Zinnia said nothing more. She continued massaging for a while, even kneading his shoulders. When he finally relaxed and fell deep, she stood up, her legs a little numb, gently rubbed them, then carefully covered him with the blanket from the sofa.

Zinnia quietly took out herbal sachets from her backpack and placed them by his side. She placed the rest in the bag and tiptoed out. Yannis was a light sleeper and would wake at the slightest sound.

She quietly changed her shoes at the entrance, opened the door, and glanced back at the sleeping figure on the sofa. Only after making sure he was still resting peacefully did she gently close the door and take the elevator back to her own place.

Next morning, Zinnia left early for school. Meanwhile, on the 19th floor, the shrill ringtone shattered the silence. The man stirred as blinding sunlight stabbed into his eyes.

The man lying on the couch instinctively raised a hand to block the light. His phone, vibrating ceaselessly on the coffee table, just wouldn't stop.

He frowned deeply.

But he soon sensed something was off. Yannis sat up from the sofa, the light blanket slipping from his shoulders. The living room was empty, and he thought, "Was last night's girl just a figment of my imagination?"

The phone kept buzzing. He bent down to pick it up and saw his assistant's name on the screen. "Hello," he answered, his voice carrying a rare note of relaxation.

"Mr. Perkins, weren't you supposed to meet Dr. Wilson last night? He said you didn't show up. Did something happen?" Toby asked, his tone full of concern.

Toby had every reason to be worried. After days of sleepless nights and a tough business trip, Yannis was completely exhausted. Worried about him, Toby called a doctor, hoping to let him rest for a while.

Even medication was no longer effective. Treatments with doctors often required tremendous effort, and even then, success was rare. It usually took multiple attempts just to get him to doze off for a short while.

"I forgot. Nothing happened," Yannis replied indifferently, his handsome face remaining expressionless.

"Mr. Perkins, your voice… it sounds like you actually slept," Toby said, surprised.

Yannis's few simple words had a lazy, relaxed quality, a stark contrast to his usual subdued and heavy tone. It was the kind of voice one might have after waking from a deep and satisfying sleep.

"If you have nothing better to do, inform the R&D department. There's a meeting in an hour," Yannis said brusquely before hanging up the call.

He tossed the phone onto the couch, and his mind kept dwelling on Toby's words. He glanced at the still-lit screen, which showed the time – 7:45 was already the next day.

He fell asleep at 8 p.m. and slept soundly through the night. There were no nightmares, no tossing and turning, just uninterrupted sleep that lasted until morning. Not a single dream. It was natural.

For the first time in over a decade, he woke up feeling truly refreshed. There were no headaches, no fatigue – just a revitalizing clarity he thought he'd lost.

Yannis recalled the vague memory of someone's soft voice murmuring beside him, blocking out the violent thoughts in his mind. Without realizing it, he had been soothed by those gentle words and had finally drifted into real sleep.

Last night, when he agreed to let Zinnia give him a massage, it wasn't because he thought it would be helpful. He simply didn't want to decline her kindness or make her feel bad. Deep down, he hadn't had much hope.

Suddenly, his attention was caught by herbal sachets placed on the edge of the sofa behind him. He picked them up and noticed a folded note tucked beneath them.

Chapter 79

"I’ve prepared extra herbal sachets; keep one nearby. They only mildly ease your insomnia, which needs time to heal. I’ll replace them regularly, and later make chamomile tea. Thanks again for last night’s meal."

The handwriting on the note was delicate and elegant, inscribed in a neat, floral script. He could almost envision Zinnia crouching on the ground carefully writing these words with the utmost seriousness.

The herbal sachets in his palm were clearly newly made. Their faint fragrance had a richer and more soothing aroma than before, and the scent was unexpectedly comforting.

Though the sachets were simple and unassuming, Yannis carefully closed his hand around them. A faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He thought, "She really is a little miracle worker."

Meanwhile, Zinnia had already arrived at the classroom. As soon as she stepped in, the room was buzzing with chatter.

"The posts on the school forum have been taken down," someone said.

"It seems the Lynn family intervened. Word has it that the Shaw family struck a deal to keep Zinnia with the Lynns rather than back home."

"Between their own daughter and Betty, they still chose Betty. They'd do anything for her. Honestly, I’ve never seen a family so blind."

"The Shaws really spoil Betty. But doesn't taking down the posts just make them look even guiltier?"

"Exactly. Who would still call Betty kind-hearted now? Her admirers must be heartbroken."

"Betty has been keeping a low profile for a few days, but she finally showed up at school today."

The day after the scandal broke, Betty took a leave of absence. The flood of hateful comments on the forum was relentless, a tidal wave threatening to drown her.

No matter how shrewd Betty was, being bombarded with thousands of scathing remarks all at once was more than she could bear. She had always been the golden girl in the Shaw family, leading a charmed life. This sudden backlash was a rude awakening.

She couldn't escape the whispers and stares; even her classmates eyed her with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.

Sure, Betty was only seventeen. She had her tricks and knew how to manipulate people, but she wasn't skilled enough to keep her emotions in check. When faced with such a huge scandal, her mask slipped, and her face contorted with barely concealed panic.

To avoid making the situation worse, she decided to stay home and only returned to school today. However, her decision to run away only made her classmates more convinced of her guilt.

She dared to act but not to own up, too cowardly even for a fake apology, and when she did, it came laced with ulterior motives. Such behavior truly was beneath contempt.

Now that she was back, the school was no longer the place where Betty used to soak up everyone's admiration. The days of glowing compliments and admiration had ended. Now, all she received were cold stares and whispers.

Even though Maelis had gone to Sofia for help, the posts stayed up on the school forum for an entire week. By now, everyone knew about it. It wasn't until this morning that Jackson finally had it taken down.

"Hey, Zinnia. You're here," Ethan exclaimed loudly as soon as he saw her outside the classroom. Instantly, the chatter about Betty hushed.

"Hi." Zinnia noticed their awkward and strange expressions, as if they had been caught off guard. "What's going on? Did you guys hurt your necks or something?"

"Not at all," they stammered.

"Well, we were just talking about teachers. Thought it was them outside the door," another chimed in hastily.

"Exactly. By the way, did you finish your homework?"

"Not yet. Quick, let me borrow yours."

Everyone quickly joined in, hurriedly trying to change the subject. No one wanted Zinnia to get wind of malicious gossip.

Chapter 79