“Zinnia, all packed? We’re about to head out,” Nathan called. Three days after Zinnia’s return, Nathan and the others decided to head back home.

“All set, coming,” Zinnia called out. She wheeled her small suitcase behind her, decorated with a pink cartoon figure. “Master, let’s go.”

It would take over ten hours by car to get from Jinston back to the small town, so they were preparing for the long journey. Yannis had already arranged a car for them and would have someone escort them safely all the way home.

Nathan saw her. Zinnia was wearing a fitted white down jacket paired with black flared pants. Her soft hair was styled in a top bun, pinned with a pretty pink bow.

She was radiant and utterly charming. Perhaps it was the excitement of finally heading home, but Zinnia’s face was simply beaming with joy.

“Come here. Let me fix your bow. It’s a little crooked,” Nathan said, a gentle smile playing at the corners of his lips.

“Is it crooked?” Zinnia tiptoed over to him with quick little steps.

“Just a bit,” Nathan said, gently removing the bow from her hair and clipping it back straight.

“There, all fixed.” Nathan gave her bun a gentle squeeze and chuckled.

“Let’s go then. Lucas and the others will be thrilled to see us back,” Zinnia said, tugging eagerly at Nathan’s sleeve.

“Scared?” Nathan asked softly, taking her suitcase and looking down at her. He was referring to the underground syndicate they were about to confront. After all this time on guard, it was finally time to flush them out.

“I’m not afraid. I know Master will protect me,” Zinnia said, shaking her head firmly. She wasn’t scared at all. Not since the moment she learned they were targeting her had she ever felt a shred of fear.

“I will always protect Zinnia,” Nathan said tenderly. His eyes softened with affection.

Zinnia and Nathan walked out together, taking the elevator straight down to the underground parking garage. In the underground parking garage, Yannis had arranged for an unassuming car to be waiting for them.

“Zinnia!” Maisie exclaimed as she spotted them coming and quickly stepped out of the car.

“Maisie!” Zinnia called back joyfully, bounding toward her with eager little steps.

“Maisie, this is my Master,” Zinnia introduced.

Maisie’s eyes shone with barely concealed anticipation as she looked at Nathan. ‘So, this is Zinnia’s Master,’ she thought. ‘She said he’s even more handsome than Jackson. I wonder if I’ll get to see what he really looks like.’

“Hello, I’m Zinnia’s master, Nathan.” Noticing her expectant gaze, Nathan removed his mask, a faint smile playing at his lips.

When Maisie saw Nathan’s face, her eyes widened in shock. She thought, ‘He is so handsome.’

“H–h–hi… I’m Zinnia’s sister, Maisie. W–w–what should I call you?” Maisie stammered. For a moment, she was completely tongue-tied, wanting to greet him but totally lost on what to say.

Nathan was Zinnia’s Master, and Zinnia was officially part of the Jenkins family. Maisie and Zinnia were sisters.

“Just call me Nathan.” Nathan was gentle, his faint smile radiating a quiet warmth that put people at ease.

“O–okay. Nathan,” Maisie stammered. She nodded rapidly, her cheeks tinged with pink.

Maisie had only learned about Nathan’s return the night before. His identity had been kept secret from her all this time.

At that moment, to lure out the underground syndicate, they spread the news that Maisie and Zinnia would be heading to the Gloriam resort together. If Zinnia went alone, the syndicate would surely get suspicious.

When Maisie was told about the plan, she agreed without a second thought. ‘Protecting my little sister? I have to do it myself,’ Maisie thought firmly.

Since Maisie was to protect Zinnia, it was only natural they brief her about Nathan as well.

“Ms. Zinnia Shaw, Mr. Moore and Mr. Perkins instructed us to escort you all the way home. He’ll meet you at your next rest stop this evening,” Emily said as he stepped forward to help with their luggage.

“Thank you,” Nathan said, his voice carrying a quiet elegance. He had already slipped his mask back on.

The black baseball cap was pulled low over his soft hair, shadowing his cool, distant eyes and leaving only a glimpse of skin visible.

Dressed in a simple gray suit, he looked exactly like a high-class butler. Whenever he wished, Nathan could mimic anyone flawlessly.

Zinnia blinked in surprise. “Wait, Yannis is coming with us?” She honestly hadn’t expected him to tag along.

Emily said, “According to Mr. Perkins’ latest intel, the underground syndicate is likely to ambush us at the rest stop.”

Nathan would follow them, disguised as their accompanying butler. “Let’s get in the car.”

They all got in the car. As usual, Stephen and Emily took the front passenger seat. Nathan, Zinnia, and the others sat in the back. The car pulled out and drove away.

Perhaps because Nathan was in the car, Maisie barely said a word. She just clung to Zinnia’s arm, the two exchanging excited whispers. She was still overwhelmed by Nathan’s breathtaking face and couldn’t recover for a while.

‘Honestly,’ Maisie thought, ‘even though Zinnia told me before that Nathan and Yannis were just as handsome as my cousin Jackson, I just couldn’t picture it. Jackson is already devilishly handsome.

‘But now that I’ve seen Nathan in person, oh my gosh, I wanted to scream my lungs out. Seriously, I didn’t even know people this ridiculously good-looking existed.

‘No wonder Zinnia can’t stop thinking about her Master. If I had a master this gorgeous, I’d want to stare at him all day, every single day. What an absolute feast for the eyes.

‘Even though Nathan’s all covered up now, just thinking about that brief glimpse I caught earlier makes me sigh.’

“You girls can talk freely, don’t mind me,” Nathan said, watching their little exchanges out of the corner of his eye with a wry smile.

“Yeah.” As soon as Nathan spoke, Maisie instinctively let out a sheepish little laugh in response.

But even after her reply, the car remained quiet. Maisie would rather text Zinnia than actually speak up.

Zinnia looked at Maisie with concern in her eyes as she noticed Maisie leaning on her shoulder and yawning twice. “Maisie, didn’t you get enough sleep?” she asked gently.

“I got too excited last night and stayed up late,” Maisie giggled. At Zinnia’s mention of last night, a soft blush crept across Maisie’s cheeks. She’d secretly called Charlie after everyone was asleep.

“What?” Zinnia looked over, noticing how Maisie’s cheeks flushed pink and her eyes lit up. She couldn’t help but feel curious.

“Zinnia, I’ll fill you in when I succeed,” Maisie said with a cheeky grin. At that moment, things weren’t settled yet. She’d wait until everything worked out before sharing the good news with Zinnia.

“Sure thing,” Zinnia said. She could see Maisie was practically glowing with happiness. Even though she had no idea what had her so excited, she couldn’t help but share in her joy.

Little did they know, the wait for that shared secret would stretch far longer than they ever imagined.