Their Villain, The Mogul's Beloved novel Chapter 240

Chapter 240

Chapter 240

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“Thanks,” Zinnia said, still a little dazed as she held the plushie. She had barely glanced at it, and now it was in her hands.

Right away, Jackson turned to the waiter and was ready for an order. He knew the menu here was a surprise-cach table got a set of mystery dishes. He wasn’t sure what would come out, but he remembered Zinnia didn’t like parsley or garlic.

So he said, “We’re ready to order. Four portions, please. And make sure there’s no parsley or garlic in the dishes.”

“Got it,” the waiter replied, and then quietly stepped away.

*****

Perry was already peppering Zinnia with questions. “Hey, Zinnia, how old are you? You look so young. What grade are you in? Which school?”

“Seventeen, senior year, Evershine High,” Zinnia replied politely, keeping it brief. She didn’t seem annoyed by Perry’s barrage of questions. Sure, he was a bit chatty, but he was Jackson’s friend, after all.

Evershine High School in Jinston is an elite institution. Zinnia’s grades from her small-town public school wouldn’t have qualified her for admission. But she was a Shaw, and the family couldn’t very well ignore her just because of that. So they splashed out a fortune to get her in.

They didn’t expect Zinnia to excel academically. Senior year was just a stepping stone-a way to help her get through her teenage years without disgracing the family.

They planned to send her abroad for college. As long as she maintained the family’s reputation and earned her diploma, that was enough.

“Wow, Zinnia, you’re 17? You look like you’re still 15 or 16,” Perry said, genuinely surprised.

He had thought Zinnia was younger, maybe a sophomore. But she was already seventeen, almost an adult. At just five-foot-three, she looked tiny next to Perry or Jackson, both of whom were over six feet tall. Her small face and slow, soft speech only made her seem younger.

“I’ll take you to school tomorrow,” Jackson said, sliding a plate of cookies and small cakes toward her. “And here, grab a snack. They’re fresh.”

“Sure,” Zinnia said, picking up a bear-shaped cookie and taking a slow bite.

*****

1/3

11:11 Wed, 17 Sept @.

Chapter 240

Jackson glanced over and saw Perry staring at Zinnia. He picked up an orange from the table and tossed it at him. “Aren’t you going back? Just hanging around here, running this little restaurant for fun? Isn’t your dad furious by now?”

The Stark family had been a medical dynasty for generations, with hospitals all over the place. But Perry had always been the black sheep. He’d never set foot in a hospital, choosing instead to open his own restaurant. It had nearly driven his father Enoch crazy.

“Leave him be,” Perry said, catching the orange and rolling it in his hand, his tone flat. “He’s got his precious golden boy to carry on the family name. Why should I go back and make things worse? Or steal his thunder?”

Jackson sighed, “Aren’t you afraid he’ll just hand over the inheritance to that guy? Perry, you need to fight for what’s rightfully yours. You can’t just let a love child take it away.”

“Look, if he wants to give it all away, that’s his choice. It’s not like we’re desperate for the money,” Perry replied, looking irritated. Then he paused and his mood lifted. “Anyway, Yannis is back from abroad. When should we all get together?”

Zinnia watched the exchange, feeling a bit puzzled by Perry’s contradictions.

He caught her gaze and smiled, his eyes softening. “Bring Zinnia along when we do. Yannis hasn’t met her yet.

“Let’s wait for a while. Jackson said. “We’re busy right now, and Zinnia starts school tomorrow.” He didn’t push it further. His gaze shifted to Zinnia, and his expression softened.

“Mr. Perkins, Mr. Lynn and his friends are just up ahead. Head straight and you’ll see them. the waiter at the entrance said, his eyes flicking to the new arrival.

“Yanny!” Perry glanced back and saw Yannis sauntering over, a lazy smile on his face as he twirled his car keys. “Hey, man.”

“Ugh, who said you could call me that?” Yannis grumbled, giving Perry a half-hearted glare. He was dressed in a black shirt with the collar undone, revealing a glimpse of his collarbone. His long fingers idly played with the keys, a picture of nonchalance.

Zinnia hadn’t expected to see him here, her eyes widening in surprise. It seemed that he was one of Jackson’s friends.

Yannis hadn’t noticed her yet; Perry was blocking his view.

“What brings you here? We just talked about you,” Perry asked, grinning.

Thought I’d drop by,” Yannis replied, his eyes scanning the room. “Heard Jackson had a new girl around and figured I’d check it out.”

2/3

11:12 Wed, 17 Sept DE

Chapter 240

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But as he got closer and caught sight of Zinnia standing next to Jackson, Yannis’ smile faltered-he recognized her.

Hearing all this, Zinnia thought, “This guy is really something. He seems to think I’m Jackson’s new girlfriend or something.

‘Hope he’s just Perry’s buddy, or it might even change my opinion of Jackson. Jackson is smart, kind, and so cool-why does he have to have a friend who seems so clueless?’

Zinnia wanted to say the guy seemed scatterbrained, but her master always taught her to be polite. So she settled on a gentler word: dense.

Yannis, standing tall, didn’t miss the flicker of disdain in Zinnia’s eyes. He’d been judged by this girl-again. He couldn’t believe she was Jackson’s cousin because it was too embarrassing.

“Why are you just standing there?” Perry asked, seeing Yannis freeze. “Didn’t you want to meet Zinnia? She’s right here.”

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