Chapter 296
Looking down at Zinnia asleep against him, Nathan sighed softly. Her brows remained furrowed even in slumber.
With gentle fingers, Nathan smoothed the tension from her furrowed brows, watching as they gradually relaxed.
With a gentle bend, Nathan lifted Zinnia into his arms and carried her out of the room to her own bedroom. He pulled back the covers and tucked her in for a sound sleep.
After breaking down in tears and nearly having a heart attack, Zinnia was at her limit. She badly needed a proper rest.
Nathan stepped out of the room and made a phone call.
โNathan,โ Yannis replied, his voice clear and pleasant.
โYannis, can you come over tonight?โ Nathan glanced at Zinnia, still asleep in the room.
Yannis replied, โWhatโs wrong? I can come right now.โ Hearing the sigh in Nathanโs voice, Yannis, who had been working on some documents, immediately grabbed his coat from the hanger and headed out.
โZinnia found out a bit about my condition,โ Nathan said quietly. โShe canโt handle it.โ
Zinnia woke up to find that night had already fallen. The tightness in her chest had eased somewhat.
She ran a hand through her hair. Remembering Nathanโs condition, she bolted upright from bed, her bare feet hitting the floor as she hurried out.
โMaster,โ she called out anxiously. Her voice carried a note of urgency. She didnโt know how sheโd suddenly fallen asleep.
Though sheโd checked Nathanโs pulse recently and found nothing amiss, the thought of Nathan being ill still filled her with unease.
It wasnโt until she stepped out of the room that she heard voices coming from the living room.
โYannis,โ Zinnia murmured. She spotted Yannis sitting on the sofa and froze for a moment, a bit taken aback.
Yannis wore a simple gray sweater and black dress pants, his well-defined bone structure standing out even in such casual attire. His neck was slightly bent as he arranged a fruit basket in his hands.
Zinnia saw it was a bunny-shaped basket crafted from cantaloupe rind, filled with neatly prepared fruit.
With his head slightly lowered, the sharp angles of his face became even more pronounced. The wall lamp cast a silhouette over his skin, half his face was lit, the other half shrouded in shadow. There was a sharp intensity about him.
โHe doesnโt seem to be in the best mood,โ Zinnia thought.
โAwake?โ Seeing her, Yannis softened his expression and made a gentle smile, carefully hiding the concern in his eyes.
โYannis, whereโs Master?โ Zinnia looked around the living room, not seeing Nathan anywhere, and felt uneasy. Subconsciously, she wanted to go to Nathanโs room to look for him.
Yannisโs gentle voice stopped her. โNathanโs in the kitchen baking cookies for you. See?โ His words calmed Zinniaโs anxious heart.
Following his gaze, Zinnia saw that, perhaps knowing sheโd worry if she woke up and didnโt see him, Nathan had deliberately left the kitchen door open this time. She could see his busy figure inside. A wave of relief washed over her.
If the kitchen door had been closed, she would have gone to check on him. But with it wide open, Zinnia knew Nathan was reassuring her that he was fine.
โHave a seat. Youโve been sleeping all afternoon, hungry? Come have some fruit,โ Yannis said, patting the sofa beside him to invite her over. Zinnia wandered over absentmindedly and sat down.
โWhatโs troubling my sweetie? Did something happen? Want to tell me about it?โ Yannis asked gently, immediately noticing the exhaustion on her face.
โYannis.โ Just thinking about Nathanโs illness and how heโd kept it from her for so long made an ache rise in Zinniaโs chest, her throat tightening with unshed tears.
โWe donโt have to talk about it right now. Letโs just relax a bit and have some fruit. Look, do you like these?โ Yannis nudged the bunny-shaped fruit basket toward her.
โYeah.โ Looking at the cute cantaloupe bunny basket filled with all her favorite fruits, including strawberries, grapes, kiwi, and mango, Zinnia felt a faint smile tug at her lips.
Each piece was cut into charming shapes and so delightfully crafted. Heโd even used seeds to dot on eyes and mouths. The sight made
โHave a strawberry,โ Yannis offered. He speared a bunny-shaped strawberry with a toothpick and handed it to her.
โThanks.โ Zinnia took it and bit in.
The strawberry was sweet, but Zinnia could barely taste it. Her worried gaze remained fixed on Nathan in the kitchen.
Yannis gently asked, โSweetie, is something bothering you?โ
Zinnia lowered her head. โYannis, Iโฆ I just feel awful.โ Her heart ached. She thought, โIโm so useless. I didnโt even know Master was sick.โ She felt so helpless and hadnโt even realized her master was ill.
Yannis softened his eyes as he listened to her hoarse, muffled voice, his tone as gentle as warm spring water. โWhat happened? You can tell me.โ
โMasterโs been sick all this time, and I had no idea. I must be so useless. If I hadnโt come back today by chance, I still wouldnโt know. Heโs been hiding it from me all along,โ Zinnia said, her voice trembling with guilt.
Zinnia lowered her face, not hiding anything from Yannis. "But have you ever thought about why Master kept it from you?" Yannis asked gently, waiting patiently for her to finish.
โHe was afraid Iโd worry,โ Zinnia replied, fully aware of why Nathan had hidden it from her. He just didnโt want her to be anxious about him.
โBut isnโt the way you are now just making him worry more?โ Yannis pressed softly.
โBut the more he hides it from me, the more I worry about him,โ Zinnia said, her voice trembling. โWhen I found out he was sick today, it felt like a knife was twisting in my chest. Iโm terrified something might happen to him.
โIโm scared something will happen to him, scared that his illness is much worse than I think,โ Zinnia spoke each word carefully, her emotions raw.
Nathan was afraid sheโd worry, but he didnโt realize that by keeping her in the dark, she could only guess if something had happened to him, left to stew in endless anxious speculation.
These past days, Zinnia hadnโt had a single good nightโs sleep.
Yet after learning about Nathanโs illness today, she actually felt a strange sense of relief, like a weight had finally lifted from her heart.
But that relief was quickly replaced by even deeper worries. She began to worry about Nathan and thought, โWhat on earth is wrong with Master? How serious is his condition?โ
Hearing Zinnia describe the pain in her heart as if a knife were carving it out, Yannis finally understood why Nathan had kept everything hidden, even when things were so serious.
โShe could barely handle just finding out something was wrong with Nathan,โ Yannis thought. โIf she ever learned the full truth about his condition, the consequences would be unbearable for anyone.โ
Her own health was a ticking time bomb. Yannis understood why Nathan had never dared to tell her. Zinnia had a heart condition. The realization sent a belated wave of fear washing over him.
โSheโs never had an episode before,โ he thought. โFew people could withstand a shock like that.โ
Nathan stepped out of the kitchen, a tray of freshly baked cookies in his gloved hands, their sweet aroma instantly filling the air. โYouโre awake?โ he greeted gently.
Zinnia approached him, her voice scratchy from hours of sleep. โMaster, let me check your pulse.โ
โNo rush,โ Nathan said with a soft smile. โLet me put these down first.โ He bent over and set the cookies on the coffee table, still wearing his gloves, his movements careful and unhurried.