Chapter 203
As dusk fell, Zinnia didn't linger. Lydia walked her downstairs.
“Lydia, you don’t need to walk me out. Bonnie needs you. Yannis is coming to pick me up,” Zinnia said, walking ahead, stepping into the shadows with a sunflower in her hand. Lydia followed closely.
“Let me walk you to the gate,” 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 distance—Zinnia holding his gaze—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 chest—like a tiny ant tap-dancing across her heart.
She’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.
“Yannis,” Zinnia said, approaching and catching a faint whiff of cigarette smoke. She subtly frowned. Yannis’s expression softened upon seeing her.
“Hi, Mr. Perkins,” Lydia greeted politely.
“Hello, thank you for taking care of Zinnia at school,” Yannis replied politely, nodding at Lydia. His gaze lingered on her face, especially her eyes, for a few extra seconds. He thought to himself, ‘Why do I think I have seen her before?’
“No, it’s Zinnia who’s helped me more,” 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, “What’s wrong? Are you upset?”
“It’s nothing,” Zinnia said, shaking her head.
“Zinnia, tell me what’s wrong—are you feeling unwell?” Yannis pressed gently, unconvinced by her evasion.
“Yannis, I’ve never known that you smoke.” Zinnia turned to look at him. After living together for so long, she was only just discovering this.
“Zinnia,” Yannis said seriously, “Smoking is a bad habit. Don’t pick it up from…”
Zinnia looked at him with concern. “How many have you smoked?”
“Just a couple of cigarettes—I’m not a heavy smoker,” Yannis replied casually. “I only light up when I’m feeling down.”
“You should smoke and drink less for your health,” Zinnia reminded him gently. She knew that in his circle, social pressure pushed him to quit entirely. After all, everyone needs a way to vent—some people do it with a drink or a cigarette. She rarely smelled alcohol on him, and if she hadn’t seen him smoking today, she wouldn’t have known he did.
Chapter 203
“Alright, I promise,” Yannis said, his worried gaze fixed on her. “But I have a feeling it’s not really my smoking that’s bothering you, lelki…”
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 gaze—she knew he’d probably get mad. Her fingers tightened imperceptibly around the sunflower as she mumbled, “Well, it’s just… I’m not really used to the smell of smoke. Too much of it irritates my nose.”
“How bad is it?” Yannis’s instincts told him it wasn’t just a little discomfort. As he spoke, he was adjusting the ventilation system.
The cigarette he’d smoked was mild, and the expensive perfume in the car should have masked the smell, yet she still kept wrinkling her nose.
“Well, if I smell too much smoke, it irritates my airways and I might feel lightheaded,” Zinnia murmured nervously, pressing her lips together. Just then, the car jerked to a harsh stop.
“Yannis, maybe you should brush up on your driving skills,” Zinnia teased as she jolted forward, only to be yanked back by the seatbelt.
“Zinnia, how could you not tell me something this serious?” Yannis glared at her through gritted teeth. She was just brushing it off. He thought, ‘if she couldn’t even stand the smell of smoke, why didn’t she say anything?’
Without hesitation, Yannis pulled over, parked the car, and guided Zinnia out. He immediately called Toby and said, “Send over a smoke-free car right away.” He thought, ‘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, I’ll never forgive myself.’
“Can’t stand the smell of smoke? Why didn’t you say something before getting in the car?”
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 wasn’t too bothered, since he hadn’t smoked much. “You didn’t smoke much—it’s bearable. I’m not really uncomfortable, just not used to the smell,” she said.
“Zinnia, you have to tell me if you feel even the slightest bit uncomfortable, okay? Your health comes first. From now on, let’s avoid anywhere people are smoking,” Yannis said, his tone full of concern.
He was relieved he’d never smoked in front of her—if she got sick because of that, he’d regret it. She got dizzy just from the smell of smoke. He thought, ‘thankfully, it isn’t too serious yet.’
Zinnia nodded obediently. “Okay.”
“Did you buy this flower?” Yannis asked, noticing the slightly wilted flower in her arms.
Zinnia hugged the sunflower closer and smiled. “Lydia gave it to me,” she said.
“That deskmate of yours—the girl who sent you out, right?” Yannis mused, recalling the quiet, reserved girl he’d just seen. Her whole presence radiated calm gentleness, and her eyes were as tranquil as still water.
Zinnia nodded eagerly. “Yeah, that’s her—the super smart one I told you about.”
“What’s her last name?” Yannis wondered, unable to immediately place where he’d seen those eyes. Few people ever made enough of an impression on him, and he was certain he’d never met that girl, yet those eyes stirred an odd sense of familiarity.
“Hollis,” Zinnia answered. Yannis silently mouthed the surname to himself, trying to place where he’d heard it before. But before he could make sense of it, Toby pulled up in a luxury car, a Bugatti La Voiture Noire.
“Yannis, your cars are seriously awesome!” Zinnia’s eyes sparkled as she gazed at the car, its dark metallic finish shimmering like starlight. “This is so cool!”
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. She’d run home to show Master, saying, “One day, when I make it big, I’m going to buy a car like this.” Master just chuckled and said he’d get her one when she grew up.
She thought Master was totally bluffing. Her friend told her that cars like this were insanely expensive—so expensive that even if she sold herself, she still couldn’t afford one.
“Do you like it?” Yannis asked, his eyes gleaming as he heard her praise.
“It’s gorgeous,” Zinnia nodded, her eyes shining. She thought the car was truly stunning—just the kind that only a real handsome man like Yannis could pull off.
Yannis smiled and said softly, “I’ll get you one when you turn eighteen.”