Chapter 1861
Chapter 186
Meanwhile, a waiter came over to Zinnia with a woolen shawl. Zinnia looked at him, confused.
Maisie looked at her, confused. “Zinnia, are you cold?” Maisie asked.
“I’m not cold.” Zinnia said, shaking her head. Still, she took the shawl, and for some reason, her eyes naturally drifted toward Yannis.
As she looked at Yannis, he showed her his own shoulder. Confused, Zinnia looked down at her shoulder but saw nothing wrong.
She tilted her head.
Yannis sighed helplessly and finally said, “Put it on, Zinnia.”
Zinnia read his lips and unfolded the shawl, draping it over her shoulders. She had changed for lunch and wore a mint–blue satin gown with a square neckline that showed off her delicate collarbones nicely.
Yannis finally looked away, but some sharp–eyed people saw their quiet exchange. Looking at the sad Shaw family nearby, they couldn’t help but sigh, “Good girls never stay in a house that doesn’t value them.”
“Ah, so it’s you, Yannis. Who knew you could be so thoughtful,” Maisie said as she saw his gesture.
Isaac looked around and said, “Honestly, it’s not even cold here.”
It was getting cold outside, but with the air conditioning, it was comfortable inside.
Ethan leaned in to gossip, “The Moore family’s secret partnership files got leaked last night. They were already having a hard time, and this made it worse. Still hoping to get a piece of their success? Honestly, they’re about to get split up.”
Isaac said, “The MZ Group is really pushing the Moore family with tough business moves. No one knows if the Moores did something to upset them, but it looks like MZ is determined to take them over.
“If the Moores try to get help, neither the Lynn nor the Perkins families will help, that means no one in Jinston will help. The Moore family is done for.
“They sent Neo back hoping he’d stay quiet, but he ran straight into you two, the toughest to deal with. They’re finished.” Isaac knew all about their circle.
test news
Isaac thought to himself, ‘I heard Neo actually tried to mess with Zinnia. If I was there, I’d have beaten him up.
“Serves them right,” Maisie said bluntly. “If they’d messed with anyone else but Zinnia and me, they might get away with it.”
“Data leak?” Brian asked, raising an eyebrow, clearly interested.
Ethan leaned closer and lowered his voice. “Yeah, I heard there was a sudden data leak in the early hours last night. The Moore family was caught off guard. By the time they knew in the morning, the damage was done.”
He added, “The MZ Group has been eyeing the Moore family for a takeover for a while, and their current head isn’t very capable.
“If the Moore family can’t get through this, their famous legacy will fall. Life can change so fast.
“The MZ Group is a real dark horse. They used to stay quiet in Mealinia, barely making a mark. But a year ago, they exploded onto the scene and started dominating the market. Who knows how far they’ll go? It’s kind of scary.”
Maisie had heard of MZ Group before. Not long ago, her dad traveled abroad to meet with them. His comment was: “The people backing the MZ Group are incredibly powerful.”
“So that’s the girl you’ve taken under your wing?” Devin said, noticing Yannis’s surprised act. Devin’s lips curled into a smile.
Chapter 186
He had only arrived three minutes before Yannis, so he hadn’t officially met Zinnia yet.
“What brings you here?” Yannis asked, giving him a quick look. “With your busy schedule flying everywhere, no one would mind if you skipped this party.”
“Since you never come home, Layla and I can’t see you. We came here to run into you,” Devin said. “If our little brother won’t come to us, we’ll just have
to find him ourselves.”
Yannis looked annoyed. Devin still thought he was a kid. He thought, ‘Did they really have to follow me everywhere?‘
When Yannis ignored him, Devin turned to Jackson and said with a smile, “Jackson, Zinnia has really grown up nicely.”
Devin and Jackson were close in age and knew each other well. Since Yannis liked Zinnia, he thought it was only right to get along with her family.
Devin thought, ‘Plus, Zinnia can really help Yannis sleep better. She’s a treasure. No way we’re letting her go. A friend’s sister is like family, so she’s practically one of us now.‘
The lunch got started. While some young people like Zinnia and her friends, who weren’t interested in family stuff, just focused on eating, most of the
others didn’t touch much food.
Zinnia hadn’t eaten much, feeling overwhelmed by the crowded hall. After telling Maisie, she slipped out for some air–Maisie was busy talking and couldn’t come with her.
Isaac was busy chatting, and some guests tried to talk to Zinnia. Feeling uncomfortable with all the social stuff, she decided to leave and find a quiet
spot.
When Zinnia reached the entrance, a waiter came over and asked politely, “Miss, how can I help you?”
“I want to go somewhere quiet,” Zinnia said.
She was led to the garden. After sending Maisie her location, she slipped away–but some watchful eyes saw her leave.
Yannis took a sip of wine and looked back at her seat–only to find she had left. He frowned, a little worried. ‘Where did she go?‘ he wondered.
Maelis watched Zinnia until she disappeared from the hall. “I’m going to the restroom,” she said casually before leaving.
Timothy and Howard didn’t think much of it. They were busy with their own social stuff and didn’t pay much attention to Maelis.
Zinnia found a quiet spot in the garden and sat at a table with some small cakes. She ate one slowly, waiting for Jackson so they could leave together, though she didn’t know how long the party would last.
With nothing else to do, she took out her phone and started watching a show. A message popped up, and it was from Lydia: [Want anything to eat at school? I’m going grocery shopping this afternoon.]
Zinnia’s face lit up with a smile when she saw Lydia’s message. She replied: [I want mango juice!]
Lydia: [Got it.]
Zinnia: [Lydia, isn’t it almost time for your monthly visit to your mom?]
Zinnia thought about Lydia’s sick mom. The monthly visit was after a week of classes. She wondered, ‘Exactly when will Lydia visit her mom?”
Lydia: [Yeah, next Saturday.]
Zinnia: [Great, I’ll go with you to see your mom this Saturday.]
Zinnia remembered the time. ‘Lydia’s always been so kind to me. Maybe I can help her mom somehow, she thought.
TO Dal, 14 Jun
Chapter 186
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Zinnia was chatting softly with Lydia, earbuds in, watching TV dramas. Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind her, followed by a quick gust of wind from a palm strike.
AD
