Their Villain, The Mogul's Beloved

Chapter 261

Chapter 261

Zinnia turned around. Seeing the patch of crushed plants beneath Howard's feet, she was angry.

Hearing her words, Howard instinctively lifted his foot to move away, but in doing so, he ended up trampling

another

patch.

Zinnia’'s eyes burned with anger as she grabbed his arm and yanked him out of the field.

Howard glanced at the flattened plants. He opened his mouth, trying to explain, “I...”

“What's your deal?” Zinnia asked. She raised her eyes, her cold gaze piercing through him.

201

Seeing how upset Zinnia was, Howard chose to admit his mistake honestly. He said, “I didn’t mean to. What are

these? I'll replace them for you.”

Howard had never set foot in a field before, let alone recognized herbs. Now, standing in the herb garden, his

once-pristine sneakers were smeared with mud, a stark contrast to his usual spotless appearance.

“There's no need. Why are you followingaround?” Zinnia asked

Howard had no idea why he followed Zinnia. She ignored him completely, but somehow, he couldn't stop himself.

When she left the living room earlier, he'd instinctively followed her.

He'd never been ignored like this before, yet he found himself oddly fine with it.

“If you have nothing to say, please leave,” Zinnia said, her expression indifferent as she noticed his silence.

“I do...” Howard blurted out instinctively.

“I don’t care what you have to say,” Zinnia cut him off, turning to head back into the herb field.

Howard reached out and grabbed her hand. This time, his grip was light, barely encircling her wrist. Feeling how

thin and frail it was, he frowned. He thought, ‘Why is she so skinny? It is as if she has no flesh on her at all.

‘She is back hnow, no longer living in the town. The family has such good food. How could she still look like

she hasn't gained any weight?’ He asked, “What's going on? You're so thin. It’s like you haven't been eating

properly.”

“Let go,” Zinnia said. Her expression darkened at his touch.

“Zinnia, | have something to say to you. If | let go, you definitely won't listen,” Howard said, his grip firm but not

forceful, as if trying to restrain himself while still holding onto her.

“Let go, and I'll hear you out,” Zinnia snapped, her face darkening as she tried to pull her hand free.

Howard finally let go. He didn’t know Zinnia well, but he understood one thing-when she said something, she

meant it.

“If you've got something to say, say it. If not, get lost,” Zinnia said.

Howard frowned and said, “Who talks like that? It's so rude.”

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Chapter 261

40%

“No one taught me. | grew up in a town without parents. This is just how I talk. If you don't like it, stay away from

me. If you don’t see me, you won't have to hear it,” Zinnia replied.

Zinnia had left the Shaw family. So she didn’t care about Howard's feelings.

Howard ignored her words. He said, “About the pool incident...” His tone faltered as if unsure how to continue.

Zinnia remained silent, her calm and restrained gaze darkening slightly.

Howard's chest tightened as he stared into her calm, distant eyes-eyes that no longer reflected him. His hand

curled into

a fist.

Earlier that day, while training at the club, Howard received a video from Jackson. He had just finished a lap and

was

wiping his sweat when a teammate handed him his phone.

Noticing the message from Jackson, Howard clicked on it immediately. The video caught his attention at first

glance. Zinnia’s figure stirred a vague sense of guilt within him.

Zinnia was, after all, a daughter of the family. Yet there she sat, all alone. No matter the reason, the sight tugged

at Howard's heartstrings.

As the video continued, Howard felt his chest tighten further. When he saw Zinnia’s desolate gaze fixed on him

and Betty as they walked away while Zinnia, wrapped in a blanket, trudged step by step away from the pool, he

struggled to breathe.

Back then, Howard hadn't paid attention to Zinnia. Zinnia had been submerged underwater while Betty floated

on the surface, calling for help. Howard saw Betty and immediately dove in to pull her out.

He hadn't even thought to look underwater. If he had, he would've gone in to save Zinnia too before taking Betty

away.

The Shaws hadn't considered that Betty had fallen into the pool on her own. Because of Zinnia’s past behavior,

they had

instinctively assumed she was behind it again.

But the truth hit them hard, leaving no room for excuses. Their assumptions had hurt Zinnia deeply. And to make

matters worse, Howard had been harsh with Zinnia afterward. Even when she had a fever, he dragged her to the

hospital without a second thought.

All these incidents piled up, suffocating Howard with guilt. After changing his clothes, he rushed to the Lynn

residence, only to realize Zinnia was at school and not home. He cursed himself for being so foolish.

When Howard finally waited for Zinnia to return, he saw her smiling sweetly at Isaac. A surge of anger that

Howard couldn't quite understand rose within him./

Snapping back to reality, Howard said again, “I'm sorry.”

Zinnia’s lashes were trembling faintly, but she remained silent.

Howard continued, “I'm sorry | didn’t notice you in the pool last time. | thought it was just Betty. | misunderstood

you, Zinnia, and I'm sorry. And for grabbing your wrist so harshly before, | was out of line. I'm sorry.”

Having started apologizing, the words seemed to flow more easily now. Thinking about his past actions, a wave

of guilt surged within Howard.

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Chapter 261

He thought, We are family. How can | treat her so cruelly? Why couldn't | have been more patient with her?”

“I don’t need it,” Zinnia finally spoke, her voice calm and steady. She met his remorseful gaze and continued,

“What's the point of apologizing now? It's already happened. | don’t care anymore.”

Howard said, “Zinni, | know I've been awful to you. I'm sorry. Please, just giveone chance to make things

right, okay? I'm your brother.”

Zinnia's detached response made Howard's face pale. He felt as though she was slipping away from him.

Desperation

overtook him.

Howard reached out again. His fingers trembled as they closed around her hand. His face was etched with a

silent, almost pleading expression.

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