Chapter 336
Hearing the children’s voices from downstairs, Zinnia and Nathan exchanged puzzled looks.
“Who is it, Nathan?” Zinnia asked, her curiosity piqued, as the two of them headed downstairs together.
“Zinnia, they are so handsome. Come on out, you guys,” another child shouted excitedly from downstairs.
Stepping out of the living room, Zinnia and Nathan froze in surprise at the sight of the figures in the courtyard. It was Yannis and Jackson.
As soon as they came out, the little kid who led the way pointed excitedly at the two men behind them, saying, “Zinnia. Nathan. These two guys are looking for you.”
Yannis and Jackson each had a suitcase in tow.
Sunny circled the two men. His ears perked up as he let out a warning bark.
“Yannis, Jackson! What brings you guys here?” Zinnia exclaimed, unable to hide her excitement. She dashed over to them, her eyes wide with surprise. She never in a million years expected to see Yannis here.
Seeing Zinnia emerge, Sunny barked and dashed to her side, anxiously circling around her legs in an attempt to block her path.
Zinnia crouched down and gently ruffled Sunny’s fur, soothing him. “It’s okay, Sunny. They’re my cousins, not bad guys. Don’t worry,” she said.
Zinnia knew why Sunny was so on edge. Last time, when the Shaw family showed up all dressed up, she’d been taken away.
Now, whenever Sunny saw anyone looking all proper and formal, he’d get wary and start barking, but he always kept his distance and never actually bit anyone.
Yannis and Jackson had just left a party and rushed over by plane. They were still dressed in their formal suits, looking just like Howard when he came to take Zinnia away.
“Have you eaten yet?” Nathan asked, glancing at Jackson, who sat silently in the living room with a dark face.
“Not yet. We came in a hurry,” Yannis said as he and Jackson set down their suitcases.
They had flown in that afternoon. Their minds were elsewhere, and they had no time to eat on the plane. Now, it was already 10:30 p.m.
“Nathan baked me some pastries this afternoon. I’ll go get some for you guys,” Zinnia said. Then she dashed off to the kitchen upon hearing they hadn’t eaten yet.
For a moment, only Nathan, Jackson, and Yannis remained in the living room.
“I’ll go help,” Yannis said, glancing at Jackson, who sat there in stony silence. Then he got up and headed toward the kitchen.
As Zinnia and Yannis left, Jackson stood up and grabbed Nathan by the collar, his face dark with anger. They needed to have a serious talk.
“Nathan, do you really want me to bury you? Get your ass back to Jinston where they have proper medical care!” Jackson snapped.
Nathan staggered as Jackson yanked him by the collar. His weakened body was no match for Jackson’s strength. The sudden pull left him breathless. His face paled as he struggled to steady himself.
Jackson lowered his gaze, scrutinizing Nathan’s face, which was pale, and his lips nearly colorless. “Just an old ailment, huh? You said it was nothing serious, and you just needed some rest?”
However, Nathan remained silent. Jackson gritted his teeth, his voice sharp as he said, “Speak up! Cat got your tongue?” His anger was plain to see.
Nathan let out a weary sigh. “Relax. I’m not going to die that easily,” he said, meeting Jackson’s blazing gaze.
Chapter 336
Jackson always kept his emotions in check, especially when it came to Nathan, the person he’d spent over a decade searching for. He could never bring himself to scold Nathan. But now, he discovered that Nathan had hidden something this serious and deadly from him.
If he hadn’t gone to see Raymond a couple of days ago and accidentally overheard Yannis asking for medical texts, he would still have no idea that Nathan’s life was hanging by a thread.
“You’re not dead yet? You’re just barely clinging to life! How dare you hide something like this from me, Nathan?” Jackson’s eyes were icy with anger as he took in Nathan’s calm, indifferent expression. Jackson’s handsome features frozen in a scowl.
His fists clenched so tightly that they ached and trembled, but when his gaze fell on Nathan’s sickly, almost translucent face, he simply couldn’t bring himself to strike.
