Chapter 137

Before she knew it, the weekend had arrived. When Zinnia woke up, to her surprise, Yannis was still at home, a rare occurrence. Still groggy, she blinked at him sleepily and called out, “Yannis?”

Standing by the window, Yannis was dressed head to toe in black. He wore a jet-black shirt and black casual pants. His expression was unreadable, his profile exuding a cold detachment. An aura of melancholy and gloom clung to him.

The early morning sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, yet even its golden light couldn’t chase away the loneliness that enveloped him.

A bouquet of white daisies sat on the living room table.

Yannis was on the phone in the living room. Hearing Zinnia’s voice, he hung up immediately and turned around. Seeing her drowsy state, the corners of his lips gradually curved upward, dispelling his usual aloofness as a glint of light appeared in his eyes.

Yannis said gently, “You’re awake, Zinnia. What would you like to eat? I’ll have someone bring it to you.”

“I’m not hungry yet, so I don’t want anything,” Zinnia replied, still a bit groggy as she shook her head. She rarely had any appetite in the mornings and usually skipped breakfast when she didn’t have school.

Yannis said gently, “Let’s have some milk to tide you over. How about I cook you some spaghetti? Skipping breakfast isn’t good for your stomach.”

Yannis walked over from the floor-to-ceiling window to the kitchen island. He poured a glass of milk and handed it to Zinnia.

Still a bit sleepy, Zinnia shuffled over to the kitchen island. She accepted the milk and said, “Thank you, Yannis.”

“You’re welcome,” Yannis said with a soft smile, gently stroking Zinnia’s head as he smoothed down the little tuft of hair sticking up. He added, “I’ll go make you some spaghetti.” With that, he turned and headed into the kitchen.

Zinnia sat at the kitchen island, slowly sipping her milk as she watched Yannis bustling about in the kitchen.

Zinnia blinked sleepily and asked, “Yannis, aren’t you going to work today?”

Yannis was always busy with work, and Zinnia had school, so their time together was mostly limited to the evenings. But after living together for some time now, the two had grown much closer.

Yannis said gently, “I’m taking the day off today for something, so I’ll have to leave soon. I might not be back in time to cook dinner, so I’ll have dinner delivered to you. If you need anything, just call me.”

As he spoke, he set the spaghetti down in front of Zinnia and sat down across from her.

Zinnia twirled the spaghetti to let it cool before taking a bite. She nodded and said, “Okay. I need to go back to the Lynn residence this afternoon.”

Sofía called the previous day. She asked Zinnia to visit the Lynn residence over the weekend. Sofia also mentioned that there was a package for Zinnia. It had arrived on Friday, but no one knew who had sent it.

“Zinnia, it’s getting colder today. Remember to put on a jacket when you go out. And text me when you get back so I know you’re safe, okay?” he reminded her gently. He didn’t restrict where Zinnia went.

October had arrived, and the autumn chill was setting in.

“Okay,” Zinnia replied.

Since Yannis wouldn’t be back for a while, he wanted to wait until Zinnia woke up so he could say goodbye before heading out. He waited until Zinnia finished eating before leaving with the bouquet of white daisies.

After Yannis left, Zinnia gathered her things and then returned to the Lynn residence.

Sofia had been watching the courtyard, and the moment she spotted Zinnia, she came out beaming with joy to greet her. “Zinnia, you’re back!” Sofia called out, her face alight with happiness.

“Sofia,” Zinnia called out sweetly.

“Quick, dear! The pastry chef prepared all sorts of delicious treats just for you,” Sofia said warmly, taking Zinnia by the hand and leading her into the living room.

“Okay,” Zinnia replied.

Knowing Zinnia was coming back that day, Henry stayed home instead of going out to play chess with his old friends. He was in the study, reviewing the chess game he’d played with Raymond last time.

When Benedict informed him that Zinnia had arrived, Henry set down his chess pieces immediately and came out of the study to greet Zinnia.

Henry exclaimed warmly, “Zinnia, you’re back! Quick, come here! My, how you’ve grown! You’re getting prettier every day!”

“Grandpa,” Zinnia called with a smile.

Sofia led Zinnia to sit on the living room sofa, carefully examining her for any signs of weight loss or distress. She said, “Zinnia dear, how are things going with Yannis?

“If it’s not working out, I can always arrange a new place for you, you know.”

“No need, Sofia. Yannis has been really good to me,” Zinnia said with a gentle smile.

Seeing Zinnia’s radiant smile and her lively, sparkling eyes, Sofia knew she wasn’t lying. She thought, ‘Zinnia seems more at ease with Yannis than with us.’ She gently smoothed Zinnia’s hair.

Sofia smiled and said gently, “It looks like you and Yannis are getting along well, Zinnia. Don’t believe what people say about him. Yannis is truly a good person. He’s had a hard life and is such a poor soul.”

Zinnia couldn’t help but feel there was a deeper meaning behind Sofia’s words.

After lunch, Sofia beckoned to Benedict, who came over holding a small package in his hand.

Sofia said, “Zinnia, this package arrived at home yesterday. Since you weren’t here, I had someone sign for it.”

“Is this for me?” Zinnia asked, frowning in confusion as she took the box from Benedict. Since moving out of the Lynn family home, she’d had Chandler handle her move and made sure all deliveries went to her new address.

She thought, ‘There is no reason anything should still be sent here.’

The package was surprisingly small, far too tiny to hold the medicinal herbs Zinnia had requested. Then, struck by a sudden realization, Zinnia clenched tightly around the package.

Noticing Zinnia’s unease, Sofia asked, “Zinnia, what’s wrong?”

Zinnia couldn’t afford to stay at the Lynn residence any longer. Hastily pulling out the gifts she’d prepared, she said, “Don’t worry, Sofia, I made plans with Maisie to hang out. She’s probably waiting outside. I’ll come visit again soon.

“Sofia, these herbal pills are for you. The coffee beans are for Henry. He can brew some while fishing to help with his headaches. Here’s a small first-aid kit for Jackson, Soothing Soup for Charlie, bruise ointment for Isaac, and this is for Benedict.”

“Take care on your way, dear,” Sofia called out, arms laden with gifts. She watched as Zinnia shouldered her backpack, picked up the box, and hurried out of the Lynn residence.

“Take it slow, Zinnia,” Benedict called out as he hurried after Zinnia.

“Got it,” Zinnia replied as she waved.

After leaving the Lynn residence, Zinnia walked some distance away before finding a place to sit down with the package in her hands. Staring at the unmarked package, she bit her lip nervously, then began carefully unwrapping it.

Inside were a wooden box and a glass jar of candy. Zinnia took out the box and opened it. Inside lay a set of keys.

Chapter 138