When Love is a Question Mark-Chapter 227: Realization Hits

As soon as Zinnia spotted Lily, her face lit up with joy. "Lily!" she exclaimed, her voice full of excitement. Without hesitation, she ran toward her friend, her arms outstretched.

Lily barely had time to react before Zinnia threw her arms around her, hugging her tightly. "I’m so happy you’re here!" Zinnia said, her voice muffled against Lily’s shoulder.

Lily laughed, her arms wrapping around Zinnia in return. "Of course, I’m here! You asked me to come, didn’t you?"

Zinnia pulled back, her eyes sparkling. "Still, it means so much to me. I was so nervous about picking a dress, but now that you’re here, I feel so much better."

Timmy stood off to the side, watching the interaction with wide eyes. He had never seen Zinnia so animated.

Samuel, who had been trailing behind Zinnia, walked up with a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He glanced at Timmy, who was still standing frozen near the door. "Timmy," Samuel said casually, "You look like you’ve just seen a ghost."

Timmy snapped out of his daze, his face reddening as he stammered, "No, no, sir! Just—uh—just surprised, that’s all."

Samuel chuckled lightly. "Well, don’t just stand there. Let’s head inside."

As the group entered the boutique, Timmy’s mind raced with a sudden, chilling realization. His eyes darted between Zinnia and Lily, his thoughts spiraling into a whirlwind.

Wait a minute. The best friend Lily had been talking about... it was Miss Zinnia. His boss’s fiancée. The woman Samuel had been quietly obsessing over for years.

Timmy’s stomach twisted in knots.

The memory of the video he had sent to Lily the night before flashed vividly in his mind. Samuel, carefree and smiling in his office chair, completely unlike his usual self. Timmy shuddered. What if Lily had connected the dots? What if she’d told Zinnia?

He swallowed hard, glancing nervously toward Lily. To his relief, she seemed completely unbothered, chatting away with Zinnia as if nothing had happened. But her composure only made him feel worse. Did she know and simply choose not to say anything?

Then another memory surfaced—their conversation at the resort. He had been so casual, so open with Lily, completely unaware of her connection to Zinnia. The words he had said echoed in his mind like a bad omen:

"My boss? Oh, he’s a total superfan of his fiancee. You wouldn’t believe it. He’s, like, the ultimate online simp. He supports everything she does, buys her merch, comments on her posts... all while keeping his identity a secret. It’s honestly kind of hilarious."

Timmy felt the blood drain from his face. He had spilled everything about Samuel’s secret devotion to Zinnia. And now, here was Lily, Zinnia’s best friend, casually chatting and laughing with her as if nothing had happened.

Did Lily realize what he’d done? Did she connect the dots? Did Zinnia know? 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Timmy glanced nervously at Lily, his heart pounding in his chest. She seemed perfectly at ease, smiling and listening to Zinnia talk about the wedding. There was no hint of tension or judgment in her expression.

But that only made him more uneasy. Was she keeping quiet on purpose? Would she bring it up later?

Timmy swallowed hard and tried to focus on the present, but he couldn’t shake the sinking feeling in his stomach.

Then, as if sensing his unease, Lily turned her head and looked directly at him. Her smile softened, and she raised her hand in a small wave before motioning for him to join the group.

Timmy froze, his thoughts a jumbled mess. Was that wave a friendly gesture? Or was it a signal that she knew everything?

Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to move. Play it cool. Don’t make it worse.

As he approached, Zinnia turned to him with her usual warm demeanor. "Timmy, thanks for coordinating everything here. It really means a lot to me and Samuel."

Timmy managed a tight-lipped smile, nodding quickly. "Of course, Miss Zinnia. It’s my job to make sure everything goes perfectly for you and Mr. Samuel."

Lily raised an eyebrow ever so slightly, a glimmer of amusement flickering in her eyes, but she didn’t say a word about their previous conversation. Instead, she simply smiled and gestured for him to follow along.

Timmy let out a silent sigh of relief but couldn’t shake the nervous energy buzzing under his skin. As the group moved deeper into the shop, he kept stealing glances at Lily, praying she wouldn’t reveal his blunder.

Please don’t tell her. Please don’t tell him, either.

For now, her silence was his saving grace—but he had no idea how long it would last.

As they settled into the plush seating area of the boutique, Zinnia couldn’t help but notice the subtle yet curious interaction between Lily and Timmy. They kept stealing glances at each other—Timmy looked almost jittery, his eyes darting away every time Lily glanced back, while Lily’s expression remained calm, albeit with the faintest hint of amusement.

Zinnia raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. Turning toward Lily, she tilted her head slightly and asked with a playful lilt in her voice, "Lily, do you and Timmy know each other?"

Timmy froze mid-step, nearly tripping over his own feet. His face paled, and he looked like a deer caught in headlights.

Lily, on the other hand, chuckled softly, though a slight blush crept up her cheeks. "Yeah," she admitted, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I met him while I was on vacation last time."

Zinnia blinked, momentarily taken aback. "The recent one?" she asked, her brows knitting together in thought. She vividly recalled how Lily had called her during that vacation, venting about how it had been ruined by the sudden news of the toxic spill.

She turned her gaze toward Timmy, who now looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him whole. Then, she remembered something Samuel had mentioned in passing—Timmy had been on vacation recently, which was rare for him. The pieces clicked together in her mind, and her expression shifted into one of realization.

"Oh," Zinnia said, dragging the word out as she turned back to Lily with a teasing smirk. "That vacation? The one you called me about?"