broke,” Jackson said.

Zinnia sat off to the side, watching their exchange, and inexplicably sensed a subtle tension in the air.

James was fuming, while Jackson remained perfectly composed. Even as James glared daggers at Yannis from across the table, Yannis kept feeding Zinnia chips, unruffled and calm.

James’s hawk-like eyes flashed sharply as he said, “If you need money, you should just ask me directly. Victor, send him the money. Otherwise, people might think I’m mistreating him.”

Victor pulled out his phone, thinking, ‘Mr. Perkins finally got the chance to give Yannis some money. I guess I should keep Devin and Layla informed about Yannis’s shortage of money, too. They will also be happy to offer help.’

“Victor, don’t listen to my father,” Yannis said calmly.

James said, “You just had to ignore the path I laid out for you. You went off to start some godforsaken company and lost every cent. Serves you right. Now you finally realize you’re broke?”

Yannis’s refusal stoked James’s fury. James clenched his fists, barely restraining the urge to give Yannis a good thrashing. He thought, ‘Why couldn’t he have inherited even a shred of Grace’s gentle nature? He is stubborn as a damned mule.’

Yannis shot James a lazy sidelong glance, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. He said, “Mind your language, old man. Don’t go corrupting Zinnia. Unless you want Jackson coming after you.”

James cleared his throat awkwardly and said, “Zinnia, I am sorry. Don’t pick up any bad habits from me, okay?”

“Okay, Mr. Perkins,” Zinnia replied. After chatting with James for a while, she was no longer afraid of him. She thought, ‘He’s quite gentle.’

If Yannis knew what Zinnia’s remark about James was, he’d be speechless for a good while. Anyone who’d heard of James’s fearsome reputation would be equally dumbfounded.

As was well known to everyone, James was a battle-hardened general whose very name could silence crying children. And he was anything but gentle.

Yannis frowned at the address “Mr. Perkins.” He said to Zinnia, “Given his informal demeanor, there’s no need to address him so formally; just call him by his name.”

Hearing this, James snapped, “You brat! Who are you saying is informal?” He instinctively raised his hand to smack Yannis, but, catching sight of Zinnia, swallowed his anger and put down his hand.

Yannis raised an eyebrow and said, “See?”

Yannis was long accustomed to James threatening to smack him at the drop of a hat. He didn’t even bat an eye anymore.

He thought, ‘He probably couldn’t hold back any longer to come looking for me, seething with suppressed anger. Only Zinnia’s presence made him restrain himself today.’

Victor thought, ‘There they go again. If Zinnia hadn’t been there, I can’t even imagine how far those two would have gone!’

Zinnia froze mid-bite. The chip snapped in her mouth, with one half still awkwardly sticking out between her teeth.

Seeing the chip about to fall, Yannis caught it with his bare hand and tossed it into the trash. Then, without hesitation, he gently brushed the crumbs off Zinnia’s dress.

Seeing what Yannis, always the notorious germaphobe, had just done, James and Victor were stunned.

James unbuttoned two buttons on his shirt, his throat burning with irritation. Just a few words with Yannis made him want to swear. He said to Zinnia, “Zinnia, you can just call me James.”

“James,” Zinnia called.

The reason Zinnia called James “Mr. Perkins” was that she considered him a senior, and it was their first meeting, so she wanted to show politeness and respect.

“Yeah, now that sounds right,” James said with a relieved chuckle, the awkwardness vanishing in an instant.

“What brings you here?” Yannis asked.

James shot back, “What do you think I’m here for? You’ve been back for over a month. Do I have to come drag you home myself?”

James instinctively wanted to blurt out a curse, but when he caught sight of Zinnia’s sweet, innocent face, he bit the words back. His gaze darkened with suppressed anger as he fixed it on Yannis.

Yannis gently ruffled Zinnia’s hair and handed her the bag of chips. He said, “Zinnia, go finish your homework first. I’ll make you dinner later.”

“Okay,” Zinnia replied, knowing the rest of the conversation wasn’t meant for her ears.

James softened his tone and said to Zinnia, “Zinnia, you’re welcome to drop by my place anytime.”

“Okay,” Zinnia replied. Then she took her chips and retreated to her room, thoughtfully closing the door behind her. The soundproofing was excellent; once the door was shut, she couldn’t hear a thing.

With Zinnia gone, the forced calm shattered instantly. James’s steely gaze pinned Yannis in place. He asked, “If I hadn’t come, were you planning to never come home?”

Yannis, who had been perched on the arm of the small sofa, now sank fully into the cushions. He lowered his eyes as he loosened his tie with one hand, his neck resting against the backrest.

He said, “Aren’t you annoyed by me? I’m a good kid. I won’t go back and get in your way.”

James shot back, “Bullshit! I ought to beat the shit out of you! Yeah, you’re a goddamn eyesore, but your mother’s memorial day is approaching. Are you going to stubbornly refuse to come home?”

As he spoke, he slapped down hard on the coffee table, the force of his barely contained fury making everything on it rattle.

The air instantly froze solid, an invisible chill spreading through the room.

Yannis’s hand, which had been idly toying with the cup, froze mid-motion. His lips tightened into a thin, taut line.

James’s words burst out before he could stop them. As realization hit, the fury froze on his face.