Zinnia lightly tapped Nathan’s fingers. “Hey, it hurt when you poked me.”

Nathan’s gaze turned serious. “Stop overthinking things, Zinnia. You’re the most important to me. I have no plans to marry anyone.”

Upon hearing his words, Fiona lowered her gaze and clenched the cards in her hand a little more tightly.

Quincey’s gaze lingered on her, and his lips pressed together.

“Wow, looks like Zinnia’s got some tricks up her sleeve. She actually knows how to play,” Fiona exclaimed in surprise as she watched Zinnia play her cards. She thought Zinnia didn’t look like a novice at all. When Zinnia was young, they had never taught her how to play these games.

Zinnia hesitated for a moment, then set down her cards and replied shyly, “Well, Yannis taught me.”

“Yannis?” Fiona asked, puzzled. She hadn’t really kept up with what Zinnia had been through over the past six months.

“Yes.” Zinnia nodded, briefly mentioning a few things about Yannis.

“Looks like there’s no shortage of people in Jinston who just love to spoil Zee,” Fiona said with a knowing smile. She looked over at Nathan, wondering if he knew about what had happened between Zinnia and Yannis. Fiona knew Zinnia well enough to sense the trust and reliance in her voice when she spoke of Yannis. It was a trust that rivaled what she had for Nathan.

Nathan’s expression softened into a warm smile. Zinnia smiled back, but her card skills were mediocre. Halfway through the game, she got stuck and instinctively turned to Nathan for help.

Nathan pointed at a card and said, “Play this one.” His card skills were formidable. If he wanted to, he could anticipate every move on the table.

Noticing that Zinnia hesitated, Nathan lowered his gaze to her. “What’s wrong?” he asked gently.

“Nothing,” Zinnia said, lowering her head. Thinking about cards brought back memories of when Yannis had taught her. Playing with him had always felt so effortless.

Zinnia thought to herself, ‘Today’s Yannis’s birthday. The Perkins résidence must be so lively right now. As the birthday boy, he’s probably surrounded by people celebrating with him.’

As she thought about it, Zinnia set down her cards, showing that she’d won.

“Wow, Zee is amazing!” Quincey said. He took out a 100-dollar bill and handed it over to her.

“Zee is so incredibly skilled at cards!” Fiona also pulled out a 100-dollar bill and handed it over with a bright smile.

“Thanks, you guys totally let me win easily,” Zinnia said with a sheepish smile, glancing at the bills they handed her. Her skills are honestly trash. If it weren’t for Nathan backing her up and the others going easy on her, she couldn’t have won this easily.

“Well, Zinnia, you won this fair and square. Here, take it and buy yourself some treats this afternoon,” Nathan said as he gathered up the two hundred-dollar bills and tucked them into her little purse.

“Absolutely, Zee is a natural at this!” Fiona chimed in with a warm smile, and the others nodded in agreement.

“Come on. Let’s keep going!” Quincey said, gathering up the cards and reshuffling them.

Nathan glanced at the time. It was getting late. He stood up and said, “You guys keep playing. I’ll go get lunch started.”

Chapter 329

“Keep the money you win, and I’ll pay for your loss,” Nathan said, gently ruffling Zinnia’s hair. His voice was slightly hoarse, yet it was threatening.

Watching him leave, Zinnia stared at Nathan’s retreating figure and pressed her lips together. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Nathan’s body had become even weaker.

Zinnia glanced toward Quincey, who gave her a subtle shake of his head. She thought Quincey must have known about Nathan’s health all along. In fact, if he hadn’t helped Nathan keep it a secret, she would have found out much sooner.

Fiona’s gaze lingered on Nathan’s figure as he disappeared into the living room. Since her return, she’d sensed something was off between Zinnia and Nathan.

Fiona said with concern, “Zinnia, I couldn’t help but notice. Has Nathan lost quite a bit of weight lately?” Her eyes fell on Zinnia. After all, she’d grown up with Zinnia and Nathan, and while she couldn’t claim to know everything about the changes between them, she understood at least half. This Christmas, Zinnia was far from her usual joyful self. Instead, she seemed weighed down by worries.

Nathan had changed noticeably as well. His care for Zinnia was attentive to every detail. It was not that he’d cared less before, but now his concern was even more meticulous than in previous years. His words were gentle yet laden with concern, each sentence carrying heartfelt advice. It was as if he feared Zinnia would be at a loss when he was no longer by her side one day.

Fiona’s sudden question caught Zinnia off guard. A flicker of panic flashed through her eyes.

Zinnia lowered her head, fiddling nervously with the cards. “Well, maybe he’s just exhausted from looking after me. You know how it is. When a kid’s in 12th grade, both the kid and the parents are wiped out. And you know I’m lazy, useless, and dumb. Nathan worries about me every day, so he probably lost weight from all the stress.”

Nathan had warned Zinnia not to let too many people know about his condition. Since he wanted to keep it a secret, Zinnia and the others could only play along with the cover-up. With Fiona’s ten-day holiday, they just needed to keep it under wraps.

Fiona turned back to Quincey and asked casually, “So, what have you and Nathan been busy with lately?” She wasn’t quite sure what the two of them did for a living, but she knew Quincey worked closely with Nathan.

Maintaining a lot calmer than Zinnia, Quincey explained, “It’s just work. We’ve been swamped lately, and as a key player, Nathan’s been burning midnight oil every day. He’s really worn himself out.”

Fiona’s brows knitted as she listened. She felt they were clearly keeping something from her, and a subtle unease stirred in her heart. But in the adult world, one should know better than to pry too deep, especially since Nathan detests anyone invading his privacy. If they kept it from her, it must have been because Nathan had given explicit instructions.

Fiona pursed her rosy lips and grinned at Zinnia. “Come on, Zinnia. Have you sorted out your cards? Let’s get started. Now that Nathan’s not around, you better guard those bills well.”

Not wanting to linger on the topic, Quincey quickly said, “All set. Fiona, your turn. Play!”

Zinnia didn’t want to linger on this topic, either. ‘A few more questions and I’ll slip up,’ she thought nervously.

This round, Fiona took the dealer’s role, while Zinnia and Quincey teamed up against her.

Fiona stared at the cards in her hand, but her mind was clearly elsewhere. Distracted, she played without thinking, and unsurprisingly, she lost the round.

Chapter 329

Quincey watched Fiona’s haphazard card play. Normally, she was the most meticulous person, yet when it came to Nathan, she would be…

None of them were in the mood to keep playing, so they set down their cards. Quincey stood up and said, “You two take a break. I’ll go help Nathan in the kitchen.”

“Zinnia, I’m going to the restroom,” Fiona said, standing up from her seat.

Zinnia slumped in her seat with a sigh. ‘What a mess. Why does everything keep getting more complicated?’ she thought, unable to shake the guilt of keeping this from Fiona.

Quincey entered the kitchen and said softly, “Nathan.” He found Nathan leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, his body wracked with coughs. Nathan was clutching a handkerchief, which was ominously stained with dark traces of blood.