“Does it still hurt anywhere, Zinnia?” Yannis asked softly.

They were in the lounge of Yannis’s office. Zinnia’s 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 Yannis’s heart.

“No, Yannis,” 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.

“Mr. Perkins, the meeting attendees are still waiting,” Toby called from outside, knocking on the door.

This meeting was important for the company’s 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. “Yannis, you should get back to work. I’ll be fine on my own. I’m feeling much better now. I just want to sleep.”

“Okay, Zinnia, try to get some rest. When you wake up and I finish my meeting, I’ll take you home. If you need anything, just call the staff, all right?” Yannis gently stroked her hair, his voice soft and calming.

Seeing the usually lively girl now so pale and weak in bed, he couldn’t deny the ache in his heart.

“Okay,” 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, “Find a girl to look after Zinnia–pay double.”

Toby was surprised. He thought, ‘I 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.’

After Yannis left, Toby quickly went to the secretarial office to find someone trustworthy to look after Zinnia. The secretaries, all admiring Zinnia’s 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 Yannis’s desk. After a short hesitation, she went into the lounge to watch over Zinnia.

Lila first carefully checked the IV site on Zinnia’s 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.

“Zinnia?” 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 Zinnia’s face, making sure she stayed deeply asleep and wouldn’t wake up soon. Worried Zinnia might wake up in the middle, Lila sprayed her face again and again. Zinnia’s face soon got soaked, and although she coughed and spluttered from the liquid, she showed no signs of waking.

Chapter 149

87%

Seeing Zinnia didn’t wake up, Lila tiptoed out of the lounge. The blinds in Yannis’s 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 Yannis’s desk and started going through the papers, looking for what she needed.

“Yannis,” 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 room–Yannis was already gone. As she took a breath, her senses sharpened. ‘That’s knockout spray,’ 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 Lila’s 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 Toby’s number.

Toby was caught off guard when he saw Zinnia’s 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, “Zinnia?”

“Someone was going through Yannis’s files in the office. She brought knockout spray. Get the doctor and let him give me the antidote.” Zinnia’s 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 drug’s hold, sinking into darkness.

Fuming inside, she thought, ‘If I wasn’t feeling so terrible right now, I’d make that woman taste my knockout powder. Doesn’t she know that cheap ingredients mess with my head?’

Toby’s 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, Toby’s heart skipped a beat and his hand nearly dropped his phone. ‘Does Yannis have super hearing or what?” 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 didn’t want to leave Zinnia alone at home. He gave up a percentage of the profits for that. Having already interrupted the meeting once–costing Yannis another half a point–Toby knew he couldn’t bother Yannis again. He quickly nodded to show everything was fine and kept working on his own.

As Yannis’s 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, ‘This girl really attracts trouble.’

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.

Chapter 150