Chapter 381
Yannis studied the gemstone Zina handed him. Its brilliant luster caught the light, and when he touched it, it felt smooth and pleasantly warm – clearly a piece of exceptional quality.
‘If she can produce a gemstone like this,’ he thought, ‘she must have been living comfortably these past few years.’
Yannis felt the tight knot in his chest finally loosen.
‘As long as she’s doing well, that’s all that matters,’ he wondered. ‘Even if she never came back.’
“Why did you give this to me?” Yannis asked.
“I don’t know why,” Zina said, a bit puzzled. “But when I saw you, I just felt like giving this to you.”
Zina didn’t know why, but the moment she saw Yannis, she just felt compelled to give him the gemstone.
Yannis took the gemstone from her hand. “Where have you been all these years?” he asked, his voice rough with emotion.
‘Where has she been all these years? I searched everywhere, but I just couldn’t find her,’ he thought.
“Yinecrest,” Zina murmured.
‘I didn’t even tell Lydia exactly where I’d been all these years,’ Zina thought, ‘yet here I am, opening up to him without thinking.’
“So you’re the long–lost daughter of the Evans Group,” said Yannis. He never expected her to be the Evans Group’s long–lost daughter.
But then again, Yannis thought that it made sense. Only the Evans Group’s power and influence could have kept her so well hidden.
“Yes,” Zina acknowledged softly.
Edward stepped forward, pulling Zina protectively behind him. “Now that you’re aware, Mr. Perkins, you should also know that Zina is my fiancée. So I must ask you to release her.”
Edward deliberately stressed the words. Yannis‘ face went rigid, every muscle tense.
Zina frowned, her voice trailing off. “Edward?”
‘Why does Edward seem so hostile?’ Zina wondered.
Edward gave her hand a gentle, reassuring pat.
Yannis studied Zina’s face, searching for any sign of willingness or reluctance, but her expression gave nothing away. He clenched his fists tightly, fighting back the reckless urge to snatch Zina away right then and there.
‘She’s lost her memory and forgotten everything between us. Now, Edward is the one she’s closest to. If I really tried to take her away by force, she’d probably end up hating me,’ Yannis wondered.
Yannis couldn’t even bear to imagine the look of disgust she might have in her eyes because of him. But letting her go was never an option for him.
Yannis said coolly, “Times are constantly progressing. We’re long past the days of arranged marriages. Nowadays, people are free to choose who they love. An engagement can be made, and just as easily broken.
“It’s hardly a lifetime bond. And besides, even marriages can end in divorce. Moreover, as far as I know, I haven’t heard any official announcement of the engagement between your families yet.”
His words left no doubt. He would be fighting for her.
‘So what if you are engaged? An engagement means nothing. It can be called off any time before marriage,’ Yannis wondered. ‘Even if you do get married, there’s always divorce. Nothing is set in stone. I’ll never let her go.’
Edward’s face darkened. “So this is the kind of man you are, Mr. Perkins?”
Yannis‘ gaze was sharp with unrelenting intensity. “I knew Zinnia first. If she hadn’t disappeared, Mr. Hanover, you never would have had a chance.”
If Zinnia hadn’t disappeared, it never would have been Edward’s turn. Yannis was certain she still had feelings for him. He didn’t miss the fleeting emotion in Zinnia’s eyes. Though Zinnia had amnesia, she hadn’t forgotten Yannis completely.
The tension between Yannis and Edward reached a boiling point, neither willing to back down.
Caught between them in this tense standoff, Zina was utterly at a loss for what to do.
If Yannis were just a stranger, Zina would definitely be siding with Edward without hesitation.
For the past four years, it had been Edward who stayed by her side, guiding her through rehabilitation and caring for her during her hospitalizations. Edward had even saved her life.
But the sight of Yannis made it impossible for Zina to stand entirely and unreservedly by Edward’s side. She was afraid of hurting him.
There was so much emotion in Yannis‘ eyes. It was as if there was a profound bond between them.
