Chapter 279

The airport hall bustled with people, yet the VIP passage remained eerily quiet, except for two striking figures standing in silence.

Zinnia’s gaze locked onto the man ahead—the one on the right, dressed in a black coat, who was rolling his suitcase with one hand. A white mask covered most of his face, leaving only a pair of clear eyes visible.

The long black coat framed his tall figure perfectly. Under the lights, his silhouette was elegant and poised, radiating quiet confidence. It was as if the noise around him didn’t exist.

Zinnia thought, ‘Well, some people just steal the spotlight no matter where they go.’

Their eyes met, and the cold, distant look in his gaze softened. A gentle warmth was quietly blooming there.

Zinnia froze in her tracks. She tightened her grip on the bouquets in her arms, almost without realizing it.

Zinnia stood frozen as Nathan, from a distance, walked toward her slowly. Suddenly, her eyes stung with unshed tears, and she pressed her lips tightly together, fighting back the overwhelming excitement in her chest.

He stopped in front of her, the familiar scent of tangerine enveloping her, and then she was pulled into a warm embrace. “Zinnia,” Nathan murmured, sighing softly.

Zinnia didn’t say a word. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she buried her face in Nathan’s embrace.

Her muffled sobs sent a sharp pain through the hearts of the three men. Yannis’s fingers twitched slightly. He wanted to comfort Zinnia, but he knew right now she needed Nathan more than anyone else.

Nathan gently stroked Zinnia’s back without a word, offering her silent comfort.

After crying for a few minutes, Zinnia sniffled and pulled away from Nathan’s embrace. Carefully retrieving the bouquet she had been shielding in her arms, she held it out to him. “It’s for you.”

Nathan looked down at the little girl holding a bouquet, her eyes full of hope. There was still a trace of tears in her eyes.

Zinnia wore a white puffer jacket over a pink sweater and a plaid skirt. Tears still stained her bright face, making her look heartbreakingly vulnerable.

Nathan smiled as he gazed at the flowers. He gently rubbed Zinnia’s hair and said, “Thank you, Zinnia. You’ve grown up a lot.” He noticed the flowers she gave him were roses–his favorite.

Zinnia pouted and said, “Well, you missed out on a lot of fun stuff while I was growing up.”

Zinnia sniffled and rubbed her teary eyes. Then she took another bouquet from Yannis and handed it to Jackson. “This is for you, Jackson.”

“Thank you, Zinnia,” Jackson said, accepting the bouquet with both hands, his handsome face lit up with a warm smile.

Jackson turned to Nathan and introduced the man who had been silent all this time. “Nathan, this is Yannis.”

“Glad to meet you, Yannis. I’m Nathan. Thank you for looking after Zinnia all this time.” Nathan turned his gaze to Yannis and offered his hand, smiling.

Nathan knew Yannis, but Yannis probably didn’t know him very well. Nathan had gone abroad at seven years old when Yannis was barely three.

Yannis had often heard his family talk about Nathan, but this was the first time he actually met him.

They were about the same height, equally good-looking. Their gazes collided like unseen forces, each measuring the other without a word.

The next second, Yannis broke the silence. “I’m Yannis. Glad to see you, Nathan, and welcome back.” He shook hands with Nathan, smiling.

With just a simple greeting, Nathan and Yannis instantly knew that they were on the same wavelength.

Nathan was the second oldest among the four of them. He looked at Yannis, who had stood by Zinnia all along.

Jackson said, “Alright, let’s go home. We can catch up later. Nathan isn’t feeling well and needs a proper rest.”

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Zinnia grew anxious and quickly grabbed Nathan’s wrist, eager to feel his pulse.

“Don’t worry, Zinnia. I’m fine. Let’s go home.” Nathan took Zinnia’s hand as he led her toward the airport exit.

They got into Yannis’s car. Nathan and Zinnia settled into the back seat together.

“Have you guys had lunch yet?” Yannis asked, checking the backseat through the rearview mirror as he drove.

Jackson was on his phone, dealing with work. He said with his head down, “No, we were in a rush coming back. The plane food was terrible, and Nathan refused to eat any of it.”

After spending a month abroad, Jackson returned to find a mountain of work waiting for him at his company back home.

Nathan was picky about food and wouldn’t touch the in-flight meal. Jackson skipped it too.

“We haven’t had it either. How about we go to Meteor Restaurant?” Yannis suggested while driving. The food there was great, and he thought they would like it.

“Sounds good. Let’s go there then,” Nathan said, gently holding back Zinnia’s restless hand as she tried to check his pulse. “No tricks, Zinnia,” Nathan murmured, gently patting her hand in warning.

Zinnia frowned, her voice tinged with concern. “What’s wrong? Why won’t you let me touch your hand? And why are you still wearing that mask?”

Nathan still hadn’t taken off his mask, not even once since they had met.

Feeling uncomfortable about what she said, Yannis coughed, interrupting the conversation.

“What’s wrong? Did you catch a cold from not dressing warm enough last night?” Zinnia asked with concern.

Instantly, both Nathan and Jackson turned to look at Yannis.

“No, I just choked on something,” Yannis said.

“Wait, what happened last night?” Jackson asked, glancing over.

Nathan squinted, looking curious.

Yannis offered a brief explanation, and only then did Nathan and Jackson finally relax.

Jackson glanced at Yannis with a smirk and joked, “Careful, Zinnia. One careless word from you and someone might end up heartbroken.”

Nathan paused briefly at Zinnia’s words and tapped her forehead with a hint of amusement. He knew Yannis felt uneasy about how close they were. “I’m fine. Come on, don’t you believe me?” Nathan said gently, subtly shifting away to put a little distance between them. He lowered his sleeve, hiding his wrist.

“Then why won’t you let me check your pulse?” Zinnia pressed further. She thought, ‘He won’t be so nervous if he’s really fine.’

Jackson and Yannis listened quietly in the front seats to their conversation. Even after months apart, nothing had diminished their bond.

Jackson said, “Zinnia, give Nathan a proper examination. He mentioned it was an old illness. See what’s going on with him.”

Noticing Zinnia reaching for Nathan’s wrist to check his pulse, Jackson shifted slightly in his seat, turning to get a better look, only to meet Nathan’s warning gaze.

“Let me have a look,” Zinnia said, growing even more insistent.

“Will you stop fussing if I let you check?” Nathan asked.

“Maybe,” Zinnia insisted, reaching out her hand toward Nathan.

Nathan offered his wrist to Zinnia with a gentle sigh. Jackson and Yannis quietly listened to see what was going on.

After a while, Zinnia asked, “Do you cough frequently?”