โDoes it still hurt anywhere, Zinnia?โ Yannis asked softly.
They were in the lounge of Yannisโs office. Zinniaโs face was pale, and her lips, usually full and rosy, were now completely drained of color. Strands of sweat-dampened hair clung to her cheeks, and her round, dazed eyes glistened with unshed tears. She looked so vulnerable, it really tugged at Yannisโs heart.
โNo, Yannis,โ Zinnia murmured as she finally came to. She realized she must have fainted from the pain. With the painkillers working in her system, the pain had dulled and was much more bearable.
โMr. Perkins, the meeting attendees are still waiting,โ Toby called from outside, knocking on the door.
This meeting was important for the companyโs AI robotics project. Three years in the making, it was at its most critical stage. Yannis needed to make decisions on key issues. That was the only reason he came to the office.
Zinnia spoke up, her voice weak. โYannis, you should get back to work. Iโll be fine on my own. Iโm feeling much better now. I just want to sleep.โ
โOkay, Zinnia, try to get some rest. When you wake up and I finish my meeting, Iโll take you home. If you need anything, just call the staff, all right?โ Yannis gently stroked her hair, his voice soft and calming.
Seeing the usually lively girl now so pale and weak in bed, he couldnโt deny the ache in his heart.
โOkay,โ Zinnia responded, closing her eyes again.
With the calming effects of the medicine meant to help with her discomfort, Zinnia, already tired from a sleepless night and now further drained by the drug, could barely keep her eyes open. Yannis gently tucked her in and left.
Toby was still waiting outside. Yannis ordered, โFind a girl to look after Zinniaโpay double.โ
Toby was surprised. He thought, โI never thought Yannis would go this far for Zinnia. Yannis almost never let anyone into his private space. Yannis rushed back to his office when he heard Zinnia had fainted. His normally calm face showed real concern. When he entered, Roderick was about to give Zinnia an IV while she was unconscious on the sofa. Yannis stopped Roderick, scooped her up, and carried her straight into the lounge.โ
After Yannis left, Toby quickly went to the secretarial office to find someone trustworthy to look after Zinnia. The secretaries, all admiring Zinniaโs beauty, eagerly wanted to help take care of her. Toby chose a quiet girl named Lila, and then followed Yannis to the meeting room. Only the sleeping Zinnia and Lila were left in the office.
Lila looked around the office, her eyes resting for a moment on the stack of papers on Yannisโs desk. After a short hesitation, she went into the lounge to watch over Zinnia.
Lila first carefully checked the IV site on Zinniaโs hand to make sure everything looked fine. Then she gently tucked the blanket around Zinnia, who was sleeping soundly in the bed. Lila sat by her side.
โZinnia?โ Lila called softly, but the medicine kept her in a deep, unnatural sleep.
Seeing no response from Zinnia, Lila pulled out a small bottle from her blazer and sprayed its contents directly onto Zinniaโs face, making sure she stayed deeply asleep and wouldnโt wake up soon. Worried Zinnia might wake up in the middle, Lila sprayed her face again and again. Zinniaโs face soon got soaked, and although she coughed and spluttered from the liquid, she showed no signs of waking.
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Seeing Zinnia didnโt wake up, Lila tiptoed out of the lounge. The blinds in Yannisโs office were closed, so people inside could see out but no one outside could see in.
After making sure no one else was in the office, Lila went straight to Yannisโs desk and started going through the papers, looking for what she needed.
โYannis,โ Zinnia mumbled as a sharp pain shot through her belly, making her open her eyes slowly. Her blurry gaze drifted toward the office door, then focused on the shadowy figure moving outside.
Zinnia stared at the figure outside, forgetting her pain for a moment. She looked around the roomโYannis was already gone. As she took a breath, her senses sharpened. โThatโs knockout spray,โ she realized instantly.
Outside, Lila glanced nervously at the lounge. Seeing Zinnia turn over in her sleep with no sign of waking, she kept going through the files. Her hands were shaking.
A few files slipped from Lilaโs hands and clattered to the floor. Her heart jumped into her throat as she quickly crouched down, trying to grab them before anyone saw.
Only when she left did Zinnia open her eyes, her heart pounding. She reached for the phone by her pillow, her hands trembling as she fought with the fingerprint sensor. With a lot of effort, she scrolled through her contacts, looking for Tobyโs number.
Toby was caught off guard when he saw Zinniaโs name on his phone. He looked at Yannis, who was focused on the meeting, then slipped out of the room with his phone.
He stepped into a quiet corner and said, โZinnia?โ
โSomeone was going through Yannisโs files in the office. She brought knockout spray. Get the doctor and let him give me the antidote.โ Zinniaโs voice was weak and broken, each word fading as sleep took over her.
She had no strength left to resist. As she finished speaking, she finally gave in to the drugโs hold, sinking into darkness.
Fuming inside, she thought, โIf I wasnโt feeling so terrible right now, Iโd make that woman taste my knockout powder. Doesnโt she know that cheap ingredients mess with my head?โ
Tobyโs heart missed a beat at her words. Not because he worried something was stolen, but because if anything happened to Zinnia, Yannis would be mad at him. Almost sensing trouble, Yannis looked out from the conference room.
Feeling the heavy, watchful gaze, Tobyโs heart skipped a beat and his hand nearly dropped his phone. โDoes Yannis have super hearing or what?โ he wondered nervously.
The meeting was very important, with foreign partners joining via video call. Yannis, who usually would fly abroad to negotiate in person, stayed because he didnโt want to leave Zinnia alone at home. He gave up a percentage of the profits for that. Having already interrupted the meeting onceโcosting Yannis another half a pointโToby knew he couldnโt bother Yannis again. He quickly nodded to show everything was fine and kept working on his own.
As Yannisโs assistant who had come back from Yinecrest with him, Toby was more than he seemed.
Lila, who was going through the files, was quickly caught, and the bottle of knockout drug she had was taken away. Roderick who had just left came back and looked at the scene. He thought, โThis girl really attracts trouble.โ
Roderick checked on Zinnia, gave her the antidote, and then left. Zinnia, however, stayed deeply asleep. Because of the strong dose of the knockout drug, it would still take some time for her to wake up even after getting the antidote.
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