When Love is a Question Mark
Chapter 31: Lure

Chapter 31: Lure

The night before Zinnia’s incident, she was at home, waiting for Samuel to return. With each passing minute, her anxiety grew. She paced back and forth in the living room, glancing out the window every few moments, hoping to see Samuel’s car pull up. Her nerves were on edge, and her thoughts raced wildly.

Zinnia knew she had to find the courage to tell Samuel the truth about James. She needed to be honest, even if the future seemed uncertain.

The thought of Samuel’s reaction scared her.

She couldn’t predict how he would respond to the truth. Would he be angry? Hurt? Would this be the end of their fragile relationship? These questions swirled in her mind, making her even more anxious.

Unable to wait any longer, she grabbed her phone and sent him a message. "Samuel, I have something to tell you. I’ll wait for you at home."

The minutes ticked by, and as hours passed with no reply, her worry deepened. She kept checking her phone, hoping for a response, but none came. Time seemed to drag on, each second making her more anxious.

In reality, Samuel was busy with his final cooking lesson, completely focused and unaware of the messages piling up on his phone.

Is he mad at me? Is he ignoring me? Zinnia’s thoughts spiraled out of control. Dread crept in with each passing minute, her anxiety now at its peak. She decided to call him, desperate to hear his voice and calm her nerves. But just as she was about to dial, her phone buzzed with a new message.

Her hand trembled as she opened it. The message was from an unknown number.

"Zinnia, it’s me, James. I’m back, and I need to see you. I’m outside your gate right now. Meet me, and I’ll explain everything."

Her heart stopped. The phone slipped from her hand, landing on the floor with a soft thud. Zinnia stood frozen, her breath caught in her throat. She stared at the phone on the floor, unable to move. James? How could this be? She hadn’t seen him in years, hadn’t heard from him, and now this?

After what felt like an eternity, Zinnia forced herself to move. She picked up her phone with shaky hands. Her chest tightened as she read the message again, her eyes wide with disbelief.

There was a photo attached—James, standing outside her house. Her heart pounded in her ears as she stared at the image. It was unmistakable—James, standing by the gate, with the familiar post lamps behind him.

Is this real? she whispered to herself. Is he really outside?

She couldn’t believe it, but she had to know for sure. Still filled with doubt, Zinnia decided to call the number. Her fingers trembled as she dialed, her heart pounding as the phone rang. Time seemed to slow as she waited for someone to answer.

Finally, the call connected, and she heard his voice.

"Zinnia, I’m back!"

Tears instantly filled her eyes. It was James. She knew that voice—it was the same voice she had heard so many times before. The voice she thought she’d never hear again.

"Are you really James?" Zinnia asked, her voice shaking.

"Yes, it’s me. I miss you, Zinnia. I wanted to see you. I’m at the park near your house. Please come meet me. I’ll explain everything."

Before she could say anything more, the call ended. Zinnia stood there, completely stunned. She couldn’t react, couldn’t move. Her mind couldn’t process what had just happened. James was back. He was alive. And he was waiting for her.

Her thoughts raced. What am I going to do? Samuel isn’t here. But I need to see James. I need to know what happened to him. And I need to figure out my own feelings. Do I still love him after all this time?

Clutching her phone, Zinnia made a decision. She would go. She had to see James, no matter how confused or scared she felt. She had to face him and find out the truth.

Zinnia hurriedly put on a jacket and shoes, her heart racing as she stepped outside and made her way to the park. The night air was cool, but Zinnia barely noticed. Her mind was focused only on seeing James.

As she neared the park, she saw a man standing with his back to her. Her heart leapt—he looked just like the James from the picture. She stepped closer, her voice barely a whisper. "James?"

But before she could take another step, something hit her hard from behind. Her vision blurred, and her body went limp. She barely registered the sharp prick of a needle before everything went dark.

---

When Zinnia woke up, she was in a hospital bed. The lights were dim, and the sterile smell of antiseptic filled the air. Confused, she tried to sit up, but her body felt weak. A nurse hurried over, checking her vitals.

"You’re awake. How are you feeling?" the nurse asked, her voice calm and professional.

Zinnia blinked, trying to remember. "Why am I here? What happened?"

The nurse smiled kindly. "Mr. Samuel Lucas brought you in last night. You were found unconscious. Are you feeling okay?"

Instead of answering, Zinnia’s thoughts went to Samuel. "Where’s Samuel? I need to see him."

"I’ll call him right away," the nurse replied, giving Zinnia another reassuring smile before leaving the room.

As Zinnia lay there, waiting, her mind raced with questions. Is Samuel mad at me? Did something happen? And what about James?

Before she could dwell too long, the door opened, and Samuel walked in. He looked exhausted, dark circles under his eyes, but his face was filled with concern. Zinnia hadn’t expected that. She thought he would be angry, thought he would hate her for keeping secrets about James. But instead, he looked at her as if he had been terrified of losing her.

"Samuel..." she whispered, her voice weak. "What happened? Why am I here?"

Samuel sat beside her and took her hand gently. "You were drugged. Someone sent you a message pretending to be James. They lured you out, and then..." His voice faltered, his jaw clenching with anger.

Zinnia’s eyes widened in shock as the truth sank in. It had all been fake. The picture, the voice—it was all a lie. Tears filled her eyes. "I thought... I thought it was him."

"We’re going to find out who did this," Samuel said, his voice firm. "I promise you, I won’t stop until I find them."

Despite everything, Zinnia felt a small sense of relief. Samuel wasn’t blaming her. He was protecting her. She nodded weakly, exhaustion overtaking her as her eyes closed again.

But even as sleep pulled her under, one question lingered: who had done this, and why?