Just looking into his eyes, Zina couldn’t bring herself to say anything that would hurt him.
The tense standoff was suddenly broken by the unmistakable growl of Zina’s stomach. Both men turned to look at Zina.
“Um, I’m kind of hungry,” she murmured. With something on her mind, she only drank some milk and didn’t eat much for breakfast.
Yannis turned to Toby. “Tell the chef to serve the dishes now.”
“Right away, Mr. Perkins.” Toby hurried out. He hastily retreated from the emotional battlefield.
‘To think Mr. Perkins searched for Ms. Shaw for so many years, only for her to come back with a fiancé in tow,’ he wondered. Toby could almost hear Yannis‘ heart shattering into pieces.
The woman Yannis had yearned for all these years had forgotten him completely, and now, she trusted another man more than she ever trusted him.
“No, we’re leaving now,” said Edward. The atmosphere was too tense to keep eating. Edward stood up – he was taking Zina and leaving.
Before Zina could take a step, a hand grasped her wrist. She turned to see it was Yannis.
“Why not eat here first? With your delicate health, you shouldn’t go hungry for too long. The food at this restaurant is excellent – pork chops, stuffed peppers, fried shrimp, and black pepper beef…” Yannis‘ voice was low and tender.
Zinnia had always had fragile health and required meticulous care. She needed to have regular meals.
Though unsure of how well Zinnia had recovered, Yannis couldn’t bear the thought of letting her leave hungry.
He knew exactly how to sway Zina. He reeled off a mouthwatering list of dishes, and Zina found herself rooted to the spot, unable to take another step.
And just hearing Yannis‘ voice, Zina simply couldn’t bring herself to say no. She just couldn’t shake the feeling that if she turned him down, it would really break his heart.
“Edward, weren’t you two going to discuss business?” Zina gave his sleeve a gentle tug.
Edward could tell from her words alone that Zina wanted to stay for dinner. He hadn’t thought Yannis still had such sway over her.
“Mr. Hanover, even if you must leave, don’t let Zinnia go hungry. Whatever is between us shouldn’t affect her.” Yannis fixed Edward with an icy, razor-sharp glare.
Whatever was going on between them, Zinnia shouldn’t be caught in the middle.
Edward glanced at Zina and said softly, “You are hungry. Let’s eat first, then we’ll head out.”
“Okay.” Zina broke into a bright smile.
Yannis gazed at Zinnia’s radiant smile, sharp pangs of pain throbbing in his chest.
The three took their seats. Naturally, Zina and Edward sat together. Yannis deliberately circled around and took the seat on Zina’s other side.
Zina remained silent as Yannis took the seat beside her.
Edward’s gaze turned cold. “Mr. Perkins, don’t you think it’s inappropriate to sit so close to my fiancée?”
“As the host, it’s only natural that I fulfill my hospitality duties by taking good care of Ms. Evans,” said Yannis.
Yannis‘ words left both Edward and Zina in awkward silence. Edward couldn’t believe how shameless Yannis was being.
Edward said coldly, “Mr. Perkins, if you’re playing the gracious host, shouldn’t your hospitality be directed at me instead?”
“As the host, it’s my duty to care for Ms. Evans as well. If you insist I focus solely on you, Mr. Hanover, are you saying you don’t care about her at all?” Yannis pointedly ignored Edward’s mention of Zinnia as his fiancée.
Fiancée or not, it didn’t count unless they were officially engaged.
Yannis hadn’t really paid much attention to the marriage between the two families, but he’d heard from Toby that the two weren’t officially engaged.
Yannis cared for nothing else right now. After searching for Zinnia for four years, the only thing keeping him composed was his fear of scaring her away.
Otherwise, the moment he first saw her, he would have whisked her away without hesitation, regardless of anything or anyone else.
That was a loaded question. If Edward took the bait, it would in effect mean he didn’t care about Zina, leaving her completely alone.
But if Edward stayed silent, he’d just have to watch as that scheming guy got closer to his fiancée. Edward couldn’t stomach this.