Come in 203
Posted on July 08, 2025 ยท 0 mins read
Listen to this chapter:

Chapter 203

As dusk fell, Zinnia didn't linger. Lydia walked her downstairs.

โ€œLydia, you donโ€™t need to walk me out. Bonnie needs you. Yannis is coming to pick me up,โ€ Zinnia said, walking ahead, stepping into the shadows with a sunflower in her hand. Lydia followed closely.

โ€œLet me walk you to the gate,โ€ Lydia insisted, remaining close by her side.

Zinnia didn't refuse, and the two walked out of the apartment complex to find Yannis already waiting. He had inquired about her whereabouts and had come to pick her up on his way back. His eye-catching Koenigsegg One:1 was parked at the curb. His slender hand rested on the window frame, wrist exposed, a faint crimson ember glowing from his cigarette. The half-lowered car window revealed a breathtakingly handsome face, features carved with cool indifference.

Sensing her arrival, Yannis tilted his head slightly. Their eyes met across the distanceโ€”Zinnia holding his gazeโ€”as he lowered the window. The cold expression faded from his face, his eyes softening with a gentle warmth, like snow thawing in spring. In that moment, Zinnia felt a strange flutter in her chestโ€”like a tiny ant tap-dancing across her heart.

Sheโ€™d never seen Yannis like this before. He was always gentle and mild-mannered around her, his eyes often smiling. But she saw an inexplicable air of wild, untamed allure about him before their eyes met.

โ€œYannis,โ€ Zinnia said, approaching and catching a faint whiff of cigarette smoke. She subtly frowned. Yannisโ€™s expression softened upon seeing her.

โ€œHi, Mr. Perkins,โ€ Lydia greeted politely.

โ€œHello, thank you for taking care of Zinnia at school,โ€ Yannis replied politely, nodding at Lydia. His gaze lingered on her face, especially her eyes, for a few extra seconds. He thought to himself, โ€˜Why do I think I have seen her before?โ€™

โ€œNo, itโ€™s Zinnia whoโ€™s helped me more,โ€ Lydia replied with quiet dignity, showing no trace of inferiority. A gentle warmth welled up in her eyes as she mentioned Zinnia.

After exchanging a few words, Zinnia slid into the car. Noticing Zinnia furrowing her brows from time to time, Yannis asked gently, โ€œWhatโ€™s wrong? Are you upset?โ€

โ€œItโ€™s nothing,โ€ Zinnia said, shaking her head.

โ€œZinnia, tell me whatโ€™s wrongโ€”are you feeling unwell?โ€ Yannis pressed gently, unconvinced by her evasion.

โ€œYannis, Iโ€™ve never known that you smoke.โ€ Zinnia turned to look at him. After living together for so long, she was only just discovering this.

โ€œZinnia,โ€ Yannis said seriously, โ€œSmoking is a bad habit. Donโ€™t pick it up fromโ€ฆโ€

Zinnia looked at him with concern. โ€œHow many have you smoked?โ€

โ€œJust a couple of cigarettesโ€”Iโ€™m not a heavy smoker,โ€ Yannis replied casually. โ€œI only light up when Iโ€™m feeling down.โ€

โ€œYou should smoke and drink less for your health,โ€ Zinnia reminded him gently. She knew that in his circle, social pressure pushed him to quit entirely. After all, everyone needs a way to ventโ€”some people do it with a drink or a cigarette. She rarely smelled alcohol on him, and if she hadnโ€™t seen him smoking today, she wouldnโ€™t have known he did.

Chapter 203

โ€œAlright, I promise,โ€ Yannis said, his worried gaze fixed on her. โ€œBut I have a feeling itโ€™s not really my smoking thatโ€™s bothering you, lelkiโ€ฆโ€

Zinnia kept covering her nose with her sleeve, trying to block out the lingering smell of smoke. Zinnia averted her eyes, not daring to meet his gazeโ€”she knew heโ€™d probably get mad. Her fingers tightened imperceptibly around the sunflower as she mumbled, โ€œWell, itโ€™s justโ€ฆ Iโ€™m not really used to the smell of smoke. Too much of it irritates my nose.โ€

โ€œHow bad is it?โ€ Yannisโ€™s instincts told him it wasnโ€™t just a little discomfort. As he spoke, he was adjusting the ventilation system.

