Chapter 225
The quiet room was soon filled with only Yannisโs deep, magnetic voice. Zinnia muted her video, letting his words fill the silence.
His voice is amazing. If he were a voice actor, fans would go crazy for him, and Iโd probably blow all my savings to support him, Zinnia thought. The soothing tone lulled her, and before she knew it, she drifted off.
Yannis heard the guy in his headphones asking what design he wanted for the tracker. Unconsciously, his gaze drifted backward.
It landed on Zinnia, head tilted as she slept on the pillow. The warmth in his eyes softened to tenderness. โA penguin,โ he said softly.
โA penguin?โ The caller echoed in surprise. Theyโd expected something conventional, not a cute animal.
โYeah,โ Yannis answered. He looked at Zinnia, his usual aloofness melting into something soft. He remembered their first meetingโsheโd been like a shy little penguin, only speaking up when nudged.
โWhat about the name?โ the caller asked, sensing Yannisโ decision was final.
โZ.โ
โZ? Just the letter? Whatโs the meaning?โ The caller was baffled by such a blunt choice.
Yannis smiled faintly, โTake a guess.โ
The caller fell silent, feeling quite helpless.
โTalk tomorrow,โ Yannis said and hung up curtly after finding it was nearly midnight. He removed the headphones and walked to the bed.
Zinnia lay on her stomach, head turned toward him. Half her face was buried in the blanket, while her warm breath left a rosy flush on her cheeks.
The tablet was halfโswallowed by the plush blanket. As Yannis approached, he realized the video had gone silent.
At the sight of Zinnia curling in the blanket, his heart ached with tenderness. He muted the tablet and set it on the nightstand, then gently lifted Zinnia, whoโd sprawled across the bed, and repositioned her toward the headboard.
Zinnia cracked her eyes open, saw Yannis holding her, and closed them again. Utterly defenseless, she breathed, โYannisโฆโ
โI woke you?โ Yannis whispered, tucking the blanket around her to keep her warm.
โIโm sleepy,โ Zinnia mumbled, nuzzling the pillow.
โJust sleep. Iโll be right here,โ Yannis whispered, tucking her hand back under the warmth.
โDonโt worry โbout me. You rest too,โ Zinnia slurred, words heavy with sleep. It must be lateโhe needed rest.
โOkay.โ
Zinnia fell back asleep.
Yannis sat by the bed, gaze fixed on her face. Tenderness lingered in his eyes as he watched, time forgotten. Gradually, her breathing evened outโdeep sleep had claimed her.
He moved quietly, lifting the blanket at the foot of the bed. Her creamโcolored nightgown clung softly, its hem so long that only a sliver of her ankle peeked out.
Her feet were delicate, faint blue veins visible beneath the skin. Her ankles were sculpted to perfection, as if chiseled from marble, too flawless to be real.
Her nightgown fell to her ankles, designed to prevent accidental exposure. After the doctor confirmed her hands were temporarily useless, Yannis chose it, even for router carrying.
Yannis carefully lifted the fabric, revealing her knees splotched with dark purple bruises. Even after a day, the swelling hadn't gone down. The concrete kneeling had shredded her delicate skin, and the ointment had to be reapplied every few hours.
He took the tube from the nightstand, twisted off the cap, and squeezed a dollop of milky ointment into his palm. The faint medicinal scent filled the air as he rubbed his hands togetherโwarming the cream was key to its effectiveness.
Only when the ointment heated did he place his palms on her knee, massaging with focused tenderness.
In her dream, Zinnia basked in sunlight as a puppy bounded up, ball in mouth. She tossed the ball, and the puppy fetched it, again and again, until she waved tiredly.
Instantly, the puppyโs face fell and morphed into Yannisโs. His charming eyes pleaded pitifully, โWhy stop playing with me?โ
Zinnia jolted awakeโYannis would never make that face. As her eyes adjusted, she took in the room flooded with morning light. It was already full daylight outside.
โZinnia, youโre awake. Are you in pain anywhere?โ Sofiaโs gentle voice came from beside the bed.
Zinnia turned to see Sofia and Yvette sitting by her bedside. Yvette sprang up, her eyes bright with joy.
โGrandma, Mom,โ Zinnia called, smiling softly at them. She tried to sit up, but her arms trembled weakly.
โBe careful.โ Sofia hurried to support her, eyes full of tender worry.
Yvette joined in. โZinnia, why didnโt you tell us you were unwell? I couldโve taken care of you.โ
Yannis had assured them Zinnia just needed rest and the weakness in her limbs was temporary. But they hadnโt expected the severe bruises on her knees. The sight made their hearts ache.
Zinnia met their concerned stares with a warm smile. โIโm truly okay. A few daysโ rest will fix me.โ
Just then, Jackson and Yannis walked in.
โZinnia.โ Jackson strode to her side, eyes swimming with concern. He had visited yesterday, but sheโd been asleep. By the time she finally woke, night had already fallen.
Though Henry was out of danger, heโd been through hellโthe back of his neck still bore a nasty wound. Raymond insisted he stay home and rest.
Henry had been fussed over all day, desperate to visit Zinnia. The Flynns explained to him that Zinnia had gone to great lengths to save him, and if he relapsed, all her efforts would be for nothing. That finally convinced Henry to stay put.
โZinnia, how are you? Howโs your hand?โ Jackson asked, concern furrowing his brow.
โI feel much better. Donโt worry. Iโll bounce back soon. Itโs nothing major,โ Zinnia said. Sheโd regained some strength, but lifting her arms sent sore pains.
She tried to wave reassuringly, but her hand wouldnโt obey.
โLet her eat first.โ Yannis approached with a bowl of pumpkin soup.
โRight, breakfast first.โ Sofia took the bowl and started feeding Zinnia. โOpen up, dear. Let me feed you.โ
Yannis could only stand by, watching Sofia spoonโfeed Zinnia.
โIsaac and Maisie wanted to skip class,โ Yvette said. โWe told them to come after school instead.โ
Zinnia got two weeks off to recover. Her right hand, the one she used for acupuncture, couldnโt even hold a pen, and the other was injured too. School risked further injury, so home rest was best.
เธเธฒ Chapter 226