As dusk fell, Zinnia didn’t linger. Lydia walked her downstairs.
“Lydia, you don’t need to walk me out. Bonnie needs you, Yannis is coming to pick me up,” Zinnia said as she walked ahead, stepping in the shadows with a sunflower in her hand, Lydia followed close beside her.
“Let me walk you to the gate,” Lydia insisted, staying close by her side..
Zinnia didn’t refuse, and the two walked out of the apartment complex to find Yannis already waiting outside. He had asked about her whereabouts and came to pick her up on the way back. His eye–catching Koenigsegg One:1 was parked by the curb.
His slender hand rested on the window frame, wrist exposed, a faint crimson ember glowing at the cigarette. The half–lowered car window revealed a breathtakingly handsome face, features carved with cool indifference.
Sensing the person he’d been waiting for, Yannis tilted his head slightly. Their eyes met across the distance–Zinnia holding his gaze–as he lowered the
window.
The cold expression faded from Yannis’s face, his eyes softening with a gentle warmth, like snow thawing in spring. In that moment, Zinnia felt a strange flutter in her chest–like a tiny ant tap–dancing across her heart.
She’d never seen Yannis like this before. He was always gentle and mild–mannered around her, his eyes often smiling. But she saw an inexplicable air of wild, untamed allure about him before their eyes met.
“Yannis,” Zinnia walked over, catching a faint whiff of cigarette smoke. She subtly frowned
Yannis’s expression softened upon seeing Zinnia.
“Hi, Mr. Perkins,” Lydia greeted politely.
“Hello, thank you for taking care of Zinnia at school,” Yannis replied politely, nodding at Lydia. His gaze lingered on her face, especially her eyes, for a few extra seconds. He thought to himself, ‘Why do I think I have seen her before?‘
“No, it’s Zinnia who’s helped me more,” Lydia replied with quiet dignity, showing no trace of inferiority. But when she mentioned Zinnia, a gentle warmth welled up in her eyes.
After exchanging a few words, Zinnia slid into the car.
Noticing that Zinnia kept furrowing her brows from time to time, Yannis asked gently, “What’s wrong? Are you upset?”
“It’s nothing,” Zinnia said, shaking her head.
“Zinnia, tell me what’s wrong–are you feeling unwell somewhere?” Yannis pressed gently, not buying her evasion.
“Yannis, I’ve never known that you smoke.” Zinnia turned to look at him. After living together for so long, she was only just finding this out now.
“Zinnia,” Yannis said seriously, “Smoking is a bad habit. Don’t pick it up from me.”
Zinnia looked at him with concern. “How many have you smoked?”
“Just a couple of cigarettes–I’m not a heavy smoker,” Yannis replied casually. “I only light up when I’m feeling down.”
“You should smoke and drink less for your health,” Zinnia reminded him gently. She knew that in his circle, social drinking was inevitable, so she never
pushed him to quit entirely.
After all, everyone needs a way to vent–some people do it with a drink or a cigarette. She rarely smelled alcohol on him, and if she hadn’t seen him smoking today, she wouldn’t even have known he did.
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Chapter 272
“Alright, I promise.” Yannis said, his worried gaze fixed on her. “But I have a feeling it’s not really my smoking that’s bothering you, is it?”
Zinnia kept covering her nose with her sleeve, trying to block out the lingering smell of smoke.
Zinnia averted her eyes, not daring to meet his gaze–she knew he’d probably get mad. Her fingers tightened imperceptibly around the seatbelt as she mumbled, “Well, it’s just… I’m not really used to the smell of smoke. Too much of it irritates my nose.”
“How bad is it?” Yannis’s instincts told him it wasn’t just a little discomfort. As he spoke, he was adjusting the ventilation system.
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