The cigarette heโ€™d smoked was mild, and the expensive perfume in the car should have masked the smell, yet she still kept wrinkling her nose.

โ€œWell, if I smell too much smoke, it irritates my airways and I might feel lightheaded,โ€ Zinnia murmured nervously, pressing her lips together. Just then, the car jerked to a harsh stop.

โ€œYannis, maybe you should brush up on your driving skills,โ€ Zinnia teased as she jolted forward, only to be yanked back by the seatbelt.

โ€œZinnia, how could you not tell me something this serious?โ€ Yannis glared at her through gritted teeth. She was just brushing it off. He thought, โ€˜if she couldnโ€™t even stand the smell of smoke, why didnโ€™t she say anything?โ€™

Without hesitation, Yannis pulled over, parked the car, and guided Zinnia out. He immediately called Toby and said, โ€œSend over a smoke-free car right away.โ€ He thought, โ€˜Even if Zinnia is just a little uncomfortable, there is no way I let her stay in that car. If she feels uncomfortable because of the smoke, Iโ€™ll never forgive myself.โ€™

โ€œCanโ€™t stand the smell of smoke? Why didnโ€™t you say something before getting in the car?โ€

Yannis looked down at Zinnia, immediately pulling the cigarettes from his pocket and tossing them into the trash. Without hesitation, he even threw away his jacket, which still reeked of smoke.

Zinnia wasnโ€™t too bothered, since he hadnโ€™t smoked much. โ€œYou didnโ€™t smoke muchโ€”itโ€™s bearable. Iโ€™m not really uncomfortable, just not used to the smell,โ€ she said.

โ€œZinnia, you have to tell me if you feel even the slightest bit uncomfortable, okay? Your health comes first. From now on, letโ€™s avoid anywhere people are smoking,โ€ Yannis said, his tone full of concern.

He was relieved heโ€™d never smoked in front of herโ€”if she got sick because of that, heโ€™d regret it. She got dizzy just from the smell of smoke. He thought, โ€˜thankfully, it isnโ€™t too serious yet.โ€™

Zinnia nodded obediently. โ€œOkay.โ€

โ€œDid you buy this flower?โ€ Yannis asked, noticing the slightly wilted flower in her arms.

Zinnia hugged the sunflower closer and smiled. โ€œLydia gave it to me,โ€ she said.

โ€œThat deskmate of yoursโ€”the girl who sent you out, right?โ€ Yannis mused, recalling the quiet, reserved girl heโ€™d just seen. Her whole presence radiated calm gentleness, and her eyes were as tranquil as still water.

Zinnia nodded eagerly. โ€œYeah, thatโ€™s herโ€”the super smart one I told you about.โ€

โ€œWhatโ€™s her last name?โ€ Yannis wondered, unable to immediately place where heโ€™d seen those eyes. Few people ever made enough of an impression on him, and he was certain heโ€™d never met that girl, yet those eyes stirred an odd sense of familiarity.

โ€œHollis,โ€ Zinnia answered. Yannis silently mouthed the surname to himself, trying to place where heโ€™d heard it before. But before he could make sense of it, Toby pulled up in a luxury car, a Bugatti La Voiture Noire.

โ€œYannis, your cars are seriously awesome!โ€ Zinniaโ€™s eyes sparkled as she gazed at the car, its dark metallic finish shimmering like starlight. โ€œThis is so cool!โ€

Chapter 203

She remembered when she lived in the small town, she had seen a beautiful car just like this in a friend's phone. Sheโ€™d run home to show Master, saying, โ€œOne day, when I make it big, Iโ€™m going to buy a car like this.โ€ Master just chuckled and said heโ€™d get her one when she grew up.

She thought Master was totally bluffing. Her friend told her that cars like this were insanely expensiveโ€”so expensive that even if she sold herself, she still couldnโ€™t afford one.

โ€œDo you like it?โ€ Yannis asked, his eyes gleaming as he heard her praise.

โ€œItโ€™s gorgeous,โ€ Zinnia nodded, her eyes shining. She thought the car was truly stunningโ€”just the kind that only a real handsome man like Yannis could pull off.

Yannis smiled and said softly, โ€œIโ€™ll get you one when you turn eighteen.โ€


Please let us know if you find any errors, so we can fix them.