In Mealinia, Yelena looked at Jackson in the lounge with a helpless expression. “Mr. Lynn, my boss isn’t available right now. For this partnership, you might want to consider other options.”

No one really knew why Jackson was so determined to meet Nathan. For the past month, he’d been showing up every few days. Even after being explicitly told that Nathan wouldn’t see him, Jackson remained persistent, relentlessly requesting a meeting.

“Yelena, please tell your boss, the more he dodges me, the more curious I get."

“If I actually see him, I might just give up,” Jackson said lazily, hands folded on his knees as he leaned back in his chair. He seemed quite used to being turned down by now.

Jackson had been in Mealinia for a month now, yet not once had he managed to meet Nathan. And the more he failed to see Nathan, the more certain Jackson became of his suspicions. Jackson was determined to see him. What worried Jackson most was the thought that something might have happened to Nathan.

‘Nathan cared so deeply about Zinnia,’ Jackson thought. ‘There’s no way he would have left her home unless he had some compelling reason. And now, with him still refusing to meet me… that just makes things even more suspicious.’

Over the past month, Jackson had witnessed firsthand how MZ Group slowly but surely dismantled Moore Group – ruthless in their tactics and merciless in their approach.

They had Moore Group in the palm of their hand, manipulating them with ease, then, with bold, sweeping moves, drove them to the edge. The business world was indeed brutal.

Now, Moore Group had been completely swallowed up by MZ Group, but both the head of the Moore Group and his eldest son had vanished without a trace. Rumors swirled that they had been taken.

“Mr. Lynn, may I ask why you’re so insistent on meeting my boss?” Yelena inquired, her composed features reflecting professional curiosity.

“Tell him I’ve been searching for him for seventeen years. I won’t give up easily,” Jackson said as he uncrossed his legs, stood up, and slowly straightened his sleeves. After seventeen years of being avoided, he knew meeting Nathan wouldn’t come without a fight.

Seeing Jackson leave the lobby, Yelena knocked on the office door and reported, “Mr. Moore, Mr. Lynn has left.”

Upon receiving permission, she pushed the door open and entered.

The office was spacious and warmly lit, but Nathan, standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows, seemed to need the extra warmth of his beige coat.

He pressed a hand to his lips, and a soft, muffled cough escaped him. His profile was sharp and cold, like a winter’s morning. His eyes, framed by long lashes, were distant and clear, and his face was a mask of indifference.

He stared out the window, though it was hard to tell if he was really seeing anything. His voice was low and cool when he spoke. “He still won’t leave?”

“Mr. Lynn said if you refuse to meet him, he’ll keep waiting. He mentioned… he’s been searching for you for seventeen years,” Yelena relayed.

Hearing the same answer again, Nathan let out a sigh from his pale lips, a trace of helplessness flickering in his usually distant eyes.

‘Why is Jackson still as stubborn as when he was a little boy?’ Nathan thought. ‘It seems I have no choice but to meet him. Once he sets his mind to something, he never gives up.’

“Let me know the next time he comes,” Nathan said in his deep, magnetic voice.

“Understood.” Yelena nodded, knowing that Nathan had finally decided to meet with Jackson.

Chapter 248

“How are things back home?” Nathan asked.

He’d been swamped with work lately, barely finding time to rest, and had somewhat neglected matters back home. Besides, given what he was currently involved in, it was wiser to keep contact with his home country to a minimum – he couldn’t risk implicating Zinnia.

“Zinnia has been perfectly safe staying with Yannis, who treats her exceptionally well,” Yelena reported as she took out her tablet and pulled up the photos.

Nathan took the tablet, his fingers – pale and almost translucent – moving smoothly over the screen. The first photo showed Zinnia laughing with friends, her face bright and carefree. The next had her in class, chin propped on her hand, looking thoughtful.

There was one of her playing badminton, her movements graceful, and another of her in the cafeteria, smiling as she ate. There was even a picture of her with the Lynn family, all of them laughing together, their joy almost palpable.

As he looked through the photos, Nathan felt a warmth spread through him, softening the usual chill that seemed to settle in his bones. He found himself smiling faintly, the coldness in his eyes gradually melting away. ‘She’s doing well,’ he thought.

His fingers kept moving across the screen. The next photo made his smile falter. It was Zinnia and Yannis at the supermarket, pushing a cart together. Yannis had his arm around her, holding her close, and the casual intimacy of the gesture struck Nathan like a punch.

The next one showed them walking in the evening, their shadows stretching long and blending together on the ground. It looked almost like they were one, their figures inseparable.

And then there was Yannis, carefully wrapping a scarf around Zinnia’s neck, his expression tender.

Every photo was a reminder of how close they were.

The faint smile in Nathan’s eyes had faded. Two photos remained in the album. His veined fingers slid slowly across the screen – then, as the next photo appeared, he suddenly clenched the tablet, his knuckles turning white.

In the photo, Zinnia and Yannis had just stepped out of a flower shop. Zinnia was holding a beautiful bouquet, her eyes sparkling with joy. It was a look that could soften even the hardest of hearts.

Nathan had seen that look in her eyes so many times before. Sometimes, after he made her favorite food, she’d come over, slip her arm through his, and say sweetly, “Master, you’re the best! With you, I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.”

They would climb the mountain together to gather herbs. Whenever Zinnia found a rare medicinal plant, she’d skip over to Nathan, her little face lifted in triumph as if seeking praise. “Master, look! I’m amazing, right?”

At night, they’d sit in the courtyard, gazing at the stars. Her eyes would light up with wonder, and she’d rest her head on his shoulder, swinging her feet. “Master, I want to catch a star,” she’d tease.

Her eyes used to be on Nathan all the time – he was her whole world. But now, someone else has entered her life and had already captured her heart in a special way.

As he scrolled further, the latest photo showed Zinnia skipping ahead, her pigtails bouncing. Yannis trailed behind her, relaxed and protective, holding her schoolbag in one hand and a scarf in the other. His eyes were soft, filled with affection.

Nathan stared at the screen. She was playing ahead, and he was following with a gentle smile. His lips pressed together as a faint itch rose in his throat. He coughed quietly, the taste of blood spreading in his mouth. He swallowed hard, forcing it down.

He’d wanted this for her, but seeing her find someone to rely on still left a dull ache in his chest.

Yelena observed Nathan’s reaction, her hand tightening slightly at her side as she lowered her gaze to hide her emotions. Though Nathan was alone, Zinnia still had many people around her.

‘He shouldn’t devote all his energy to her. Nathan deserves a life of his own – his world shouldn’t revolve solely around Zinnia,’ she thought.