Chapter 168
Maisie thought, โYannis rushed over the moment he heard Zinnia was in trouble. If it were me, he would have just sent Toby. But he came himself; Zinnia was the only reason.โ
โWhen Yannis heard Neoโs rude insults, his face turned ice-cold with anger. He was furious. Neo was going to pay a heavy price; Yannis probably ruined him for good,โ she continued.
โIs Grace Yannisโs mom? Sheโs gone?โ Zinnia asked hesitantly. She realized she had rarely heard anyone talk about Yannisโs pastโonly then did it hit her that no one had ever mentioned his mother before.
Maisie nodded. โYeah. Yannis got his looks from her. Back then, Grace was the most beautiful woman in Jinston, skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. And she was a super-talented military doctor!โ
Zinnia pictured Yannisโs face. He was already handsome; she couldnโt imagine how stunning his mother must have been.
โMaisie,โ Zinnia asked, โwhat did you mean by that message you sent me?โ
They had gone shopping. That same night, Yannis got drunk. Later, Maisie asked Zinnia to come home with her, but she refused. Maisie texted her: [Do you want me to come pick you up?]
โI donโt really understand why Maisieโs so worried about me, but I can feel she cares,โ Zinnia thought, feeling warm and comforted.
Maisie sighed. โThat day was Graceโs death anniversary. Yannis always gets emotional when it comes to her. I was worried he might accidentally hurt you.โ
Turns out, her worries were unnecessaryโYannis was actually in a pretty good mood. Little did Maisie know heโd gone home that night.
Originally, Jackson hadnโt planned to take Yannis home, but he insisted stubbornly. Drunk, he said, โThereโs a kid at home. Iโm worried sheโll be scared alone.โ
Only they shared that secret that night.
โIs Yannisโs insomnia because of Grace?โ Zinnia wondered, thinking about how lonely and sad he looked that night. From Maisieโs description, she could tell Grace must have been an amazing woman.
She thought, โNo wonder Yannis was such a sweet kid. He had the best mom.โ
โYes. Grace died sixteen years ago,โ Maisie said, her voice thick with unspoken sadness. โYannis was only eight then.โ
Zinnia said, โMaisie, do you know how Grace died? Yannisโs insomnia is really bad. Heโs carrying some emotional baggage. Maybe her death is a trauma that still haunts him.โ
Zinnia thought, โI can only help Yannis sleep better for now. But unless we address whatโs bothering him, his sleeplessness will persist, and even if he gets healthier, it will worsen again.โ
โThis must be the pain weighing on Yannisโs heart. Iโve been trying to figure out how to truly help him heal, but I still donโt know how,โ she continued her internal monologue. โEven if I get Yannisโs health back on track now, that insomnia will keep eating him up. Sooner or later, his body will crash again. And I canโt always be there for him.โ
Maisie said, โAll I know is that sixteen years ago, there was a kidnapping. Both Grace and Yannis were taken, but only Yannis survived. When James rescued him, he was covered in horrible wounds.โ
โGraceโs death is a huge family secretโfew people know about it. I was just a baby back then. James made sure no one talked about it,โ Maisie explained.
โZinnia, donโt ever ask Yannis about his mom. He totally freaks out whenever someone brings her up. Even James wouldnโt dare talk about her around him. If you mention her, heโll turn on you instantly.โ
Chapter 168
Maisie wanted to share more, but when Grace died, Maisie was only a one-year-old baby.
โOkay,โ Zinnia replied softly. Her mind was heavy with worry as she finally fell asleep.
Zinnia thought, โYannis may seem free and happy, but deep down, heโs carrying scars. He was the only one who survived, covered in terrible wounds; just hearing about it breaks my heart.โ
Thinking about the awkward tension between Yannis and James, she wondered what kind of tragedy could have caused such a rift. The truth was almost too painful to contemplate.
Early the next morning, Maisieโs phone buzzed incessantly. Annoyed, she unlocked it. โZinnia, Ethanโs already spamming the group chat, telling us to get moving,โ Maisie urged.
Zinnia sat up suddenly, wide awake. They were going to the amusement park todayโher very first time. She was already looking forward to it.
โZinnia, over here!โ Ethan called out. As they went downstairs, the others had already arrived. Ethan had picked up Lydia on the way and rented a minivan for all five of them.
Lydia handed them breakfast and softly said, โHere, I made breakfast for everyone.โ
โThanks, Lydia! Just in time. We havenโt eaten yet,โ Maisie said as she took the food.
Between her two friends, Zinnia saw a feast: pan-fried ham patties, crispy potatoes, mini beef burgers, and a yogurt bowl to balance the richness.
โI made the yogurt sugar-free for you,โ Lydia whispered to Zinnia.
โOkay,โ Zinnia replied, her eyes shining. Ever since she decided to cut sugar, Lydia had been bringing her yummy sugar-free treats in the mornings.
Maisie took a bite of the beef and said happily, โLydia, youโre like our kitchen fairy!โ
โAs long as you like it,โ Lydia replied, pushing up her glasses with a small smile, her tone fresh and bright as morning air.
โSo tasty! But we only get to enjoy your cooking because of Zinnia. Lydia, you should open a restaurant. Iโd come every day. If you need money, weโll invest. With your skills, itโs sure to do well,โ said Ethan.
โNot right now,โ Lydia said softly with a gentle smile.
โHey, did you guys hear? Neoโs party got messed up yesterday. Heโs still stuck in the station. More than a dozen families left the city overnight. They mustโve upset a big shot,โ Ethan said.
Yannis kept the news quiet, so few knew the full story. But when more than a dozen small families suddenly left overnight, even the less observant could tell something significant was happening.
Maisie put another bite in her mouth and said, โWe did it.โ
โWhat happened, Maisie? You got so fired up and didnโt even tell us? Not even invite us to join. Are we still friends?โ Ethan, whoโd been lazily scrolling on his phone, suddenly sat up straight.