Chapter 14
Inside the mall, Zinnia ignored the shops and made straight for an oddly deserted elevator.
The other elevators had lines of people waiting, yet no one approached this one–even though it stood empty and ready. The crowd kept shooting her sideways looks instead of boarding, which told her something was off.
Soon, the elevator doors slid open, and Zinnia stepped inside without hesitation.
The people waiting outside stared in astonishment at this unfamiliar girl who dared to board Yannis’s private elevator.
Inside, the chatting group fell silent as Zinnia stepped in.
Toby Johnson, Yannis’s assistant, began speaking politely, “Excuse me, miss, this elevator is–”
Zinnia turned with a questioning look in her clear, bright eyes. “Is something wrong?”
Before anyone could respond, a deep, relaxed voice interrupted. “It’s fine. We’re not in any hurry.”
The elevator doors closed behind them, beginning their ascent before anyone could exit.
Zinnia turned toward the voice. As she tilted her head back to meet his eyes, a startling thought struck her–this man’s beauty could stand alongside her master’s.
He had elegantly shaped eyes, sharp cheekbones, and a straight nose above naturally rosy lips. His black shirt, slightly open at the collar, revealed a glimpse of his collarbone. Leaning casually against the elevator wall with one hand in his pocket, he exuded effortless grace.
He looked like something out of a dream–too perfect to be real, too striking to forget. For one reckless moment, she imagined keeping this beauty for herself alone.
“What are you staring at, little girl?” Yannis drawled, amusement coloring his voice. There was something unsettling about how Zinnia looked right through him—like she was staring at something invisible just over his shoulder.
Toby bit back a laugh as he watched his boss mess with Zinnia.
They’d assumed Zinnia was just another girl trying to catch Yannis’s eye– but the blank look on her face made it clear she had no idea why she was even standing there.
The executives standing around exchanged glances as they watched their boss tease the young girl.
“Nothing,” Zinnia muttered, turning her face away. She hated it when he called her “little girl.” It made her skin prickle with irritation.
The realization hit her suddenly–she’d stepped into the wrong elevator. This clearly wasn’t meant for regular shoppers.
“You’re gonna pick a floor or what?” Yannis asked.
In his eyes, Zinnia moved with such hesitant, jerky motions–like a baby penguin taking its first steps.
“Oh, right.” Zinnia pressed the button, but nothing happened. When the elevator failed to respond, she looked up at Yannis with confused blinking. “It’s not working.”
For once, even Yannis seemed genuinely surprised by the situation.
Toby stepped in smoothly to explain. “Mr. Perkins, this is a private elevator that only goes directly to the penthouse unless you have a keycard for other floors.”
Toby had been about to warn Zinnia when Yannis stopped him mid-motion. It was standard security protocol–they never risked letting potential threats track the CEO’s movements.
The elevator fell silent. Zinnia shot Yannis a look that plainly said, “You absolute moron.”
‘Perhaps I shouldn’t have stopped Toby from helping her exit earlier.’ The realization that a little girl was now judging him made Yannis stiffen. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, he found himself trapped by her wide, guileless eyes.
Ironically, Yannis himself hadn’t recognized this was a private elevator. “At the top,” Yannis instructed Toby, his voice clipped, “use your access card to select her floor.”
“Yes, sir,” Toby replied.
The elevator ride to the sixteenth floor was completely quiet. Zinnia, who rarely spoke anyway, stayed silent. Yannis, still shaken by her sharp look, couldn’t find his words. His nice gesture had totally failed.
For the first time in his twenty-year career of effortless charm, Yannis found himself at a loss. All his polished social skills meant nothing under Zinnia's judging gaze. That one look cut deeper than any boardroom ever had.
The elevator doors finally slid open, and Yannis dashed out as if on urgent business.
Left to handle the situation, Toby turned to Zinnia with a courteous smile. “Which floor did you need, miss?”
“The sixteenth,” Zinnia answered.
“Understood. Enjoy your shopping–Mr. Perkins is covering your expenses today.” Toby swiped his access card before heading straight for the conference room.
The doors closed before Zinnia could respond, leaving her alone as the elevator began its descent.
The whole situation left Zinnia unsettled. Yannis might have been ridiculously good-looking, but nobody acted that way–randomly paying for strangers.
Zinnia knew exactly what this meant–when Toby said Mr. Perkins was covering the bill, it could only mean Yannis had given the order.
A soft chime announced her arrival on the sixteenth floor. The level specialized in antiques and handcrafted goods, each store adorned with vintage charm.
Zinnia browsed casually until she paused outside a modest shop labeled Moore’s Herbary. As she approached, the rich, earthy aroma of dried herbs greeted her.
“Miss, what can I get for you today?” The shop clerk stepped out from behind the counter with a friendly smile as Zinnia walked in.
“Hi, I’m looking to buy these herbs.” Zinnia started ticking off the names one by one.
“Got it. That’ll be six grand total,” the clerk said, grabbing the herbs and packing them up in no time.
Just as Zinnia was about to pull out her wallet, a voice crackled through the clerk’s earpiece. “Miss, my boss said to scratch your bill today. It’s on the house.”
Zinnia’s eyes widened in surprise. With that, she just got a whole bunch of herbs for free.
“Is there anything else I can help you with?” the clerk asked, still polite as ever.
Zinnia hesitated for a moment. “Actually, do you take in herbs?”
She remembered how cheap the herbs were–about the cost of a single meal for her.
‘Master always made city life sound so expensive–if he’d found me here, he’d have starved himself just to keep me fed,‘ she thought.
Zinnia studied the herbs in her bag, turning over her options. Selling just one ginseng root would be enough to cover her costs—she’d brought ten, which meant she wouldn’t have to stress about money for a while.
The thought was a relief; she’d always worried that buying medicine in the city would drain her savings.
‘I’ll have to reach out to Tareston for another shipment. Between rent, tuition, and studying, I’ll need every penny,’ she mused.
The clerk wore a slightly hesitant expression. “Miss, we have official suppliers. We don’t typically purchase from independent sellers,” he said, shifting his weight.
Zinnia’s hand stilled halfway to unzipping her canvas bag. “You don’t buy from individuals?” she asked, disappointment creeping into her voice.
She’d followed her master’s instructions exactly–his note had told her to come here to sell the herbs. This wasn’t the reception she’d expected.
‘Life hasn’t been easy lately,‘ Zinnia sighed inwardly, wondering how her master had managed to sell herbs so effortlessly before.
“Hey, miss–mind if I check out that wooden thing in your bag?” The shop clerk’s voice cut in, his eyes locked on the corner of the token peeking out from Zinnia’s bag.