Chapter 258
Zinnia and Yannis stepped into the store and stopped at the nearest hair accessories section. Before them stretched a dazzling array of hair ornamentsโclips, bands, and pins in every imaginable style, with Christmas-themed designs dominating the display.
Yannis stood protectively close to Zinnia, shielding her from the bustling crowd. Watching her dazzled eyes dart between the glittering hair clips, he leaned in and asked softly, โWhich one do you like?โ
โI love them all,โ Zinnia sighed, her eyes darting between the dazzling array of hair accessories, completely overwhelmed by the choices.
โThen weโll take them all,โ Yannis declared.
The young couple next to Yannis nearly burst into laughter at his typical, bossy โromance novel heroโ lineโhow clichรฉ!
But then they took a closer look: those cufflinks were instantly recognizable, worth a fortune. The long black coat was clearly a bespoke luxury. And the watch on his wrist had a base price that was already astronomical, with the final tag undoubtedly much higher.
The couple fell silent, awkwardly pretending to browse the hair accessories to cover their embarrassment.
Just one of Yannisโs cufflinks could probably buy out the entire storeโlet alone his watch, which was worth even more. His entire outfit screamed old money. It was clear he wasnโt just making empty boastsโthis guy really could buy it all if he wanted.
โYannis, I must have read that bossy line in some romance novel,โ Zinnia suddenly looked up at him, eyes wide in shockโshe was actually witnessing the kind of overbearing behavior sheโd only read about in romance novels.
The young couple nearby couldnโt help but stifle their giggles, leaning into each otherโs shoulders to hide their growing smiles.
โWait, noโactually you are a real boss,โ Zinnia corrected herself when she saw Yannisโs expression darken. It wasnโt just bossy talkโhe could actually buy everything. In his world, whatever he wanted, he got.
The young couple nearby felt another pang of envy and inadequacy.
Yannis chose not to argue. Instead, he gestured and said gently, โPick whichever you like.โ
Zinnia said anxiously, โI only want a fewโdonโt buy them all. If you really bought every single one, Iโd never be able to wear them all, even if I changed hair clips ten times a day. Plus, my mom keeps sending me more hairpins.โ
She was genuinely worried he might actually buy the entire display. They already had ten jewelry cabinets at home; if she brought back another pile, sheโd probably have to buy a new one just to store them.
Every month, Yannis would have Zinniaโs entire collection of hair clips, scrunchies, clothes, jewelry, designer bags, and shoes replaced with new ones. Some of them she hadnโt even worn or looked at before he was already ordering a fresh batch.
Honestly, Yannis could be quite the extravagant spendthrift. Even though Zinnia was never short on moneyโand it wasnโt even her own being spentโit still pained her to see such waste.
Zinnia had never wanted for money growing up, but she wasnโt one to splurge.
These hair clips were all from niche luxury brandsโeach one was pricey, with the cheapest ones still costing a pretty penny. If she bought the whole collection, it would easily add up to a small fortune.
โPick more of what you like. If nothing here catches your eye, Iโll have my custom jeweler design whatever style you want,โ Yannis said gently, insisting when he noticed her modest selection.
As she picked out a few pretty hair clips, Zinnia muttered, โIโve still got a whole wall of hair clips at home I havenโt even worn yet, and youโre still buying more? At this rate, Iโll never get through them all in my lifetime.โ
Yannis was just like Jacksonโhe loved buying her everything in bulk. Even after Zinnia moved out of the Lynn residence, Sofia, Henry, her mom, and the rest of the family still sent her all kinds of gifts every monthโdesigner clothes, jewelry, handbags, and cosmetics.
With everything Yannis bought for her on top of that, Zinnia was often so overwhelmed by all the options that she didnโt even know what to pick.
When Zinnia asked them to send fewer gifts, they all shook their heads in perfect unison.
โWe have the money,โ they insisted, โand weโre going to dress you up like a princessโso everyone will know youโre the Lynn familyโs little princess, and no one would dare to mess with you.โ
Yannis chuckled softly. โIf you canโt wear them all now, thatโs fineโweโve got a whole lifetime ahead for you to wear them, one by one. Thereโs no rush.โ
The young couple nearby thought, โDo we really have to be force-fed all this PDA? Itโs Christmas, not Valentineโs Day!โ
They wanted to leave, but the crowd was so packed that they were stuck right next to the couple, forced to listen to their casual show-off of both affection and wealth.
โThis oneโs for Lydia, this oneโs for Maisie, and this oneโs mine,โ Zinnia murmured as she finished sorting through the six hair clips sheโd picked out, feeling quietly pleased with her thoughtful choices.
As Zinnia finished picking out the hair clips, she tugged Yannis over to the wall of collectible figures and carefully selected two limited-edition figures. โThis oneโs for Ethan, and this oneโs for Brian.โ
Yannis walked beside her, carrying her purchases. As he listened to her thoughtfully pick out gifts for everyone else, he couldnโt help but tease, โWhat about me?โ
โYou like figures too?โ Zinnia looked up at Yannis in surprise.
She thought, โAfter all this time with Yannis, I still have no idea what he actually likes. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouthโanything he wanted, people would flock to offer at the slightest hint.
โBut as for his real preferences? Heโs never let them show. Genuinely, Iโm still clueless.โ
โIโll like whatever you buy me,โ Yannis said. He wasnโt particularly fond of figures, but if they came from Zinnia, heโd treasure them all the same.
โThen what kind do you like?โ Zinnia nodded readily to show she would get anything he liked for him.
โYou pick for me,โ Yannis said, his lips tightening slightly. She knew what everyone else liked, but when it came to his preferences, she had no idea.
With so many options here, Zinnia had no idea what Yannis might actually like. She couldnโt pick something for him when she didnโt even know his preferences. After some thought, she tentatively asked, โIs there anything you particularly like? I can get it for you.โ
โIโll love whatever you buy for me,โ Yannis murmured, lowering his gaze, his clear voice carrying quiet warmth.
โTotally unhelpful,โ Zinnia thought with a frown. Suddenly, her eyes lit up when she spotted something and she tugged Yannis toward it. โHey, what about this one?โ
Yannis followed her gaze and saw a superhero with his partner. He recognized them instantlyโtheir movie posters had been plastered all over the city recently. In fact, just the other day, he had accompanied Zinnia to see the film.
Noticing how Yannis had lingered his gaze on the figures, Zinnia thought he must be interested in them. So she waved a clerk over to take them down. With a gentle smile, she asked, โHow about I get you these two?โ
โAlright.โ Yannis noddedโafter all, these figures only mattered because of her.
โThen Iโll get this for you,โ Zinnia said, taking the figure from the clerk and glancing at Yannis in mild surprise. She hadnโt expected him to like superheroesโZinnia made a mental note of it.
Now that sheโd found something Yannis liked, Zinnia didnโt want to stay in the packed store any longerโit was getting hard to breathe. With a relieved smile, she turned to Yannis and said, โLetโs go check out.โ
As they reached the checkout counter, Zinnia set the two figures down first, then glanced expectantly at Yannis, waiting for him to bring over the rest of their items so she could pay for everything together.
But Yannis refused. He wanted these to be her gift to him. โJust pay for these two figures,โ he insisted.