Chapter 135
“Howard, the best way you can make it up to me is by leaving me alone,” Zinnia said with firm sincerity.
Howard swayed slightly. Her meaning was crystal clear. She had no intention of forgiving him.
Regret surged through him, a painful numbness gripping his chest.
“Zinnia, please give me a chance. It was all my fault before. I treated you horribly.”
Howard said remorsefully, “We had no idea Betty was scheming against you. We wronged you so much
Howard couldn’t help but step forward, gingerly taking her hand as he gazed at her, his eyes slightly reddened.
They never imagined Betty could be that kind of person, nor could they fathom her motives. Yet in their confusion, they forgot to gare Zinnia the benefit of the doubt.
After learning what Betty had done and that she had been taken to the police station, the family plunged into chaos.
Maelis fainted from shock, so Timothy took her to the hospital. Yosef and Daniel went to the Carson family to apologize and smooth things over. Of them all, only Howard came looking for Zinnia.
Zinnia was the one who suffered the most in all this. Whenever Betty felt even the slightest grievance, she’d come running to them in tears. But after enduring so much injustice, Zinnia was even more utterly heartbroken.
“Don’t come looking for me again,” Zinnia said firmly.
Zinnia hated being touched so casually, especially by the Shaws. She wrenched her wrist free from his grasp, irritation rising within her.
‘Why does the Shaw family keep bothering me?‘ Zinnia thought irritably.
“Zinnia,” a magnetic, languid voice called out from behind them.
The way Yannis said was exceptionally sweet, like honey seeping through clouds of cotton candy, carrying indescribable tenderness.
Zinnia looked up–there was Yannis ahead. A wave of relief washed over her. She darted past Howard and ran toward him, calling out, “Yannis!”
Howard let out a bitter, self–deprecating laugh, his hand falling limply to his side as he watched her scamper away. Turning, he spotted Yannis standing not far off, and his brows furrowed in displeasure.
Howard couldn’t believe it. He thought, ‘How come Zinnia is with Yannis?‘
“Yannis,” Howard called out with a frown.
Yannis replied indifferently, and his smile turned cold. An awkward silence fell between the three of them.
Howard watched as Zinnia stood beside Yannis with obvious reliance. Though there were merely a few steps between them, the difference in intimacy was glaringly apparent.
Howard had grudgingly accepted the Lynn brothers‘ closeness to Zinnia, but now even Yannis had surpassed them in her affections. A surge of resentment rose in his chest, It felt like everyone was trying to win Zinnia over.
Dealing with Jackson and the others was bad enough, but even Yannis was making Howard feet threatened.
He knew that Zinnia no longer trusted them. Still, Howard couldn’t bear the thought of some outsider winning more of her affection than her own family
Howard’s tone sharpened as he stressed, “You know my sister, Yannis?” Then, forcing a smile, he turned to Zinnia. “Zinnia, why didn’t you tell me about
this?”
17:14 Sat 14 JUN G
Chapter 135
“Yeah, we know each other. Jackson actually entrusted Zinnia to my care,” Yannis said.
Facing his hostility, Yannis lazily curved his lips in a mocking smile. “Why didn’t she tell you? Well, obviously because your family kicked her out and didn’t give a damn whether she lived or died. Is that so hard to get?”
As he spoke, Yannis‘ eyes widened with undisguised contempt, a mocking glint flickering within.
“Jackson would rather entrust Zinnia to me than to you. Just goes to show how utterly disappointing and unreliable your family is.
“She’s been out of your house for ages, and only now do you bother to show up? For all we knew, you might as well have dropped dead.”
“Oh wait, you’re not dead. You guys are really off the mark, totally blinded by that fake heiress,” Yannis said.
Yannis shot Howard a lazy, mocking glance.
This was the first time Howard experienced Yannis’s sharp tongue, and he was a bit taken aback.
