Chapter 230
โPunktestualed her. What about your biological father? Do you want us to help you find him?โ
No one had seen the twist in Zinniaโs origins. Jackson had always suspected Donald might not be her real father, but heโd never imagined the suspicions would actually prove true.
Zinnia hesitated briefly before answering, โNo need. I have a father now.โ
She felt no connection to her birth fatherโwhat if he was another Donald? It had taken her so much effort to break free from the Shaw familyโs mess, and the last thing she needed was more drama.
After all, Donald had admitted spiking the hotel room with aphrodisiacsโanyone entering would lose control. Back then, Maelis, unaware the room had been vacated, saw a figure in the bed, mistook him for Donald, and succumbed.
Zinnia could only see two possibilities. First, her biological father might have been an unwilling participantโforced into the act and likely resenting that existence because of it.
Second, he could be the type to sleep with any woman thrown his way. If so, his character would be suspect. And if he ever found out about Zinnia, heโd only bring more trouble into her life.
Zinnia wanted none of it. Not searching was the best choice. Whether that man was good or bad, they had no connection.
Besides, after all these years, that man might already have his own familyโa wife, children, and a settled life. Her sudden appearance could just end up disrupting their peace.
Zinnia was perfectly content with her life as it was and couldnโt care less about her biological father.
โUnderstood,โ Yannis said, dropping the topic.
The hotel Donald booked back then was exclusiveโonly the elite could access the penthouse suite. Anyone present in that room would likely be wealthy or powerful, suggesting Zinniaโs biological father might have an extraordinary background.
But since she showed no interest in searching, Yannis didnโt push.
Watching Zinnia pop pastries into her mouth, Yannis said, โDonโt overdo it. Iโll make dinner.โ
Zinnia nodded. โOkay.โ
After Yannis entered the kitchen, his phone rang. Glancing down, he saw Tobyโs name on the screen. โHello?โ he answered.
โBoss, I found who Lydia resembles!โ Tobyโs voice crackled with excitement.
Yannis peeled vegetable leaves. โMm.โ
โRemember who taught you coding?โ
โBenny?โ
Two years ago, while abroad, Yannis found Benny on the streetโan amnesiac hacker with no memory of his identity or origins.
Yannis brought the man home, had him cleaned up, and kept him around to work for him. Benny had taught Yannis programming, and after two months of mentoring, he realized he had nothing left to teach Yannis.
Then he simply wandered off to โexplore the world.โ Caregivers mentioned Benny was searching for someone, though he could never remember who.
Yannis hadnโt seen Benny in so long that it took him a moment to place the memory.
โHe's looking for family? Lydiaโs from a single parent home, no father in any picture.โ
โFind time to ask about it later. Make sure someone takes good care of Benny,โ Yannis said.
He caught Tobyโs implication whether they should arrange a meeting between Benny and Lydia. But with Lydia stateside and Benny overseas and with memory loss, logistics made it complicated.
Besides, there might be more to the story. After all, Benny being Lydiaโs father was just speculation. Yannis thought he needed to find the right time to ask Lydia first.
Suddenly, he recalled the recent cyberattack and asked, โAny progress on the hacker who targeted our company?โ
Toby replied, โNot yet. They withdrew too fast, and all traces vanished. Our team traced the origin to Jinston. Iโll have them keep digging.โ
โThis hacker has been active latelyโfirst the Moore familyโs data breach abroad, then the Shaws! Our experts confirm the methods match the attack on us. Itโs like theyโre shadowing our moves, maybe seeking revenge for someone.โ
Yannisโ crew had just dealt with the Moores, and the hacker leaked the familyโs data right after; the crew had given the Shaws a reality check, and the hacker hit the Shawsโ servers too. Uninformed observers might even suspect Yannisโs men were behind it.
Toby mused, โWeโre avenging Zinnia, but could this hacker be doing the same?โ
โStop investigating,โ Yannis said. โI have an idea who it is.โ
โCould it beโฆโ Tobyโs voice trailed off as a suspicion dawned on him. He remembered Yannis once mentioning the hackerโs techniques felt familiar.
As Yannis drove Zinnia to school, he teased, โI told you to rest a few more days, but you insisted. Werenโt you the one who used to hate school? Since when are you so eager to go back?โ
โIโm fully recovered. If I stay home longer, Iโll turn into a couch potato,โ Zinnia said from the passenger seat, double-checking her backpack. โRight now, studying is what matters most; I need to catch up.โ
Though absent for days, Lydia and the others had brought Zinnia homework, and her private tutor ensured no lessons were missedโsheโd never been so diligent.
Yannis parked the car and squeezed her cheek gently. โIโll make your favorite dishes tonight. No heavy lifting at school, okay?โ
โGot it.โ Zinnia nodded, slipping out of the car.
Yannis watched until she stepped through the school gates. He was just about to start the car when his phone vibrated, the ringtone sharp and insistent.
He checked the screenโJacksonโs name lit up. โWhatโs happening?โ he asked.
โDonald has escaped,โ Jacksonโs voice was ice-cold. โCornered, he might target Zinnia. Iโll arrange undercover protection, but stay alert.โ
The previous day, Maelis had nearly strangled Donald. As if that wasnโt enough, she lunged at him again, sinking her teeth into his neck until blood poured.
The police could only rush Donald to the hospital first. But early the next morning, when a nurse did the rounds, she found that he had vanished. They checked the surveillance and figured out what had happened.
Donald had used a medical exam as cover, crawled onto a stretcher cart meant for transporting bodies to the morgue, and slipped out of the hospital. By the time anyone realized he was gone, heโd vanished without a trace.
Yannis frowned, โIโll deploy teams to search. He just escapedโheโll need to treat his wounds before making moves.โ