Yannis said, “If you couldn’t get it undone, why didn’t you ask me for help?” Zinnia sat at her dressing table, pouting slightly, while Yannis stood behind her, carefully untangling the strands of hair wrapped around her head.

“I didn’t think it’d be so hard to take out,” Zinnia pouted. “It’s my first time trying this hairstyle.”

“Next time you need anything, just come find me right away. We can’t have you feeling unhappy,” Yannis said, his voice playful but gentle. He looked at Zinnia nibbling a strawberry.

She mumbled through a mouthful of strawberry, her cheeks puffed out. “Want some?” she asked, holding up a white strawberry and offering it to Yannis without turning around.

Yannis chuckled. “Hold it up a little higher, Zinnia. I can’t reach it from here.”

Zinnia looked into the mirror. Yannis was so tall that his head didn’t even show in the reflection. All she saw was his slim waist in a tailored black suit, cinched by a dark belt that showed off his nice figure.

Zinnia moistened her lips, thinking, ‘I want to touch his waist.’ Turning her head, she held out the strawberry.

Yannis murmured, bending down to take the strawberry with his teeth, his eyes meeting hers.

With her makeup gone, her delicate face was clear, soft, and youthful. Her lips were rosy pink, shiny with strawberry juice.

Lately, whenever Zinnia wanted something from him, she would flatter him first. He wondered what she wanted this time. Sure enough, the next second, she asked, “Can I touch your waist?”

Zinnia bit her lip, looking at him with bold, honest eyes. She thought, ‘His waist looks so perfect. I wonder how it feels to touch. Probably amazing.’

Last time she hugged him, she hadn’t even felt his waist. This sudden question left Yannis speechless. She really had a way of catching him off guard.

His eyes met Zinnia’s. Her clear eyes were full of hope, her gaze eager but innocent. She was genuinely asking, with no hidden motives.

“Why?” Yannis asked lazily, not refusing outright. He really wanted to know.

Zinnia said, “Because your waist looks so touchable and beautiful.”

“What if I say no?” Yannis asked, a playful glint in his eyes.

“Then I won’t,” Zinnia said with a shrug. “It was just a quick thought.”

His waist looked so good that she couldn’t help but ask. If he didn’t want her to, she wouldn’t push it.

“Go ahead,” Yannis said, raising an amused eyebrow at her quick surrender.

He thought, ‘Honestly, she gives up so easily. She doesn’t even try to act cute or wheedle, no persistence at all. Lucky for her she met me; with anyone else, she’d never get anything done.’

“You agreed!” Zinnia beamed, her eyes lighting up.

“When have I ever refused you, Zinnia?” Yannis said with a gentle smile.

Zinnia paused, realizing, ‘He’s never said no to my request before.’

Yannis hardly ever refused her anything. She was very curious. The more someone told her she couldn’t do something, the more she wanted to try. One mistake, and she could easily go astray.

Chapter 178

Within safe limits, Yannis would let her do whatever she wanted to keep her happy. Once she experienced something, the excitement would fade, and that way, he could keep her safe.

Yannis thought, ‘Real protection isn’t about hiding someone from danger. It’s about helping them see the risks themselves.’

He wanted her to figure out right from wrong, learn about things, and decide for herself. By guiding her to make her own choices, he hoped she would grow independently.

“I’m going to touch you now, okay?” Zinnia put down the strawberry and looked up at him, seeking his approval.

Yannis muttered, “Okay.”

“Can you take off your jacket?” Zinnia asked, looking up at him. “It’s hard to feel anything through the fabric.”

“Should I take off my shirt too?” Yannis chuckled, teasing Zinnia who was pushing her luck. Even as he teased, his fingers unbuttoned his jacket, then shrugged it off.

Zinnia shook her head. “No way! Then you’d be naked.”

Zinnia thought to herself, ‘Master said it’s not right to look at a naked man.’ As clever as always, she chose to do the right thing.

Yannis’s smile widened. ‘She does have some sense of decency after all,’ he thought.

Zinnia’s hand rested on Yannis’s waist, her fingers moving over his silky black dress shirt. “There’s something hard here,” she whispered, curious.

Zinnia looked at Yannis with wide eyes. His stomach had firm, springy muscles. She couldn’t resist and poked them twice.

“That’s called abs,” Yannis said, amused by her naiveté.

He thought, ‘How did Nathan raise her? She has almost no boundaries with guys. Luckily she met me. If it were anyone else, she’d be taken advantage of.’ “Abs? How many do you have?” Zinnia asked curiously. “I’ve heard Maisie talk about them before. Maisie says a guy needs eight-pack abs.”

“Want to count them yourself?” Yannis asked, smiling amusedly.

“Okay!” Zinnia said eagerly and reached out to count his abs with her fingers, one by one.

Yannis immediately regretted it. He looked at her hand on his waist. Her face was so delicate, and her long lashes lowered in concentration. He could feel her gaze intensely on his waist.

When her eyes traced over him, a warm feeling spread under his skin, making his eyelashes flutter slightly.

He watched her fingers carefully measuring his waist. In the quiet room, he felt her fingers slowly move across his skin.

Finally, after tracing his abs, her hand moved to his lower back. He felt her soft fingertips press on his spine, and a tingling sensation shot up inside him, spreading through his whole body.

The faint smile on Yannis’s lips faded, and his fingers clenched involuntarily.

“Wow, eight-pack!” Zinnia’s eyes lit up, still tracing the ridges she’d just counted.

When she pulled back her hand, Yannis took a quiet breath. He knew letting her do this made her happy—but he also felt intensely sensitive. Every touch felt like tiny ants crawling under his clothes. “Zinnia, you must never do this with other guys, okay? They’re not me. They might try to take advantage of you,” Yannis warned softly.

Yannis suddenly felt worried. After spending time with her, he saw she probably grew up in a simple, sheltered world, with little defense against others, and no real sense of boundaries with men and women.

Chapter 178

“I’ve only ever touched yours, Yannis,” Zinnia said sweetly, with innocent happiness.

Hearing that, Yannis felt a small surge of happiness. She really knew how to sweet-talk him. Watching her bright smile, he thought, ‘She’s so easy to please!’

But Yannis’s happiness only lasted a few seconds before his smile froze.

“Yannis, when you die someday, can I have your ribs?” Zinnia looked up at him, her eyes shining with genuine excitement.

She couldn’t help but think how perfect his ribs were. They would make a beautiful display. Looking at him with shining eyes, she said, “Your ribs are so lovely. They’d be perfect for my collection.”