Chapter 232
Laughter and chatter blurred the time, and before they knew it, November arrived with a biting chill.
Zinnia bundled into a thick coat, shouldering her backpack as she headed out of the classroom.
Yannisโs text lit up her phone: [Class over? Iโm at the school gate.]
Zinnia descended the stairs slowly and replied: [On my way]. Turning to Lydia, she smiled, โIโll visit Bonnie tomorrow.โ The monthly break started the next day.
Lydia nodded. โOkay.โ
Soon, they arrived at the school gate and spotted Yannis leaning against his car.
Yannis wore a black trench coat over a crisp white shirt, with casual pants that hugged his frame. His chiseled features and confident stance attracted plenty of attention.
He propped one leg against the car door, not even bothering with his phone. His eyes were fixed on the almost empty school, like he was waiting for someone.
Zinnia had stayed late, wrestling with math problems as Lydia tutored her. The moment she spotted Yannis, her eyes lit up like sparklers.
Noticing how Zinniaโs smile stretched wide as she saw Yannis, Lydia pressed her lips into a thin line. She looked down, her lashes fluttering.
โYouโre here!โ Zinnia hurried over to Yannis, her eyes crinkling with a smile.
โHow could I miss my princess?โ Yannisโs gaze softened, affection pooling in his eyes. He took her backpack, slinging it over one shoulder with ease.
Zinnia preened at his flattery. โWho doesnโt love being called a princess? I sure do,โ she thought, a giddy flutter in her chest.
Lydia waited until their banter subsided before speaking up. โYannis.โ
Yannis nodded. โWeโll drop you off first. Thanks for helping Zinnia with her studies.โ
Lately, Zinnia had been staying late to catch up, returning home long after dinner. Sometimes when Yannis had cooked dinner at home and she was still not back, he would come to pick her up.
Knowing Lydia was tutoring Zinnia eased his mindโLydia had always been a top student, consistently ranking in the top three at Evershine High, a school of prodigies.
โHappy to help,โ Lydia replied softly.
Yannis took the wheel, while Zinnia and Lydia settled in the back.
After dropping Lydia at her complex, Zinnia moved to the front seat and waved. โSee you tomorrow, Lydia.โ
Glancing back, Zinnia saw the nanny and Bonnie waiting at the entrance.
Bonnie wore an innocent smile, taking Lydiaโs hand and murmuring something before looking Zinniaโs way.
Zinnia smiled and waved at her.
Yannis glanced at Bonnie, then withdrew his gaze as he turned the steering wheel. โZinnia,โ he asked casually, โhow well do you know about Lydia?โ
Eyes on the road, Yannis noticed Zinniaโs hair tousled by the wind. Without a word, he pressed a button to roll up the window. Warmth seeped into the car, wrapping them in a cozy hush.
โLydiaโs from a single-parent familyโjust her and her mom since childhood. Sheโs always been a top student, recruited by schoolsโฆโ Zinnia explained. Lydia had never hidden details Zinnia wanted to know.
After listening to her praise Lydiaโclear that she was exceptionalโYannis asked, โWhat about her father?โ
โLydia never knew him. He vanished before she was born.โ
โVanished without a trace?โ Yannis turned the words over.
โYeah.โ
Yannis remembered Bonnieโs straightforward, innocent stareโlike a kidโs, totally untouched by the worldโs mess. โHer mother seemsโฆ different,โ he said.
Zinnia didnโt hold back. โBonnie had been staying in a psych ward. But when I visited, I realized sheโd been poisoned and gave her an antidote.
โThe poisoning was so severe that after the antidote, she lost all memory. Now she is like a child, learning everything again.โ
โPoisoned?โ Yannis frowned.
Sensing his curiosity, Zinnia added, โMind-eroding powder. My master said itโs made by a foreign organization.โ
Yannisโs brows knit. If he remembered correctly, this poison originated from the very organization Nathan destroyed.
Every member of that organization was force-fed mind-eroding powder. At the first thought of betrayal, theyโd be consumed by excruciating agony.
When the organization fell apart, the imprisoned members broke out of prison, and rumor had it that someone provided them with the antidote.
Yannis found Benny two years ago, but locals said Benny had wandered the street for two or three years before that. His body was a map of scars: fresh cuts over old wounds, a gash across his face, and a missing pinky joint.
When people asked where he was from, he didnโt have an answer. He just muddled through each day like a fool.
Nathan destroyed the organization five years agoโmatching when Benny first appeared. If Benny had been a member, Nathanโs raid explained his escape.
Yannis also recalled a rumor: nineteen years ago, a defector fled, and the members of the organization were so determined that they issued a kill order, willing to go to the ends of the earth to bring the person back.
Theyโd been searching for over a year, but he was nowhere to be found. The guy was a master at covering his tracksโthe fact that heโd escaped in the first place was proof enough of his skills.
But six months later, he returned voluntarily. No one knew why, and after that, he was never heard from again.
The organization tortured traitors brutallyโfew survived. If Benny was that man, the pieces fell into place.
โZinnia,โ Yannis asked, โwhatโs Lydiaโs motherโs name?โ
โBonnie Hollis,โ Zinnia replied.
When Yannis first found Benny, he had mumbled โBonnieโ incessantly. Unable to determine his real name, Yannis coined โBennyโ from the syllable. Now, Yannisโ suspicions were mostly confirmed.
Upon hearing Yannisโ guess, Zinnia was stunned. โYouโre saying Lydiaโs father is still alive?โ she asked.
โWhat a small world,โ she thought. โI helped Lydiaโs mom, and if Yannis is right, he helped her dad. Life weaves such unexpected connections.โ
โNot certain yet,โ Yannis said. โYou could ask Lydia. If sheโs willing, I can arrange a meeting. Bennyโs been looking for someone for two years, and it might be Lydia and Bonnie.โ