Chapter 233
After the Lydia situation was settled, Zinniaโs gaze landed on Yannisโ casual outfit. He didnโt look like someone who had been at the office. โWhere were you today?โ she asked.
โSeeing off Jackson,โ Yannis replied.
โJackson? Whereโs he going?โ Zinnia was puzzled.
โHe went to Mealinia for business negotiations,โ Yannis replied, keeping another reason to himselfโJackson was also there to confirm if the person they had been tracking was indeed Nathan.
Ever since the suspicion arose, Jackson had been eager to go himself, but endless responsibilities kept him anchored.
Now that the Shaw family had been sent to prison, he finally had time to investigate if Nathan was truly behind Mealiniaโs MZ Group.
Zinnia nodded. โI see.โ
Yannis added, โIโll arrange drivers for your outings these days. For safety, two bodyguards will shadow you discreetly.โ
Donald was still at large, a hidden threat who could target Zinnia at any moment. Yannis thought covert protection was a must.
โOkay.โ Zinnia wasnโt naive; she knew Donaldโs disappearance posed a risk.
The second they stepped into the living room, Zinnia started whining about the heat and took off her creamy yellow coat.
Yannis shook his head, one hand holding Zinniaโs backpack while clutching her coat in the other.
Zinnia instinctively turned toward her room to study, but Yannis snagged the back of her collar. โEat first,โ he said. โDinnerโs ready.โ
โYou finished cooking that quickly? I still have two problems left to do,โ Zinnia said, thinking about going to work on those problems.
STEM subjects had always been challenging for her, so she had asked Lydia to gather extra practice problems. She believed that practice made perfect and drilled herself daily.
Yannis took her wrist gently and led her to the dining table. โYou can eat first and then get back to your problems. Your teacher wouldnโt want you to wear yourself out just to grow up faster.โ
Zinniaโs recent drive stemmed from realizing Nathanโs hardships. She wanted to grow up quickly, to one day support him.
Yannis admired her ambitionโskills would be the foundation for her futureโbut he didnโt want her to neglect her health.
โOkay,โ Zinnia replied, not surprised that Yannis had seen through her. She just felt useless, unable to help Nathan. Now, with Nathan having no family left, she needed to grow up and protect him.
Once, Nathanโd protected her, and she wanted to return the favor. But at present, the only thing she could strive for was to study. Only when she improved her academic performance could she think about other things.
โZinnia, youโre doing well,โ Yannis said, โYouโre youngโthese burdens arenโt yours alone. Eat, rest, and take care of yourself. When Nathan returns, heโll be glad youโre healthy.โ
โBesides,โ Yannis added, ruffling her hair gently, โeven if the sky falls, weโll hold it up. Weโll face any trouble firstโyou donโt need to worry too much."
Yannis thought children should live like childrenโno need to burden themselves with adult problems. Nathan had spent over a decade shielding her from the truth, all because he wanted her to live a carefree life.
Zinnia nodded. โUnderstood.โ
But they both knew that once certain truths emerged, innocence could never be regained. Growth was inevitable.
Yannis studied her composed expression, sighing inwardly, โPerhaps some revelations should have waited!โ
He settled down next to her, gently laying a piece of salmon fillet on her plate. โYour favorite.โ
Zinnia looked at the salmon, then at him. โYannis, is your insomnia better?โ she asked.
Her gaze lingered on the faint shadows under his eyes. They were much less pronounced than when they first met, when exhaustion had carved deep lines into his face. Now, he looked far more energizedโdefinitely healthier than ever before.
Zinnia had been replacing Yannisโ herbal pouches, preparing sleep-aid pills, and adding calming herbs to his soups. His sleep had improved remarkably.
He used to suffer severely from insomnia. So, even a partial improvement was a huge step forward for his body. As his sleep got better, his health was also being gradually nursed back to normal.
Yannis smiled softly, โYouโre quite a little healer, Zinnia.โ
His sleep had improved drastically since that pivotal night. Though he still woke hourly, he could now fall back asleepโeven if fitfully. The change was monumental; once, mere hours of rest had felt like a luxury.
โYannis, let me check you up after dinner,โ Zinnia said. She needed to check up on himโshe couldnโt stick around forever, after all.
Each morning, Benedictโs messages flooded her phone, accompanied by his signature pleading emojis.
[Zinnia, returning today? Iโll chauffeur you.]
[Coming back today? Iโll go to pick you up.]
[Itโs been three days, and your loyal butler is withering.]
[Itโs the fourth day today, and weโve been expecting your return.]
Zinnia shook her head, feeling helpless. Benedict acted as if she might vanish like smoke.
Yannis tensed at her words. โAlright,โ he managed, a strange dread coiling in his gut.
After dinner, as Yannis stepped out of the kitchen, Zinnia waved from the sofa. โYannis, come here. Let me check your pulse.โ
โZinnia, wait. I just remembered Iโve got something urgent. How about we check next time?โ Yannis trusted his instincts and made a beeline for the study.
โDonโt worry. Thisโll take just one minute,โ Zinnia said, stepping over and grabbing his wrist before he could duck away. She needed to feel his pulse; if he was really back to normal, it was time for her to start packing.
Back when she first stayed, it was just a straight-up trade: her medical help for a place to crash. But now, somehow, the thought of not seeing him every day stirred an unexpected acheโan empty hollow in her chest she couldnโt explain.
Stuck in her hold, Yannis looked down at her slim fingers on his wristโnails trimmed short, pink and healthy, each one perfect. Her touch was soft, and he felt a warm tenderness stir in his heart.
โYour pulse is way stronger now,โ Zinnia said. โIt wonโt be like one day you might pass out alone somewhere.โ