Chapter 223

After carefully feeding Zinnia every bite, Yannis turned on the fan to clear out the food smells in the room. Then he grabbed the tablet and started a show for her.

Zinnia had slept all day and was wide awake now. She glanced at the drama on the screen and noticed Yannis was still there, his laptop open on the desk.

She checked the time–it was already past 10. “I’m good now. Why don’t you go get some rest?” she said softly.

“Not in a hurry.” Yannis walked to the desk to tackle the mountain of work. He’d spent all day with Zinnia, and company matters had piled up–no way he wasn’t swamped.

He glanced back at Zinnia, who was wide-eyed and full of energy. Figuring she wasn’t going to fall asleep anytime soon, he settled into the desk chair.

“If you’re busy, you don’t have to stay,” Zinnia said.

Yannis turned to her. “You little heartbreaker, using me then tossing me aside, huh?”

His teasing accusation left Zinnia pretty awkward. “I just don’t want you to wear yourself out,” she said seriously.

A smile tugged at Yannis‘ lips. “I appreciate the concern, but I’m staying put.”

Zinnia blinked, confused. ‘Staying put? Is he gonna crash here for the night?‘

“Are you sure it’s okay if I leave? You haven’t fully regained your strength yet,” Yannis said, glancing at her hands.

While she slept, he had someone check on her. Her hands would stay weak for days. Plus, there was also a 1.5–inch gash on her palm, meaning no heavy lifting for the foreseeable future.

Yannis knew Henry’s situation was dire, but her draining herself like that in just a few hours still pissed him off. God knew how much blood she’d lost. Her face was still deathly pale, and recovery would take ages.

Zinnia fell silent. Her hands really didn’t have much strength left, and she could barely pick up her phone. She turned to Yannis, dead serious. “You’re an angel. I promise I’ll pay you back someday.”

“Okay, I’m waiting for your payback,” Yannis smiled faintly. His deep eyes lingered on her, a subtle glint flickering in their depths.

The room hummed with two sounds: the murmur of a TV drama from Zinnia’s tablet and the steady click–clack of Yannis’s keyboard. Every now and then, she’d catch snippets like “microchips” and “invisible trackers” – terms that made zero sense to her.

Hearing Yannis switch to a fluent foreign language on a call, Zinnia quietly turned down her tablet’s volume, not wanting to interrupt.

Suddenly, a familiar pressure built in her belly—she needed to use the bathroom. After all, she’d had half a bowl of minestrone soup and a serving of mushroom soup; now it all caught up at once.

Zinnia inched out from under the covers. At least her legs worked–if they’d been weak too, she’d be completely helpless.

She wore a loose nightgown Yannis had asked a doctor to help her change into. The soft fabric was easy to manage with her weak hands.

The moment her feet hit the carpet, a jolt of pain shot through her knees. Yesterday, she’d spent six hours kneeling to acupuncture Henry, leaving them bruised and swollen.

Yannis had applied ointment to reduce the swelling, but the damage was clear. On her tender skin, the purplish bruises stood out like warning signs, ugly enough to make anyone flinch.

Just as Zinnia tried to stand, she found herself lifted off the ground. Her arms reflexively reached for Yannis, neck but near the—

hold on.

“Yannis,” Zinnia murmured. The next moment, she heard a startled “OMG” crackling through Yannis’s earpiece. Realizing he was on a call, she shut her mouth.

Yannis noticed and hooked an arm around her waist. He ended the call with his free hand, then pulled her firmly into both arms.

He looked down, worry in his eyes. “What’s happening? Why did you try to get up? You should’ve called me if you needed something.”

He’d been on the call when he glanced over–only to see her teetering on the edge of the bed. His heart had jumped to his throat as he lunged toward her.

‘How am I supposed to tell you I need to pee and ask you to carry me?‘ Zinnia thought, her cheeks turning red. No matter how bold she was or how close she felt to Yannis, the idea of telling him that was too embarrassing.

“What’s wrong? Talk to me,” Yannis said softly. Noticing her flushed cheeks, he frowned and pressed the back of his hand to her forehead, worried she might be running a fever.

As Zinnia remained silent, he grew anxious. “Are you feeling sick? I’ll call the doctor right now.”

Seeing the growing concern in his eyes, Zinnia dropped her head, bit her lip, and mumbled, “I… I need to use the bathroom.”

If her hands hadn’t been so weak, she would have covered her face in embarrassment. But now, she could only tilt her head to rest on his shoulder, avoiding his eyes.

Yannis froze, a hint of awkwardness crossing his face. “Let me carry you,” he said, and without missing a beat, he scooped her up and carried her toward the bathroom. Twenty feet might as well have been a mile if she’d tried to walk alone.

At the bathroom door, Zinnia said, “Put me down. I can walk in alone.”

Feeling her shyness, Yannis gently set her down but kept a hand on her arm for support. “Let me help you inside, and then I’ll wait right outside.”

“Okay.” Zinnia leaned on him. It was easier than struggling alone–her knees throbbed with a deep, bone–deep ache.

“Your hands…” Yannis eyed her weak fingers as they entered.

“You can go. Don’t worry. I’ll be fine,” Zinnia mumbled, ears burning. Her hands might be weak, but she could undress.

“Alright. I’m just outside. Call if you need me,” Yannis replied. ‘I should hire a female attendant tomorrow,‘ he thought. ‘As a man, there are limits to what I can help with.‘

Once Yannis stepped out, Zinnia took care of her business. Feeling lighter, she stood and shuffled to the sink. But as she reached it, she lost her balance and accidentally knocked over the shelf’s contents.