When Love is a Question Mark-Chapter 223: Doubt and Realization

Zinnia scrolled through her phone, her fans as lively as ever on her Zia_L fan page. Their enthusiasm was both heartwarming and overwhelming. She smiled as she skimmed through the latest posts, her eyes stopping on one that immediately caught her attention.

It was a picture of her standing in front of the painting Beautifully Tragic. The angle was unmistakable—it captured the exact moment she had been lost in thought, absorbed in the memories the painting evoked. Her heart skipped a beat.

The caption read:

"Finally managed to see personally with my own eyes our Goddess Zia’s most famous painting, Beautifully Tragic."

She blinked, rereading the words as her mind raced. Her fingers gripped the phone tighter as she stared at the username: Mr. Sunshine.

Her brows furrowed as she studied the angle of the photo. It was one she had noticed Samuel taking earlier, and she couldn’t recall anyone else being close enough to capture this particular moment. Her pulse quickened.

Samuel had been standing behind her at the time. Could it be...? No. That was impossible.

Her thoughts spiraled as she considered the possibility. Mr. Sunshine had been an active and vocal member of her fan community for years. He was known for his glowing praise, supportive comments, and heartfelt posts about her work. He was expressive, confident, and unfiltered in his admiration for her.

Samuel, on the other hand, had been the opposite for most of their relationship. Quiet, reserved, and distant, he rarely shared his thoughts, let alone compliments. It was only recently that he had started opening up to her, showing glimpses of a softer side.

"Could they really be the same person?" she muttered to herself, her voice barely above a whisper.

The idea felt absurd. Samuel didn’t even seem like the type to post on social media, let alone run a fan account. But the picture, the caption—both pointed to something she couldn’t ignore.

She leaned back, letting out a slow breath as she tried to piece it together. Her thumb hovered over the screen, hesitating before scrolling through the comments under the post.

"OMG, Mr. Sunshine! You’re so lucky to see our Goddess Zia’s painting in person!"

"That angle though! It’s like you were standing right behind her! Were you?"

Her stomach twisted as she read the replies. The angle was suspiciously close to where Samuel had been standing.

"No, no, no," she said in a loud tone, shaking her head. "This can’t be real."

Her thoughts were interrupted by a faint knock on her door. She quickly locked her phone and looked up as Samuel entered, his expression full of worry and concern.

"Hey," he said, his voice low. "You okay?"

Zinnia nodded, forcing a smile. "Yeah, just... tired. Long day."

"I just heard something drop and then heard you shouting, ’No, this can’t be real!’ It sounded like something broke," he said, his face and tone full of concern.

Only then did Zinnia realize that she had bumped into the nightstand, dropping the alarm clock in her shock at the realization. She hadn’t noticed she had spoken loud enough for Samuel to hear.

Samuel stepped closer. "I just wanted to check in before heading to bed." He paused, his gaze lingering on her for a moment. "You sure you’re okay?"

The sincerity in his voice made her heart ache. Could it really be him? Could the man who had been so reserved with her be the same one who had expressed so much admiration and warmth through his online persona?

She wanted to ask. The question burned on the tip of her tongue, but she held back. If it was him, what would it mean? Did it change anything? And if it wasn’t... well, she didn’t want to risk embarrassing herself by jumping to conclusions.

Instead, she smiled again, softer this time. "I’m fine, really. Thank you for checking on me."

Samuel gave her a small nod, his lips curling into the faintest hint of a smile. "Good night, Zia."

"Good night," she replied, watching as he turned and left the room.

Once he was gone, Zinnia unlocked her phone again, her eyes returning to the picture. Her thoughts swirled as she considered everything—the picture, the caption, the comments.

If Samuel really was Mr. Sunshine, it meant he had been admiring her from afar long before they had started to truly connect. It meant that beneath his reserved exterior was someone who had always cared for her, even if he hadn’t shown it in the ways she expected.

But if he wasn’t... she shook her head. That didn’t matter right now. What mattered was that Samuel was here, with her, trying in his own way to build something between them.

She sighed, setting her phone aside. "If it’s true," she murmured to herself, "I’ll figure it out eventually."

As Samuel stepped out of Zinnia’s room, he found Timmy just returning from his errand. The man looked tired but satisfied, his posture a bit more relaxed after a long day of work. Samuel greeted him with a friendly nod.

"Hey, Timmy," Samuel said, his voice low and casual. "How’s everything going with the venue preparations?"

Timmy smiled, lifting his head with a small, proud grin. "Everything’s going smoothly, just like we planned. I spoke with the staff at the beach resort again, and they’re all set for the wedding arrangements. No issues so far."

Samuel raised an eyebrow, impressed. "Good to hear. You’ve been working hard, so go ahead and take a rest. You deserve it." He gestured towards the room next door. "Your room is right there. Get some sleep. We’ve still got a lot to do tomorrow."

"Thanks," Timmy said with a slight nod, appreciating his boss’s considerate tone. "I’ll do that."

Samuel smiled and gave a short wave as he walked away. "Goodnight, Timmy. Rest well."

"Goodnight, Sir," Timmy replied, watching his boss enter his room.

Timmy then remembered something—the video he took of Samuel smiling so brightly as he greeted everyone in the office that morning. He decided to send it to Lily with a caption: I badly wanted to share it with everyone, but I’m afraid of my boss’s retaliation, so I can only send it to you to see.

Timmy chuckled after sending it. Somehow, it felt good to have someone he could talk to and share some secrets with.