Chapter 287
Zinnia asked, โNathan, why are you cooking again? We still have plenty of food.โ After finishing her homework, she came out of her room and found Nathan cooking again.
Zinnia thought, โWe already made so many dishes for lunch. Even after Quincey took away the fried food, thereโs still plenty leftโmore than enough for just the two of us.โ
โWeโre having guests over tonight,โ Nathan said gently. They planned to have chili con carne for dinner since Zinnia had mentioned craving it at lunch.
โGuests? Who could it be? We donโt know many people in Jinston, do we?โ Zinnia asked, looking puzzled.
Zinnia thought, โIn Jinston, apart from my grandparents and parents, we barely know anyone. Besides, only Yannis and Jackson know Nathan is back. Itโs rare for anyone to visit us here.โ
โTake a guess?โ Nathan asked with a warm smile.
โCould it be Yannis and Jackson?โ Zinnia guessed, her voice tinged with curiosity.
Nathan smiled. โZinnia, why do you call them like this?โ Nathan looked puzzled.
Zinnia hesitated, unsure how to explain. After getting drunk, Yannis threw a tantrum and insisted that Zinnia change how she called him. She continued to call him that way and eventually got used to it.
Zinnia shrugged and said, โItโs just easier this way. Three in the Lynn family and one in the Perkins family. So I call them this way to keep things simple.โ
Nathan didnโt press further.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang. โIโll get it!โ Zinnia called out, dashing toward the door. Nathan shook his head with an amused smile.
Zinnia flung the door open with a bright smile. โWelcome!โ
Yannis and Jackson arrived, their arms full of gifts. Theyโd both been busy over the past few days. It was their first visit since Zinnia and Nathan moved in.
โWhy did you buy so many gifts?โ Nathan asked as he came over, eyeing the armfuls of gifts they were carrying.
Jackson strode in with a grin. โTheyโre for Zinnia.โ
Zinnia grabbed house slippers for Yannis and Jackson. She reached out to help Yannis with the gifts.
Yannis chuckled softly and gently moved his arms away from her. โLet me handle these, Zinnia. Theyโre a bit heavy.โ
โNathan,โ Yannis said, giving Nathan a nod after changing his shoes.
โCome in,โ Nathan responded with a warm smile.
Zinnia walked behind them. Yannis set the gifts down on the table, then turned with a gentle smile to look at Zinnia. โWhatโs up?โ he asked.
โI just wanted to see if youโre still having trouble sleeping,โ Zinnia said, looking closely at his face for any signs of tiredness.
Yannis said, โIโm sleeping well now. You donโt have to worry anymore. Your medical skills are truly excellent.โ He looked at her, his eyes soft and affectionate.
โOf course. Nathan taught me everything. If I say I can cure your insomnia, I absolutely can,โ Zinnia boasted. She thought, โI canโt let you look down on me.โ
Yannis was primarily troubled by a psychological burden that had haunted him for over a decade. The long-standing tension in his relationship with James left him filled with dread at the thought of facing those accusatory eyes.
He also feared the resentful stares from those around him. Whenever he closed his eyes, his mind would spiral into restless turmoil, and he couldnโt find peace.
Over time, the unrelenting mental strain was like a clockwork spring wound too tight for too long. Eventually, it began to take its toll on his body.
Now that the mental burden had been lifted, he felt more energetic; his health had improved. He believed there was something to look forward to in the future, and life felt truly delightful.
โOf course,โ Yannis said with a chuckle, clearly humoring her.
Nathan noticed their doting behavior and shook his head with an indulgent smile. โZinnia, you should try to be a bit more humble,โ Nathan said.
โWhy should I be humble around you guys? Besides, youโre my master. Everyone will be green with envy. With you as my teacher, why should I be humble?โ Zinnia grinned, her eyes sparkling.
โExactly!โ Jackson chimed in. โThe Lynn family has every reason to be proud. Zinnia did a great job.โ
โYou two always spoil her.โ His eyes softened as he listened to their doting words.
โOf course, weโll protect her. But you also spoil her. You raised Zinnia yourself, after all. Itโs not just up to us to look after her; youโve got to do your part,โ Jackson said, helping unpack the gifts they brought.
At those words, Nathan paused briefly. โOkay,โ he replied.
Yannis lowered his gaze, then walked over and said, โWhat do you need me to do? Let me give you a hand.โ
โSure!โ Nathan said with a smile. โZinnia said sheโs craving chili con carne tonight, so thatโs what weโre having for dinner.โ Nathan remained unfazed.
Nathan said gently, โZinnia, why donโt you go relax for a bit? Weโll call you when dinnerโs ready.โ
Zinnia raised her hand and said, โI can help you.โ She was confident she could be of help.
Jackson took off his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves. โZinnia, go have some fun. Weโll call you when dinnerโs ready.โ
โZinnia, with us here, you donโt need to do anything,โ Yannis added, gently lowering her raised hand.
They didnโt let her do anything. โHere; eat strawberries,โ Nathan said with a smile, bringing out a bowl of freshly washed strawberries from the kitchen and placing them in Zinniaโs hands.
Zinnia finally had something to keep her busy, so she didnโt argue about helping. โAlright,โ she said and popped a strawberry into her mouth.
Zinnia used to have Nathan doting on her, and now Yannis and Jackson were spoiling her. The only chore Zinnia ever did was to grab a hoe and weed the herb garden when she got bored.
Seeing they were determined to keep her from helping, Zinnia happily carried the bowl of strawberries back to her room. She had other things on her mind.
They headed into the kitchen. โWeโve tracked down some leads on that underground syndicate. Theyโre most likely hiding in urban villages. Those places are chaotic and packed with outsiders, and these guys have strong counter-surveillance skills. Itโs not easy to catch them there.โ
As soon as they stepped into the kitchen, the conversation turned serious. They had been investigating the whole time. It wasnโt that there were no leads; it was just hard to take action.
Over the past month, those people had switched locations countless times, always choosing crowded places. Making an arrest was tough, even if they wanted to. With Christmas approaching, even more people were pouring into Jinston.
Anyone who could survive in that organization was ruthless. They didnโt dare push too hard, afraid that if those people got cornered and desperate, theyโd lash out and hurt innocent people.
After what happened a decade ago, Yannis knew all too well that human depravity knows no bounds. If pushed to the edge, they would do anything crazy. They couldnโt risk the safety of ordinary people.
Yannis said, โThere should be about ten of them. Based on what youโve told me, the escapees are highly skilled operatives. We canโt risk making a move in the city. We need to find a way to lure them out of Jinston.โ
Recently, with the whole city of Jinston under a low-profile lockdown, that group picked up on something and was lying low for now, not daring to make any rash moves.
โLetโs wait until Zinniaโs school break. Then weโll find a way to lure them out,โ Nathan said, his eyes turning cold. โWe canโt just wait passively. With them in that secret place, itโs too risky. We need to take the upper hand.โ