Chapter 28 Chapter 28. Zoria’s First Baby Kick Under Faye’s Leash
Seeing Faye there, he was still annoyed but managed to hold himself back from snapping at her.
Faye always had her own way of handling Zephyr. She knew he wouldn’t raise his voice at her, so she pretended to be upset and said she would move out of the villa so he and Zoria could be together. Then she turned her back, her shoulders shaking, her breathing sounding choked.
Zephyr’s frustration tangled with guilt. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Zoria curled under the blanket in the corner. His irritation only grew. In the end, he wrapped an arm around Faye and led her away from Zoria’s room. As they left, Faye shot Zoria a glance, her deep blue eyes cold and calculating.
The moment they were gone, Zoria rushed up and locked the door, shoving her desk against it.
Once she was certain Zephyr wouldn’t return, she collapsed onto the bed. After the fright and torment she had just endured, sleep was impossible. Her body was exhausted yet her mind stayed painfully awake; every time she closed her eyes, Zephyr’s vicious face flashed behind her eyelids.
Faye’s room was diagonally across from hers. Not long after she dragged Zephyr back, sounds started coming from that direction. Zoria didn’t need to guess what kind of sounds they were.
She buried her head under the blanket and covered her ears, but the noises kept chasing her out of her thoughts.
Disgusting. Zephyr, you’re utterly disgusting.
The baby seemed to sense her fear, giving a faint flutter from within.
The tiny movement startled her. She pressed a hand to her belly, feeling that small life responded to her touch.
It was the first time she had felt the baby move. In a night filled with noise and dread, her emotions twisted between fragile hope and aching loneliness.
At four months, the pregnancy had stabilized. Zoria rested a hand on her lower abdomen and could clearly feel a small life slowly growing inside her.
She badly wanted to return to Evander’s hospital for another checkup and to see how the baby was doing. But Zephyr had placed her under house arrest, confining her to the villa. There were watchful eyes everywhere. Any small movement from her would be reported to Zephyr at once. Zoria did not dare take the risk.
For the baby’s sake, whenever she left her room, what Zoria liked most was going to the back garden of the villa to bask in the sun.
Naturally, the moment she stepped outside, it was hard to avoid running into Faye. Today Faye wore a low cut white sweater. Her slender neck was fully exposed, her pale skin marked with several reddish purple love bites that were painfully eye catching.
When she saw Zoria, the corner of Faye’s mouth lifted into a knowing smile as she walked toward her.
"Zoria, did you sleep well last night?"
Faye’s blue eyes gleamed with calculation. Zoria could see it clearly. Ever since Faye had used that self harming scheme to frame her, Zoria had known she was far from as simple as she looked.
"Are you afraid of me?" Faye laughed, though her voice was cold. "Relax. I am not doing anything to you this time. I just want to ask if you were alright last night."
"I was fine," Zoria replied.
In truth, she had barely slept. The room across from hers had been noisy all night, and her sleep was already light to begin with. Even the slightest sound was enough to wake her.
Faye lowered her gaze, her voice carrying a hint of guilt. "That is good then. I was worried I might have disturbed you last night."
So Faye was showing off. No wonder she wore a low cut top in the middle of winter and deliberately exposed her neck.
Faye suddenly raised a hand to rub her neck, stretched lazily, and said, "Zephyr tormented me all night yesterday. I did not sleep either. When I woke up this morning, my whole body hurt, and we ran out of ointment at home. I heard you have a cousin who is a doctor. Can you help me go to him and buy some medicine for bruises?"
Zoria was about to refuse, but the moment she heard she could go out, she hesitated.
"Zephyr will not let me leave."
Faye saw her hesitation and fiddled with her sleeve as she spoke. "If Zephyr asks, I will explain it clearly. Besides, I am only asking you to buy medicine for me."
Seeing Zoria remain silent for too long, Faye continued, "Zephyr told you before to take care of me. You were not feeling well a few days ago, so I did not ask anything of you. Now that you are better, of course you should listen to me."
Zoria truly wanted to go out. She had not stepped outside for nearly a month. Her hand moved unconsciously to her abdomen. In the end, she made up her mind and agreed to buy the medicine for Faye.
If Zephyr questioned her when she returned, she would say Faye had sent her, not that she wanted to go out herself. Besides, she would be holding Faye’s medicine. It would be hard for Zephyr to find an excuse to punish her.
Zoria’s gaze wavered for a few seconds before she said, "I will go out and buy the medicine for you."
Faye listed several ointments. Zoria memorized each one. Just as she was about to turn and leave, Faye suddenly called out from behind.
"Wait. There is something else I want you to buy."
Zoria turned back. "What else?"
Faye spoke slowly, her eyes watching Zoria’s expression. "I used up the lubricant last night. While you are buying the medicine, pick up some condoms for me too."
Zoria’s expression immediately darkened. She bit her lower lip, nodded as if she did not care, but when she turned away, she could not stop herself from clenching her fists, veins standing out along her arms.
Zoria had once thought she did not care about Zephyr, that he could be with whoever he wanted. But when it was laid bare right in front of her, her chest still felt tight and aching.
A dull pain spread through her bloodstream, reaching even her head.
She took a deep breath and forced the feeling down into the depths of her heart.
Following Faye’s instructions, Zoria left the villa smoothly and caught a car by the roadside to Evander’s hospital.
After watching Zoria leave, Faye called over a maid.
"Follow Zoria. When you see her together with any male, take photos. Choose the angle carefully, understood?"
The maid nodded, changed into casual clothes, took her phone, and went out.
Faye sat on the rocking chair in the courtyard, holding a cup of hot milk tea. White steam blurred her face. She set the cup down and looked toward the east, where dark clouds were gathering.
Looks like the weather is about to change.