Yannis gazed down at her tenderly. โSo, what good thing happened? Will you tell me?โ
โHmmโฆ Good thing? What good thing?โ Zinnia blinked in confusion.
โDidnโt you just say something good happened today, Zinnia? Would you share it with me?โ Knowing that drunk people often forgot what theyโd said, Yannis patiently repeated his question.
โGood thingโฆ Hmmโฆ I canโt tellโฆโ Though intoxicated, Zinnia subconsciously resisted sharing the joy bubbling in her heart.
โCanโt you tell me?โ Yannis asked patiently.
โHmmโฆ I canโtโฆ My heart says I canโt tell you.โ Zinnia refused, grabbing Yannisโ hand and pressing it against her chest. โItโs not that I wonโt tell you; my heart just wonโt let me.โ
Zinnia spoke with utter seriousness. It wasnโt that she didnโt want to tell him; it was as if some voice deep inside was forbidding her.
Yannis froze. His warm palm rested gently against her chest, the touch soft and tender.
Today, she wore a light yellow sundress, its silky fabric whisper-thin. Pressed against her heart, through the delicate material, he could feel her heartbeatโa steady, rhythmic pulse beneath his hand.
While he was listening to the steady rhythm of her heartbeat, Yannisโ gaze softened, and a gentle warmth spread through his chest.
Zinnia murmured in a soft, drunken voice, โItโs not that I donโt want to tell you, Yannis. Itโs justโฆ my heart wonโt let me. So you canโt be mad at me, okay?โ
Before Yannis could respond, the girlโs small, warm figure nestled into his embrace.
Zinnia, feeling weary from sitting, shifted forward and rested her head against his chest. Deep down, she trusted the man before her completely.
โIโm so sleepy.โ Zinnia yawned, her beautiful features drooping with exhaustion.
She hadnโt been resting well these days, and after some alcohol and all that commotion, drowsiness finally overtook her.
โSleep if youโre tired,โ Yannis murmured softly, gently stroking her hair.
โMm-hmm,โ Zinnia murmured drowsily, wrapping her arms around Yannisโ waist as she nestled into a comfortable position before obediently closing her eyes.
Feeling her reliance, Yannis lowered his gaze. Zinniaโs delicate face rested against his chest, and her soft pink lips slightly pouted in sleep.
She had already drifted off. The exhausted girl was truly worn out, her breathing deepening into soft murmurs as she slept.
Yannis reached out, his fingertips gently brushing against her cheek. Her face was burning hot.
She couldnโt handle any alcohol at allโnot even a sip of white wine.
Her face felt itchy. Zinnia nuzzled her head against Yannisโ clothes and mumbled sleepily, โYannis, thereโs a mosquitoโฆโ
When Yannis heard her murmur his name so sweetly, his heart instantly melted into a puddle.
Yannis slipped one strong arm around Zinniaโs waist, the other beneath her knees, and gently lifted her into his arms.
Step by step, he carried her over to the daybed by the window.
After carefully laying Zinnia down on the daybed, Yannis knelt beside her, his gaze falling on her left hand.
He gently took her hand and rested it on his knee. With gentle fingers, he tugged at the edge of the bow to loosen it and then, with careful precision, began unwinding the bandage layer by layer.
As the bandage came off, the transformation of the wound on Zinniaโs palm became startlingly apparent. The innermost layer of gauze was even stained with dark brown bloodstains.
Zinnia couldnโt bear to look at her own bleeding wound, so she ended up treating it in a haphazard way.
The Moon Scar Cream was applied unevenly. Some spots were covered, while others were left bare. The deliberately reopened wound now looked far worse than the original injury.
Yannisโ brows furrowed deeply. A suspicion he dreaded thinking about began to surface within him.
Yet with the truth laid bare before his eyes, his long lashes trembled slightly.
โZinnia has always been so careful with her body. Even the slightest bump would have her pouting. She would never have done something so drastic unless sheโd discovered something seriously wrong,โ Yannis thought, his heart aching.
Yannisโ lips pressed into a thin, tense line. He found the ointment and new gauze and then carefully redressed her wound.
Zinnia slowly awoke to find that dusk had fallen.
She turned her head and saw Yannis sitting by the daybed. He was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, his laptop resting on his lap.
He must have been working earlier, but exhaustion had overtaken him, and heโd dozed off without even realizing it.
Zinnia thought, โIf he were awake and tired, he would have closed his laptop before resting.โ
Yannis hadnโt been home for days, handling all his work remotely. Only if something truly urgent came up would Toby fly over to see him.
Zinnia looked up at him, her gaze lingering on the dark circles under his eyes.
โYannis hasnโt been getting enough rest lately,โ she thought with concern.
With Nathan in trouble and her own health a ticking time bomb, Yannis couldnโt even relax in his sleep.
During the day, he had to coordinate with experts and researchers from the institute, attending meetings and running experiments on cultivating the special seeds.
At night, he burned the midnight oil, working overtime on company affairs.
On top of that, he still had to look after Zinnia. All in all, he was constantly swamped, barely catching a breath.
Jackson was also there, but the weight on his shoulders was even heavier than Yannisโ. As the eldest brother, he bore the full weight of the sprawling Lynn family business, with all its responsibilities resting on him, and had to worry about Nathan.
Seeing Nathan lying weak pained Jackson deeply as his older brother. He and Yannis were the only ones Nathan and Zinnia could rely on.
Zinniaโs gaze lingered a bit too long. Yannis opened his eyes to meet her tender, concerned stare. He then asked gently, โAwake? Do you feel better?โ
Yannis sat up, setting the laptop from his lap aside. His concerned gaze settled on Zinnia.
As Zinnia propped herself up, a wave of dizziness washed over herโan immediate effect of the blood loss.
For most people, losing about 20 milliliters of blood wouldnโt matter much, but for someone as anemic as Zinnia, even that small amount made a significant difference.
Yannis saw Zinnia press a hand to her forehead, and his eyes darkened with concern as he steadied her with both hands.
He had no idea how much blood sheโd lost. But he remembered whenever she had her period, her face would turn deathly pale, her hands and feet ice cold, and sheโd be so weak she could barely move.
โYannis, Iโm fine. Just overslept a little.โ Zinnia was still completely unaware that Yannis had already discovered what sheโd been hiding. She didnโt want him to notice anything unusual about her.
โHow did I fall asleep?โ Zinnia had absolutely no recollection of dozing off.
Yannis explained gently, โThis afternoon, I put a bit of white wine in the sweet soup I made for you.โ
Zinnia blinked slowly, still in disbelief. โWaitโฆ I actually got drunk from a soup?โ
โSeriously? I got tipsy from that? Even a bit of wine can knock me out! Just how terrible is my alcohol tolerance, anyway?โ she wondered.
Zinnia had never touched a drop of alcohol before. Nathan had always made sure she stayed strictly away from it.
So she honestly had no idea just how terrible her alcohol tolerance actually was.
It was just a tiny bit of white wine, and Yannis had even boiled it.
โIโm not just a lightweight; Iโm basically a one-sip wonder,โ Zinnia thought. She gave herself a mental round of applause.
Yannis cautioned worriedly, โZinnia, promise never drink when youโre out, and stay away from anything with even a trace of alcohol.โ
Her alcohol tolerance was dangerously low. Just a sip could lead to disastrous consequences. He could absolutely not let her touch alcohol in public.