At the sight of the key, Zinnia’s eyes grew misty. Dangling from it was a white magnolia pendant, handcrafted by Master, their promised token. As long as she saw the magnolia, she knew Master was safe.
Zinnia had been on edge ever since her Master left so suddenly. But now, seeing the magnolia pendant, the knot of worry in her heart finally began to loosen.
“Master,” Zinnia murmured as she picked up the key, her slender pale fingers gently stroking the white magnolia. Beneath the key was a folded note with an address. The moment she recognized the familiar handwriting, her eyes slowly welled up with tears.
The note read: [I’m sorry, Zinnia. It was my fault for not thinking things through and making you suffer. This key is for the house I prepared for you. If you’re not happy staying there, just leave.
[Remember, you’ll always have a place to call home with me. And the candies in the glass jar are limited to one per day. Don’t eat more than you should! I promise, before you finish them all, I’ll come back for you.]
Zinnia lifted the glass jar. Inside, there was a dazzling kaleidoscope of colorful candies wrapped in shimmering papers, piled high like a rainbow. A single crystal tear splashed onto the note beneath.
Meanwhile, far across the ocean, a pale-faced man clutched his chest as a sharp pain pierced through him. Struck by some agonizing thought, he suddenly doubled over, crimson blood trickling from the corner of his lips. He murmured, “Zinnia.”
Zinnia composed herself. Then she carefully tucked the box into her backpack and folded the neatly creased note into the inner pocket. Her gaze lingered on the beautiful glass jar as she frowned slightly.
She thought, ‘Master left so many candies, but I can only have one per day, and I’m not even allowed to count how many are left. I don’t know when Master will return, but at least I have something to look forward to.
‘When the last candy is gone, Master will come back. That hope is enough for me.’ A faint smile played on Zinnia’s lips as she thought, ‘Master will come back for me soon.’
Zinnia had taken a cab to Lynn residence by herself. Since Sofia and the others thought she was with Maisie, they didn’t bother to arrange a ride to send her back. Now she was figuring out how to get home.
Just then, she heard a voice calling “Zinnia!” Turning around, she saw Maisie leaning out of the car window with a bright smile.
Stranded in this remote villa district, where taxis were scarce and ride-hailing apps were useless, Zinnia never expected to run into Maisie here.
The car soon pulled up in front of her. “Hop in, Zinnia!” Maisie called out cheerfully, swinging the door open with a bright smile.
Zinnia got in the car and said, “Hey, Maisie!”
“Zinnia, I was just about to ask you for some shopping. What luck running into you now. Come on, let’s go have some fun,” Maisie said, having planned to go to Cloud Harbor to hang out with Zinnia.
Zinnia couldn’t help but smile back, catching Maisie’s infectious grin. She asked, “Where are we off to?”
Maisie noticed that Zinnia’s beautiful eyes glistened with tears, so bright and tender that it tugged at her heart. She asked, “Zinnia, why are you crying? Did something happen? Or did someone bully you?”
Zinnia had sensitive skin; even a brief cry would leave her eyelids red. She hadn’t realized her eyes were still puffy. Touching her still-warm eyelids, she lowered her gaze and murmured, “The wind blew some sand into my eyes, so I rubbed them.”
Zinnia still wasn’t used to lying. Whenever she did, her gaze would instinctively drop, unable to meet anyone’s eyes.
Chapter 138
Maisie, not one to overthink things, gently cupped Zinnia’s face in her hands and gazed at her with concern. She said, “Is there still sand in your eyes? Does it hurt? Let me take a look.”
Zinnia’s face was deceptively innocent. Even when she lied, one’d find oneself believing her without question.
Zinnia shook her head and said, “It’s okay now. It doesn’t hurt anymore. Maisie, where are we going?” She turned to watch the scenery flashing by outside the window.
Maisie replied, “Let’s go shopping. It’s finally our monthly holiday, and it’s been ages since we had a proper shopping spree. The season’s changing, so we should update our wardrobes. Mom said we can buy as much as we want. She’ll foot the bill!”
The two of them headed to the downtown mall, the same one they’d been to before Jackson. Maisie knew the place like the back of her hand.
Instead of rushing to buy clothes, they decided to just wander around and have some fun in the mall first.
Maisie linked arms with Zinnia and led her into the cafe. They found a table and sat down. A server quickly brought over two tablets.
Maisie said enthusiastically, “Zinnia, the orange juice here is amazing, and the snacks are great too. Quick, see what you like!”
The menu offered a dizzying array of juice options. Maisie was the first to order. She picked out several desserts and a strawberry juice, carefully avoiding anything with cream.
Zinnia browsed through the enticing pictures on the tablet and finally settled on a drink that looked delicious.
The desserts arrived first. “Zinnia, this one’s cream-free, so you can have it,” Maisie said.
Zinnia picked up her spoon and scooped up a bite, anticipation in her eyes.
“Here are your drinks,” the server said as the drinks arrived.
Maisie popped in her straw, took a sip, and her eyes crinkled with pleasure.
Zinnia was just about to take a sip when Maisie suddenly sat bolt upright. Maisie said, “Wait, Zinnia!”
Zinnia had just put the straw to her lips when she paused, blinking in confusion.
“Excuse me,” Maisie called out to the server who was about to leave. The server turned around.
Maisie said, “I think you brought the wrong juice. My sister didn’t order this one; the name on the menu was different.”
Before the server could respond, Zinnia recognized those clear, gentle eyes and exclaimed in delight, “Lydia!”
Maisie looked at the server, puzzled. As she studied the server more closely, she realized those eyes did look strangely familiar.
Lydia pulled her mask down slightly, revealing half her face, and her warm eyes grew even softer as they turned to Zinnia.
“She can’t have cream, and that drink she ordered had some in it, so I swapped it for another one,” Lydia explained with a gentle smile.
Maisie blinked in surprise when she realized who it was. “Lydia! What are you doing here?” she asked, clearly taken aback.
“I’m working part-time here,” Lydia replied, her expression gentle.
“Lydia, wanna join us?” Zinnia asked warmly, gesturing to the sweet treats on the table.
“Hey Lydia, got a minute? Come eat with us. We’re heading to the mall this afternoon. Let’s all go together,” Maisie called out warmly.
Everyone in the class knew about Lydia’s family situation, but no one ever judged her for it.
Chapter 138
“Yeah! Let’s go together, Lydia!” Zinnia chimed in cheerfully.
Lydia said with a gentle smile, “Thanks, but I still have to finish my shift. You two go ahead and eat. Maybe next time.”
“Alright then,” Zinnia murmured, unable to hide her disappointment.
Noticing Zinnia’s disappointment, Lydia gently patted her on the head and smiled softly. She said, “I promise, next time I’ll go shopping with you.”
“Very well,” Zinnia said.