Chapter 309

Zinnia couldn’t accept it. ‘Nathan is such a kind person. Why does he have to suffer like this?’ she wondered.

And worst of all, Zinnia made his condition worse. If he hadn’t been hiding this from Zinnia, he wouldn’t have resorted to medication. Now the backlash was consuming what little life he had left.

Zinnia was plagued by self-doubt. ‘Has meeting me been a blessing or a curse for Nathan? Would Nathan be in such bad shape if he hadn’t met me? Without me, he’d be so much better off, maybe even more than that,’ she thought.

“I’m sorry. I was wrong,” Yannis said, apologizing very earnestly.

“It’s not your fault. I was the foolish one; that’s how you all managed to deceive me so completely,” Zinnia said calmly. Her voice was calm.

“If only I’d been a bit sharper, they wouldn’t have fooled me for so long,” Zinnia thought bitterly.

She’d sensed something was wrong long ago, yet they kept deceiving her time and again. ‘It’s all because I was too stupid,’ she thought.

Zinnia always knew she could never outsmart them, but being kept completely in the dark like this was unbearably painful.

Time and again, she had brushed past the truth, until it finally hit her like a thunderclap.

When she heard someone say that Nathan was done for and didn’t have long to live, Zinnia’s mind was buzzing.

Zinnia’s head was spinning. For a moment, she even doubted her own ears.

Yannis said, “I’m sorry, Zinnia. This is my fault. I shouldn’t have kept this from you. You’re far from foolish. You’re actually amazing.

“Nathan and I never meant to hide it from you. He planned to tell you after you got back to the small town.”

Hearing Zinnia start to doubt herself again, Yannis gently pulled her closer into his arms.

Ever since Nathan left her, Zinnia had been struggling with insecurity, and now this happened.

She was completely unprepared. When she learned about Nathan’s illness, her mind simply refused to accept it.

“I know you never meant to keep it from me forever, but you certainly didn’t plan to tell me this soon,” Zinnia’s voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper.

Resting her head on his shoulder, Zinnia looked pale and drained, her whole body limp with exhaustion.

Zinnia had spent the whole day in bed, crying herself hoarse. She hadn’t eaten a single bite in over twenty-four hours, and now her body felt completely drained.

Deep down, Zinnia knew Yannis was telling the truth. They never meant to keep Zinnia in the dark forever, but they definitely didn’t expect to tell her this soon.

They were probably just delaying the inevitable, putting it off day by day. Unless it was absolutely necessary, they would never have told me at all.

Yannis coaxed softly, “How about some soup? It’s not good for your health to stay hungry. If you want to be angry, let’s at least do it on a full stomach, okay?”

Upon hearing her hoarse voice, his heart ached. He tilted his head, searching her eyes with concern. Zinnia’s eyes were dull and lifeless, devoid of even a spark of anger.

“I don’t want any,” Zinnia murmured, shaking her head weakly. She had no appetite at all.

He continued, “Let’s have something to eat, okay? You’re worried about Nathan, right? None of us can do anything about his illness, but maybe you can. He only listens to you.”

“So if you take care of yourself, you’ll be able to look after him. Then you’ll be the doctor, and he’ll be the patient. You’ll be in charge. He’ll do whatever you say. How’s that sound?” Yannis coaxed her.

Zinnia couldn’t help but manage a faint smile at his words.

Seeing Zinnia smile, Yannis finally let out a sigh of relief. Having let it all out, now she could finally smile.

As long as she could still cry and laugh, it meant things weren’t at their worst. What Yannis feared most was that she bottled up all her feelings. That would be far worse for her health.

“Let’s eat something and get you feeling better first, okay? Then we can team up and finally take care of that stubborn patient.” Yannis gently released her and shifted his position, so she was nestled against his chest instead of being fully embraced.

He turned to the nightstand and picked up the soup. It had been sitting for a while and was now just the right temperature.

“Here.” Knowing how much she loved meat, Yannis scooped up a shrimp and fed it to her.

Zinnia stared at the shrimp in front of her. ‘This used to be my favorite,’ she thought, ‘but right now, I just don’t have any appetite.’

Still, when she caught the worried look in Yannis’ eyes above her, she obediently lowered her head and took a bite. Her cheeks moved slowly as she chewed, without any enthusiasm.

“How is it? Does it taste good?” Yannis asked softly, his eyes lowered to watch her reaction.

Zinnia gave a stiff nod. ‘I can’t even taste the shrimp,’ she thought numbly. Her mouth felt bitter.

“Have a little soup, dear. You haven’t eaten all day. Tomorrow, I’ll make you something really delicious.” Yannis could tell from the way she ate that she wasn’t really tasting the food, just mechanically chewing a couple of times before swallowing.

In the past, when Zinnia enjoyed something delicious, her eyes would instantly light up, and she’d tug softly at his sleeve, murmuring between bites, “I love you, Yannis.”

Yannis sighed but didn’t call her out. Instead, he simply kept spoon-feeding her the soup.

Whether she could taste the food or not, she desperately needed nourishment now. Zinnia was already in poor health. Prolonged starvation would only cause more damage.

“I don’t want to eat anymore,” Zinnia murmured, having barely managed half a bowl. She couldn’t force down another bite. Thinking about Nathan’s condition, she just lost all her appetite.

“How about some sweet milk? I can have someone bring you a cup, okay?” Yannis asked gently.

Zinnia hadn’t even finished half her soup, a far cry from her usual appetite. Upon looking at Zinnia’s pale, exhausted face, Yannis’ heart ached with worry. But he knew that pushing her to eat would only make her feel worse.

Yannis set the bowl aside, then tucked the blanket more snugly around her. Feeling just how light she was in his arms, he instinctively held her a little tighter.

Zinnia had visibly lost weight. Her already sharp chin now looked even more pronounced. In just one day, she appeared haggard, the exhaustion plain for all to see.

“No more,” Zinnia said, her voice weak but resolute. “I need to get up.”

She thought, ‘I’ve been lying in bed all day, my mind a complete mess. I have to admit that Yannis was right. When it comes to Nathan’s condition, no one else can help him–only I can.’

‘Even if not for myself, I have to do this for Nathan. If there’s a way, no matter how difficult, I have to figure it out and make it work.’

“Okay,” Yannis said. He noticed her reaction had improved. A spark gradually replaced the confusion in her eyes. He knew she was starting to pull herself together.

Someone trained by Nathan might be shaken and lost for a while after a heavy blow, but would never truly be weak-willed. Though heartbroken, Zinnia would always find her strength again.

Zinnia had allowed herself one day to grieve, but now she refused to waste another moment wallowing in sorrow.

‘I have to pull myself together. I need to find a way to cure Nathan, no matter what it takes,’ Zinnia resolved inwardly.

After sleeping for a whole day and night, Zinnia no longer felt like sleeping. After managing to eat half a bowl of soup, she finally felt a bit of strength returning to her body.

Yannis took out her clothes and gently helped Zinnia into her down jacket. As she slipped her feet out from under the covers, he bent down and carefully put a pair of white socks on her feet.

Then, picking up the cute bunny slippers, he slid them onto her feet.

“Yannis, let me bandage your hand,” Zinnia said softly, her gaze lingering on the deep bite marks she’d left on his palm.

The bleeding had stopped at least. However, he hadn’t even bothered to properly treat his own wound. He’d been too busy taking care of her.

“No need. It’s nothing serious, already scabbed over,” Yannis said casually, glancing at the bite marks on the back of his hand. ‘Such neat little teeth marks. Kinda cute, actually,’ he thought.