“Don’t be so mad. You’ll make yourself sick,” Nathan said, meeting Jackson’s furious gaze. Knowing he was wrong, he said little else.
“Nathan, I’m telling you. Once you’re better, you’re gonna get a good beating. Wait and see,” Jackson said coldly. His anger finally ebbed as Nathan didn’t even try to defend himself. Then he released Nathan.
If it weren’t for Nathan’s sickly state, Jackson would never have let him off so easily. Hitting him now would just be taking advantage. But once Nathan was back on his feet, Jackson was definitely going to beat some sense into him.
He thought, ‘It makes sense now. When I asked Nathan about his future plans, he stayed silent. Turns out he’s fighting for his life? There would be no future.
‘No wonder. Even though Nathan could have given Zinnia a better life himself, he still chose to send her back.‘
Nathan was afraid that if something happened to him, Zinnia would have no one to protect her, so he wanted to secure her future.
Zinnia lingered in the kitchen doorway, her eyes fixed on the tense scene outside. She took a step forward, but Yannis caught her gaze and shook his head. This was something Jackson and Nathan needed to work out between themselves.
Zinnia could only force down her worry, gripping the doorframe as she anxiously watched the scene outside.
Yannis stood beside her and popped a cookie into her mouth. “Relax,” he said. “Jackson won’t do anything to Nathan. Even if he wants to teach Nathan a lesson, he’ll wait until Nathan’s back on his feet.”
Zinnia mumbled under her breath, “Guess Nathan will still get a beating.”
But when she first found out about Nathan’s condition, Zinnia was so mad that she wanted to punch him herself. So she figured it was natural for Jackson to be angry.
Yannis couldn’t help but chuckle. He said, “Nathan kept such a huge secret from us. Of course, Jackson was furious. You should’ve seen his face when he first found out. It was thunderous. Raymond and I didn’t even dare to breathe, let alone speak.
“Later, Jackson dragged me off for a fight, and that barely managed to calm him down. Honestly, it’s only because today’s my birthday that his mood has lightened up at all.”
Hearing they’d fought, Zinnia anxiously turned to Yannis. “Jackson fought with you? Are you hurt?”
Yannis shook his head at her. “No, don’t worry. We both held back.”
“Yannis, aren’t you supposed to be celebrating your birthday at home?” Zinnia asked, suddenly remembering it was his birthday.
She wondered, ‘Logically, he should be at the Perkins Manor right now, so why did he suddenly show up here?’
Yannis‘ eyes crinkled with warmth as he smiled. “I missed you, Zinnia. I just wanted to celebrate it with you.”
Hearing his words, Zinnia couldn’t help but smile, a little spark of happiness lighting up inside her. ‘He actually came, and the day’s not over yet. That means my promise to spend his birthday with him still counts,‘ she thought, feeling secretly delighted.
Chapter 336
But she couldn’t help but worry. “I’m serious. James and the others must have spent ages preparing for your birthday.”
Zinnia never expected Yannis to show up like this.
“I already celebrated my birthday at the Perkins Manor at noon,” Yannis said. He’d spent the afternoon there, and now, in the evening, he’d come to see Zinnia.
“You can’t go back, but I can come to you,” Yannis said gently. “After all, you promised to spend my birthday with me. You can’t go back on your word."
He had planned this all along. Knowing she wouldn’t be able to return, he’d already decided to come to her.
“But Jinston is quite far away from Yellowsin. You rushed over right after your birthday party. The schedule must have been crazy tight. Aren’t you exhausted?” Zinnia asked.
Yannis had to attend his own birthday party, and for someone like him, it was never just a simple celebration. It was mostly a whirlwind of social obligations, endless toasts, and networking.
Then he had to rush to catch an afternoon flight. His schedule was packed to the minute.
Yannis’s lips curved up slightly. “Just a little tired. How about giving me a little energy?”
Hearing him say he was tired, Zinnia felt that her heart ached for him.
The next moment, she was enveloped in that familiar, mint–scented embrace. Yannis rested his head on her shoulder and murmured, “Just holding you is all I need, Zinnia.”