Their Villain, The Mogul's Beloved

Chapter 218

Q

0 00078%s

55 vouchers

Chapter 218

Zinnia slept until evening. While she was out, the Shaw family clooking for her, but Sofia turned them away,

furious.

She made it clear Zinnia wasn’t going anywhere until the Shaws straightened themselves out.

The Shaws had accused Zinnia of wrongdoing over a ridiculous misunderstanding and actually considered

banishing her. The thought of Zinnia hearing those hurtful words twisted Sofia’s stomach.

Maelis bore the brunt of Sofia’s fury. Sofia couldn't comprehend how her own daughter could be so blind to what

was right.

When Maelis finally left with red-rimmed eyes, promising to check on Zinnia later, Sofia turned away without

acknowledgment.

The irony tasted like ash in Sofia’s mouth. ‘Zinnia’s her own flesh and blood. If she'd truly cared, she would've at

least looked back before leaving.

‘But no, she’s too wrapped up in coddling Betty while being ready to throw Zinnia away. What kind of mother

does that?’ she thought.

“You're awake?” Charlie entered with medicine, immediately moving to help as Zinnia struggled upright.

Zinnia blinked at the unfamiliar room, her thoughts sluggish, until a kind-eyed man leaned into view. For one

dizzy moment, she thought it was her master-always so gentle, always there when she woke up sick.

Without thinking, she leaned into Charlie. “Master...” Her voice cout soft, rough, and aching.

Charlie froze, unprepared for her unexpected closeness and immediate trust.

Charlie looked down at Zinnia leaning on him, confused. A strange warm feeling grew in his chest-he’d never had

someone depend on him like this before.

The Lynn family had no girls in Charlie’s generation, and Charlie, like the rest, couldn't stand Betty, When Zinnia

leaned into him, trusting and warm, he froze, his hands stiff on her shoulders, and his mind blank.

Charlie leaned closer, but Zinnia’s whisper was too faint to catch. “Hey,” he said, keeping his voice soft, “I'll take

care of you. No more pain.”

1/4

11:04 Wed, 17 Sept DQ

Chapter 218

A 78%

55 vouchers

Her whisper cut deeper than it should. Remembering his coworkers’ words about how to comfort little sisters, he

gave an awkward pat between her shoulders.

Her frail body, all sharp edges and hollow curves, twisted something inside him. ‘Whoever was supposed to care

for her has failed. Badly.

‘The fever has to be tearing her apart. People always say little girls are fragile-no way she can handle this much

pain on her own,” he thought to himself.

Zinnia blinked back to awareness at the sound of Charlie's soothing voice. She looked up to see his kind face-soft

features, warm eyes, pale pink lips.

His hand, clumsy at first, slowly settled into a steady rhythm against her back.

Zinnia pulled away from Charlie’s arms as she realized the man holding her wasn’t her

master.

Her master would smile gently-until she woke. Then his face would darken with that familiar scolding tone. “You

never letstop worrying,” he’d sigh. “How will you take care of yourself when I’m gone?”

He'd repeated the story endlessly-how he'd found her as a baby, dumped in the trash and barely breathing, her

tiny body bruised head to toe. The fact she'd survived at all had

shocked him.

Even now, the slightest chill sent her into a fever. A decade of his care had strengthened her, but never truly

fixed what had been broken.

Zinnia had been fragile as a child-delicate as porcelain. Whenever her master went herb- gathering in the

mountains, he'd leave her with someone in their town, too worried to leave her alone.

Eventually, he found her biological parents and sent her back to the Shaw residence.

The freezing pool water there still haunted Zinnia. When she’d been pushed in, she'd thrashed helplessly.

Without swimming lessons from her master, she had no idea what to do. Cold water rushed into her nose and

mouth, making it impossible to breathe.

She shivered, watching Howard dive for Betty without hesitation. The familiarity of it prickled her skin-that same

abandonment she'd felt when her master left.

Lucy and the others finally pulled her out, but the icy chill had already seeped into her

bones.

She could already feel the illness coming on. Normally, she'd make her own remedy, but she'd used all her herbs

on Lucy and the others. When she tried to go purchase more,

2/4

11:04 Wed, 17 Sept

Chapter 218

Howard dragged her to the hospital instead.

55 vouchers

As she pulled away, the warmth vanished, leaving behind an unexpected chill. That hollow feeling surprised him.

He'd never met Zinnia before-too buried in lab work to notice her return. Even yesterday’s visit with their

grandparents hadn't crossed their paths.

Meeting Zinnia properly for the first time, Charlie found she matched every image he'd ever held of an ideal

sister-delicate beauty and gentle grace. His heart softened at once.

Zinnia murmured, “I'm fine now, thank you.” Her gaze took in the unfamiliar surroundings- neither the Shaw

residence nor the hospital. Recalling Jackson’s mention of taking her to the Lynn residence, she concluded this

must be their home.

Charlie wasn’t much of a talker, and Zinnia was even quieter. Before long, the room went

silent.

The door swung open softly as Sofia entered, her face lighting up. “There’s my girl! Feeling better now? Don’t

worry about your mother. | already gave her a piece of my mind. She got confused and made a bad call.”

She smoothed the sheets and continued, “You'll stay withfor a while. | really need sproper twith my

sweet girl.”

Zinnia looked at Sofia, her blank expression oddly endearing.

‘This is a true Lynn,” Sofia thought, her heart melting. ‘My Zinnia belongs here with us. Not like Betty... After all

these years, that girl still feels like a stranger. Nothing of Maelis in her face. Nothing of the Shaw family either.’

Sofia had even asked Maelis privately if there'd been a hospital mix-up, but Maelis had brushed it off as “just one

of those genetic quirks.”

Typical Maelis, always sticking up for the wrong ones,” Sofia thought. ‘Now we know the truth. There was indeed

a mix-up. All those years...my poor Zinnia out there all alone...

“Grandma.” Zinnia’s quiet voice pulled Sofia from her thoughts.

Sofia was just as kind as Zinnia remembered-her smile as warm as the people she knew back in the town.

“I'm here, Zinnia. Darling, you must be starving,” Sofia said with a smile, her voice gentle. “I had the cook make

something really nice. Let's go downstairs, okay?”

“Okay.” Zinnia nodded quietly. The nap had helped, and now her stomach growled insistently.

3/4

11:04 Wed, Sept

Chapter 218

78%

55 vouchers

“I'll go get Grandpa and Jackson,” Charlie said. He couldn't help noticing how easily his grandmother connected

with Zinnia, while the girl still kept him at arm’s length. The realization left a bitter taste in his mouth.

He wished he'd gone with Sofia to meet Zinnia when she first chome. Maybe then she wouldn't be so

distant with him now. But there was no point dwelling on it.

4/4

AD

Comment

Send gift

No Ads

11:04 Wed, 17 Sept

word

word

mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1

mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1

mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1

mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1

mmMwWL1i10f1ifl0&1

mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1

word

word

mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1

mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1

mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1

mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1

mmMwWL1i10f1ifl0&1

mmMwWLIiI0fiflO&1