Chapter 442
Chapter 442
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“Your pulse is way stronger now. It won’t be like one day you might pass out alone somewhere,”
Zinnia said, withdrawing her hand.
After two months of nursing him back, his wrecked health had finally turned a corner. The
nightmare of him collapsing with no one around was old news now. As long as he kept up with self-
care, a full recovery was in the bag.
Before Yannis could answer, Zinnia went on, “Another month or two, and your condition should
totally level
out.”
After a decade of running his body into the ground, it was impossible he would bounce back in
serval days.
“] see.” Yannis nodded, throat tight.
“Listen, Yannis.” Zinnia took a breath. “I think it’s tforto move out. You’re stable now, and
as long as you stay on top of things, you’ll be golden.”
“Move where?” Yannis’s worst fear just smacked him in the face. His hand shot out, clamping
around her wrist tightly.
Startled by his overacting, Zinnia stammered, “N-Nathan gota place.” She was puzzled-they
had agreed that she would treat him, and in return, he would stay with her for a while, and that was
all.
“So you're abandoningbecause your master got you a house? This isn’t hto you?” Yannis asked, finally
realizing why she suddenly checked his pulse-she was plotting her leaving.
A cold ache spread through his chest. ‘Now that she knows her master’s safe and has her back, she doesn’t need
“I'm moving, not ditching you,” Zinnia frowned ‘How did we end up using the word “abandon”? He isn't my
possession at all.”
Meeting her calm, puzzled gaze, Yannis finally realized his reaction had been a bit over the top. He took a
moment to steady his emotions, then looked down at her.
“You said you wouldn't leave, and I'm still not fully recovered yet,” Yannis said. “You little ingrate-I just made
sure you were well-fed, and now you're already thinking about getting rid of the cook?”
Under that intense gaze, Zinnia’s gut twinged with guilt, as if she had done something wrong to him.
She thought back to the dinner he had made: delicious salmon, fried vegetable balls, scrambled eggs with
peppers, and shrimp soup. She figured he had a point.
‘Hold on, she thought. ‘When did | promise not to leave? The only t| said anything was when he was wasted,
and | was just humoring him. There's no way he remembers that, right?’
She shook her head. ‘Stop overthinking. The urgent matter now is to clarify that I’m just moving out, not
“abandoning” him. He is putting words in my mouth."
17:34 Wed, Oct 8 N
Chapter 442
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“I'm just moving to a new place. We can still hang out,” she said. “It’s not like we can live together forever-*
“Why not?” Yannis blurted before he could stop himself. The words had just escaped, like his mouth had a mind
of its own, spilling secrets he'd kept locked up.
Instantly, his throat went dry as he swallowed nervously. He didn’t dare to look her in the eyes, afraid she might
sense his hidden affections and feel scared of him.
Normally he was tighter-lipped than a vault. But a few casual questions from Zinnia, and he was spilling his guts
like a rookie at a poker table.
Zinnia looked up at him, dead serious. “You'll have your own life eventually, and so will I. | can’t crash here
forever.” She wasn’t overcomplicating-just stating facts.
She thought, ‘Someday he'll start a family, build his own life. How can we live together long-term? If | stick
around, I'll just be a burden. He already stresses about taking care ofevery day.
‘Jackson is always swamped, rushing around, and sometimes too busy to eat. Yannis is just as slammed, maybe
even more he has to make tfor me. That's so draining.
‘I can’t even help Nathan, nor can | do much for Yannis either. I'm just holding him back.
“You're not a burden,” Yannis said, his voice rough.
‘He has an answer for everything, huh?‘ Zinnia sighed, half-annoyed. “Remember the deal? | treat your illness,
you letstay temporarily. Your health is way better, and your insomnia’s improving.”
Yannis felt a throb in his temple. He wanted to shout that letting her treat him was never about the
deal-he’d never even cared about getting better. Now, it felt like he was digging his own grave and
leaving himself with a potential problem.
‘If she leaves as soon as | recover, maybe | shouldn’t get better at all. At least then she wouldn't
think about leaving,‘ Yannis thought.
He lowered his gaze to meet her serious eyes as he spoke nonsense with a straight face. “My
insomnia is still messed up. If | can’t sleep, my health tanks, and then you’ll worry about me-it’s a
total loop.”
Zinnia’s brain felt like a knotted mess. But amid all this chaos, one thing was clear-she needed to
fix his insomnia. She let out a sigh. “So | have to cure your insomnia?”
“Bingo. If you don’t, my health’s toast. Next thing you know, I’m face-down on the kitchen floor. By
the tsomeone finds me, I'll be colder than a morgue slab.
“Then you can finally plan my funeral,” Yannis deadpanned, staring at her like he’d just ordered
takeout instead of spouting tic nonsense.
“You make it sound like you’ll keel over the second I leave,” Zinnia said, batting her eyes. She felt a
mix of frustration and amusement; he made it seem like she was his lifeline. She didn’t realize she
was that important to him.
“I’m basically alone here.” Yannis‘ voice went quiet, edged with loneliness. “I’ve been thrown
overseas for two
17:34 Wed, Oct 8 N
Chapter 442
years, unable to chome. Now Jackson’s abroad too. | don’t know anyone in this city except you”
With his head slightly lowered, his hair fell over his brow and eyes. He emphasized the words
“thrown overseas,” giving off an impression that no one really liked him.
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His eyes showed no hint of emotion as he gently held her hand in his. The warmth of his palm
enveloped her soft skin, and he gave it a light shake, as if silently seeking comfort from her.
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