Chapter 306
After letting Donald finish speaking, the man swiftly gagged his mouth again.
โHe knows about Zinniaโs father. Hand our men over, and weโll return yours,โ the man looked at Yannis again and said in a flat tone.
โThat information is useless to us. My girl doesnโt care less about her biological father,โ Yannis drawled.
โZinnia doesnโt give a damn about her so-called father,โ Yannis sneered in his mind. โEven if she does care, we can find him out on our own!โ
The man was shocked by Yannisโs response. This was their final trump card, but it didnโt even faze them. They had always banked on Donald being useful โ the only reason theyโd endured his insufferable presence all this time instead of killing him, clinging to the hope that, if things went south, he might be their last-ditch lifeline.
Donald let out a muffled, desperate sound, struggling with all his might. He couldnโt believe his last trump card โ his only bargaining chip โ meant nothing to Yannis. โI canโt stay with these monsters any longer,โ Donald thought. โIโd rather go back to jail.โ
Seeing his rescuers just across from him โ hope now within armโs reach โ how could Donald even think of giving up? With a sudden burst of strength, he thrashed violently and crashed to the ground. Desperately, he began wriggling like a worm toward Yannis across from him.
โYou worthless piece of shit!โ Seeing him struggling to crawl forward, the three men were angrier. The man at the front bent down, grabbed him by the collar, yanked him up, and delivered a vicious slap across his face.
The blow was so brutal that blood immediately spurted from Donaldโs split lip.
โWhat a waste!โ Another man nearby lashed out with a vicious kick, his face twisted in fury. Their final trump card proved worthless.
Donaldโs face contorted in agony, a muffled cry escaping his lips.
After the beating had vented their anger, the man at the front forced down his rage and held back his companions. He glared at Yannis and sneered, โDonโt you people from Laystoland always say youโd never abandon someone in need?
โIf you donโt give our boss back, weโll blow his brains out.โ He pulled out a pistol and pressed it against Donaldโs temple.
When Donald felt the cold barrel pressed against his temple, his eyes widened in sheer terror as his body trembled uncontrollably.
โThreaten me? No one ever dared to threaten me in my entire life,โ Yannis thought with a cold smirk.
He shrugged and said, โGo ahead. Heโs worthless to us anyway. Keeping him just takes up a cell and weโd have to feed him. Heโs nothing but a damn nuisance.โ
The three men glared at Yannis, seething with fury at his nonchalant attitude. But with even their smartest boss captured, they had no chance to stand against Yannis.
Donaldโs eyes widened with desperation, tears streaming down his face as he stared at them pleadingly.
The negotiation fell apart, and the three men scanned their surroundings, looking for an escape. But they were surrounded. There was no way out.
The whole crew was rounded up in one fell swoop. Donald was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. Afterward, he would face his unserved prison sentence.
โIโll leave this to you. Make sure to interrogate them thoroughly,โ Yannis said, giving Jaiden โ who was overseeing the arrangements โ a pat on the shoulder. With that, he turned and headed toward the main hall.
Zinnia had already come back from the mountaintop. Now, she and Maisie were in the VIP lounge.
Chapter 306
Just as Yannis reached the door, he heard Maisieโs anxious voice slip through the slightly ajar door. โZinnia? Zinnia, whatโs wrong?โ
Zinnia looked weird since coming down from the mountain โ she was mind-absent. Worried, Maisie waved her hand in front of Zinniaโs eyes.
Zinnia sat motionless in the chair, her eyes glazed and unfocused. Looking into Maisieโs worried eyes, Zinnia felt her throat constrict painfully. She wanted to tell Maisie not to worry, but her voice seemed clogged with concrete โ she couldnโt speak. She mustnโt speak.
Her hands clenched together so tightly that her knuckles turned white, desperately holding back the storm of emotions inside her. Zinnia blinked her aching eyes, red-rimmed with faint blood vessels showing. She slowly shook her head, signaling to Maisie not to worry.
Maisie asked anxiously, โZinnia, whatโs wrong? Talk to me, please. Can you tell me whatโs wrong? Iโm so worried to see you like this.โ
Seeing Zinniaโs red-rimmed eyes, as if sheโd been hurt by something, Maisie felt terrible. She comforted Zinnia gently, her voice thick with worry.
When Zinnia saw Maisieโs worried face, she pursed her lips tightly and stayed silent. She shut her eyes for a moment, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
Yannis pushed the door open and stepped inside, worry plain in his eyes. โWhatโs wrong?โ
At the sound from the doorway, Zinniaโs eyes finally flickered with awareness. When she realized it was Yannis, her lips trembled slightly, and she was on the verge of tears.
She wanted to cry so badly, but the persistent ache in her chest reminded her she couldnโt afford to let her emotions run wild right now.
Zinnia lowered her gaze, deliberately avoiding Yannisโs eyes. โIf I look at him, Iโll lose control.โ She remained silent and motionless.
โYannis, hurry up. Zinniaโs not responding. She wonโt talk or make a sound,โ Maisie urged, her voice trembling with worry. Maisie was worried sick. She couldnโt figure out what was wrong โ ever since they came back from the mountain, Zinnia became like this.
Before Maisie could finish her words, Yannis had walked over and crouched down in front of Zinnia, who seemed to lose her soul. He had a bad feeling.
His heart clenched with worry. โZinnia, whatโs going on? Can you tell me?โ Yannis kept his voice barely above a whisper, as if afraid to startle her.
โMasterโฆโ Zinnia whispered, her eyes flickering as she looked at Yannis. After a long pause, her voice finally emerged โ so hoarse it was barely audible. She spoke so softly, as if afraid that speaking any louder might give something away.
โYour Master is handling something right now. Is there something you need from him, Zinnia? You can tell me, canโt you?โ Yannis watched the silent girl before him, his eyes clouded with worry.
Now that the culprits had been caught, Nathan went to interrogate them himself. There must be a mastermind behind this, and Nathan was determined to drag that person into the light. Zinnia remained silent. She still refused to speak to him.
Yannis frowned and asked softly, โShould I go get your Master for you?โ He thought, โThe key lies with Nathan.โ
Zinnia pursed her lips and gave a silent, barely perceptible nod.
Yannis got up and left to find Nathan. Something was clearly off about her.
Maisie leaned over and said gently, โZinnia, Iโm just going to the restroom. Iโll be right back.โ Noticing Yannis heading out, Maisie followed him.
Zinnia watched their retreating figures, her eyes shifted slightly, and a hint of moisture glistened deep within them. Her throat burned with suppressed agony. Zinnia doubled over as her stomach heaved, retching violently against the wave of nausea.
Pain throbbed in Zinniaโs chest in relentless waves. She clenched her fists until her nails bit into her palms, desperately suppressing the emotional storm within.
โI mustnโt lose control. Mustnโt,โ Zinnia repeated to herself. She fought to contain the turbulent emotions surging inside.
Outside the door, Yannis turned to Maisie with a questioning look. She had been by Zinniaโs side the whole time. Yannisโs eyes narrowed intently as he looked at Maisie. โWhat happened? When did Zinnia start acting like that?โ
Maisie explained anxiously. โNothing happened. I was with Zinnia the whole time, but she started acting strangely when we were still at the mountaintop.
โAfter we came down, she just stopped talking completely. No matter what I said, she wouldnโt say a word โ she just kept shaking her head."
Yannis frowned. โThink carefully. Did anything happen?โ Yannisโs brow furrowed.
Maisie fell into thought, carefully recalling the earlier events. โI remember when there was a commotion outside, Zinnia went out to use the restroom. Then she hasnโt been herself since she came back.โ