Chapter 234

“Your pulse is way stronger now. It won’t be like one day you might pass out alone somewhere,” Zinnia said, withdrawing her hand. After two months of nursing him back, his wrecked health had finally turned a corner. The nightmare of him collapsing with no one around was over, now. As long as he kept up with self-care, a full recovery was in the bag.

Before Yannis could answer, Zinnia went on, “Another month or two, and your condition should totally level out.”

After a decade of running his body into the ground, it was impossible he would bounce back in several days.

“I see.” Yannis nodded, throat tight.

“Listen, Yannis.” Zinnia took a breath. “I think it’s time for me to move out. You’re stable now, and as long as you stay on top of things, you’ll be golden.”

“Move where?” Yannis’s worst fear just smacked him in the face. His hand shot out, clamping around her wrist tightly.

Startled by his overreacting, Zinnia stammered, “N–Nathan got me a place.” She was puzzled – they had agreed that she would treat him, and in return, he would stay with her for a while, and that was all.

“So you’re abandoning me because your master got you a house? This isn’t home to you?” Yannis asked, finally realizing why she suddenly checked his pulse – she was plotting her leaving.

A cold ache spread through his chest. ‘Now that she knows her master’s safe and has her back, she doesn’t need me anymore?’

“I’m moving, not ditching you,” Zinnia frowned. ‘How did we end up using the word “abandon”? He isn’t my possession at all.’

Meeting her calm, puzzled gaze, Yannis finally realized his reaction had been a bit over the top. He took a moment to steady his emotions, then looked down at her.

“You said you wouldn’t leave, and I’m still not fully recovered yet,” Yannis said. “You little ingrate–I just made sure you were well-fed, and now you’re already thinking about getting rid of the cook?”

Under that intense gaze, Zinnia’s gut twinged with guilt, as if she had done something wrong to him.

She thought back to the dinner he had made: delicious salmon, fried vegetable balls, scrambled eggs with peppers, and shrimp soup. She figured he had a point.

‘Hold on,’ she thought. ‘When did I promise not to leave? The only time I said anything was when he was wasted, and I was just humoring him. There’s no way he remembers that, right?’

She shook her head. ‘Stop overthinking. The urgent matter now is to clarify that I’m just moving out, not “abandoning” him. He is putting words in my mouth.’

“I’m just moving to a new place. We can still hang out,” she said. “It’s not like we can live together forever…”

“Why not?” Yannis blurted before he could stop himself. The words had just escaped, like his mouth had a mind of its own, spilling secrets he’d kept locked up.

Instantly, his throat went dry as he swallowed nervously. He didn’t dare to look her in the eyes, afraid she might sense his hidden affections and feel scared of him.

Normally, he was tighter-lipped than a vault. But a few casual questions from Zinnia, and he was spilling his guts like a rookie at a poker table.

Zinnia looked up at him, dead serious. “You’ll have your own life eventually, and so will I. I can’t crash here forever.” She wasn’t overcomplicating – just stating facts.

She thought, ‘Someday he’ll start a family, build his own life. How can we live together long-term? If I stick around, I’ll just be a burden. He already stresses about taking care of me every day.

Jackson is always swamped, rushing around, and sometimes too busy to eat. Yannis is just as slammed, maybe even busier… he has to make time for a…

That’s so draining.

I can’t even help Nathan, nor can I do much for Yannis either. I’m just holding him back.’

“You’re not a burden,” Yannis said, his voice tough.

‘He has an answer for everything, huh?’ Zinnia sighed, half-annoyed. “Remember the deal? I treat your illness, you let me stay temporarily…Your health is way better, and your insomnia’s improving.”

Yannis felt a throb in his temple. He wanted to shout that letting her treat him was never about the deal – he’d never even cared about getting better. Now, it felt like he was digging his own grave and leaving himself with a potential problem.

‘If she leaves as soon as I recover, maybe I shouldn’t get better at all. At least then she wouldn’t think about leaving,’ Yannis thought.

He lowered his gaze to meet her serious eyes as he spoke nonsense with a straight face. “My insomnia is still messed up. If I can’t sleep, my health tanks, and then you’ll worry about me – it’s a total loop.”

Zinnia’s brain felt like a knotted mess. But amid all this chaos, one thing was clear – she needed to fix his insomnia. She let out a sigh. “So I have to cure your insomnia?”

“Bingo. If you don’t, my health’s toast. Next thing you know, I’m face-down on the kitchen floor. By the time someone finds me, I’ll be colder than a morgue slab.

“Then you can finally plan my funeral,” Yannis deadpanned, staring at her like he’d just ordered takeout instead of spouting dramatic nonsense.

“You make it sound like you’ll keel over the second I leave,” Zinnia said, batting her eyes. She felt a mix of frustration and amusement; he made it seem like she was his lifeline. She didn’t realize she was that important to him.

“I’m basically alone here.” Yannis’ voice went quiet, edged with loneliness. “I’ve been thrown overseas for two years, unable to come home. Now Jackson’s abroad too. I don’t know anyone in this city except you.”

With his head slightly lowered, his hair fell over his brow and eyes. He emphasized the words “thrown overseas,” giving off an impression that no one really liked him.

His eyes showed no hint of emotion as he gently held her hand in his. The warmth of his palm enveloped her soft skin, and he gave it a light shake, as if silently seeking comfort from her.