Chapter 359
After crying her heart out, Zinnia fell ill. It was wounds of the heart. Zinnia remained silent, unable to swallow even a bite of bread.
There was truly nothing Zinnia could do about Nathan’s condition anymore.
She could do nothing as Nathan wasted away, his body growing frailer by the day, and the moments when he was awake becoming heartbreakingly rare.
“Zinnia, how about eating something?” Yannis coaxed softly.
He stood by her side, holding a plate, watching as she sat curled up on the daybed, legs drawn to her chest, arms wrapped tightly around them, her head resting on her knees, staring blankly out the window. His eyes were filled with obvious worry.
For days, Zinnia had remained silent, her eyes hollow and lifeless. She would often sit alone by the window, staring blankly into the distance. Zinnia would only visit Nathan when he was conscious.
Yannis’ words fell on deaf ears; Zinnia remained silent, her gaze fixed blankly out the window.
Outside, torrential rain pounded relentlessly against the eaves. Zinnia stared blankly out the window, her eyes unfocused.
“Zinnia, Nathan will wake up soon. If he finds out you haven’t eaten again, he’ll worry and won’t be able to rest properly.” Unable to persuade her, Yannis brought up Nathan again.
At the mention of Nathan, a flicker passed through Zinnia’s eyes. Yet she remained silent and unresponsive.
Yannis held the spoon, scooping up some vegetables mixed with her favorite meat, and brought it to her lips.
The warm food lingered at her lips as Zinnia remained still for a few seconds. Only when its warmth began to fade did she slowly part her lips. Zinnia chewed the food mechanically. Each mouthful lingered in her mouth for what felt like an eternity.
Yannis didn’t push her. The fact that she was willing to eat at all was enough for him.
“There now, just a little more.” When she seemed nearly done chewing, Yannis scooped another spoonful and brought it to her lips.
Zinnia still sat in a daze for a long moment before she slowly began to eat.
“Would you like some soup?” Yannis asked gently.
Zinnia remained unresponsive. She just kept staring blankly out the window.
Yannis followed her gaze out the window, but with the rain pouring down so hard, he couldn’t tell what had caught her attention.
“Zinnia, what are you looking at?” he asked gently, searching for any topic to break the silence.
Yannis never expected a response, but then, a raspy, threadlike whisper broke the silence. “Flowers.”
Yannis’ hand froze, the spoon slipping from his grasp and clattering back onto the plate. “Zinnia? You spoke?”
For the past few days, Zinnia hadn’t uttered a word. Ever since that emotional breakdown, she had fallen completely silent.
The doctor diagnosed her with psychogenic mutism, a condition where psychological trauma renders her unwilling to speak—a case of temporary mutism.
Yannis gazed at her, eyes shining with excitement. But Zinnia fell silent again. Her gaze drifted back to the window, empty and unfocused.
Yannis followed her gaze out the window. There, he saw a cluster of strikingly vivid blue flowers. Despite the raging storm, they stood straight and tall, unbowed by the wind and rain.
“Zinnia, you want those flowers? Let me get them for you,” Yannis offered. Before Zinnia could respond, Yannis had already set down his plate and strode out, not giving her a chance to say a word.
At the sound of his retreating footsteps, Zinnia turned her head, only to find Yannis had already dashed out of the room.
Zinnia’s empty gaze blinked slowly, then a trace of anxiety gradually surfaced in her eyes. ‘It’s pouring outside,’ Zinnia thought anxiously.
Zinnia tried to push herself up from the daybed, but her legs had been curled up for so long they’d gone stiff and numb. The slightest movement sent sharp needles of pain shooting through her legs.
Zinnia’s brow furrowed as she looked out the window. Yannis had already reached the blue blossoms, the torrential rain pounding him. In no time, he was soaked through.
“C–Come back,” Zinnia tried to call out through the window, but her voice failed her.
With the torrential rain drowning out all sounds, there was no way Yannis could hear her.
As if sensing her gaze, Yannis turned around. His chiseled face was already soaked by the rain. Yannis shouted, “Get back inside. Don’t get wet.”
As Zinnia leaned out the window, the wind drove rain onto her face and drenched her outstretched hand. She was so weak these days. The slightest chill could make her ill.
Yannis shouted at the top of his voice, his hands working tirelessly as he carefully dug up the cluster of vivid blue blossoms.
Zinnia heard his words and met Yannis’ gaze. Through the curtain of rain, his eyes were filled with concern.
Zinnia pressed her lips together and withdrew her hand. Her fingers had gone cold.
Only when he saw Zinnia retreat back into the room did Yannis breathe a sigh of relief. He bent down and continued digging for the flowers. He made sure to handle each flower gently, preserving their delicate form.
Zinnia’s gaze remained fixed on Yannis, who stood out in the rain. Biting her lip nervously, she slowly rose from the daybed and began making her way downstairs, step by step.
She hadn’t exercised or eaten properly in days, and even this short distance left her dizzy and lightheaded.
Shaking her head to clear the vertigo, she gripped the handrail tightly and inched her way down, one step at a time.
Just as Zinnia reached the living room, Yannis burst in, drenched from head to toe.
“Why are you down here?” Yannis asked. He was cradling the flowers in his arms, about to rush upstairs, when he was startled to see Zinnia standing in the living room.
Zinnia remained silent, her gaze fixed on him.
Yannis was drenched from head to toe, his wet hair hanging limply over his forehead as rivulets of rainwater dripped from the ends onto his face.
The droplets stung his eyes, making it hard to see Zinnia clearly, so he impatiently wiped the rain from his face with his hand.
“What’s wrong?” Yannis asked, concern evident in his voice as she remained silent.
Zinnia didn’t say a word. Her glistening yet empty eyes were fixed unwaveringly on him.
Yannis had never looked so disheveled before. He had always been the epitome of grace and nobility. As the heir of the Perkins family, Yannis was pampered and put on a pedestal by all.
His family background was nothing short of elite. Someone like him was never meant to be out in a storm, digging up flowers.
Yet just a single gaze from her, that she hadn’t even asked, was enough for him to charge into the downpour without a second thought. There was not a
moment’s hesitation, not even bothering to grab an umbrella.
Zinnia fell silent again, yet Yannis remained unfazed.
Yannis lowered his gaze and carefully produced the flowers from his embrace. In a soft, measured voice, he murmured, “Zinnia, these are the flowers you wanted.”
He didn’t dare get too close to Zinnia. He was drenched, carrying the chill of the rain, afraid he might make her cold.
Before Yannis could step closer, Zinnia appeared before him, and before he could retreat, he was already enveloped in her soft embrace.
“Zinnia, it’s cold.” Yannis instinctively tried to pull away from her. He was soaked through and afraid his dampness would chill her.
As she held him close, droplets of rainwater trickled from Yannis’ soaked hair onto her shoulder.
Yannis tilted his head slightly to the side, torn between pulling away from her embrace and holding her close.
Zinnia didn’t say a word. She just held on to him, clinging to him as if she never wanted to let go.
“Yannis, please, don’t let anything happen to you. I don’t want anything else, just you.” Zinnia’s voice was hoarse and trembling with emotion.
‘Nothing can happen to him,’ Zinnia thought. ‘Nathan is already ill. I can’t bear to lose Yannis as well. I ask for nothing else. I just want him to be safe and sound.’
“I will be just fine, Zinnia. I promise I’ll stay with you forever.” Sensing her fear, Yannis lowered his head and gently pressed his damp forehead against hers.