Chapter 66 Chapter 66. Zephyr Seeks the Ring
“OK.”
Zephyr knew it clearly in his heart: whether this case was officially accepted or not, his victory was almost guaranteed. The judge on the other side had already been bought. There was no way Zoria could escape.
Just as the assistant was about to leave, Zephyr called him back. “Send someone to the villa. Find the ring for me.”
The assistant froze, instinctively glancing at Zephyr’s finger.
Had the boss ever worn a ring? In his memory, the boss might have worn a wedding ring a few times, but he wasn’t sure. Now he was supposed to find something so small—where was he even supposed to look?
Zephyr continued, “Check Zoria’s old bedroom first. Or my study. Maybe I never threw it away.”
The assistant was growing more and more confused by Zephyr’s thinking. Was he planning to wear a wedding ring to attend the court session where he would sever the bond with Zoria?
The assistant left. Zephyr lowered his head and looked at the ring finger of his left hand. There had once been a ring there, but he had no idea when or where he’d lost it. Since Kieran had been thrown into prison, he had never worn it again.
He had never cared much about that ring in the first place. He had worn it only a handful of times, mostly just for show. He remembered that Zoria had also worn her ring on her left hand. She had kept it on for three whole years—but he had no idea when she’d taken it off.
A sharp pain suddenly stabbed behind his eyes. Zephyr pressed hard at the space between his brows, his head throbbing as if it were about to split open. Zoria’s voice echoed in his ears, something she had once said to him.
“Zephyr, I feel so happy to be your mate.”
But three years later, she had said to him in a voice full of despair, “Either we sever the bond, or you watch me die.”
Zephyr’s mood darkened again. He crushed the cigarette out in his hand, his thin lips pressed tightly together, violent hostility flooding his eyes.
Knock, knock—
There was a knock at the door outside.
“Come in.”
Zephyr turned around and saw a young male step into his office. He wore gold-rimmed glasses, a tailored suit and polished leather shoes, looking sharp and capable.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Hawthorne. My name is Seven Bills. You can call me Seven.”
Zephyr sized him up for a few seconds, feeling that both the name and the face were familiar.
A moment later, he remembered. A year ago, in Amberville, there had been a highly publicized rape case. This very wolf had defended the perpetrator, and in the end, due to insufficient evidence, had gotten him acquitted.
That case had made Seven famous overnight—and at the same time, earned him endless abuse online.
“Looks like you’re quite famous,” Zephyr said mockingly.
Seven smiled politely.
He quickly laid out a brief overview of the case for Zephyr. Even though the judge had already been bought, there was still public attention outside, so Zephyr needed to put on a show—play the victim—to prevent the situation from blowing up online and causing any unexpected complications.
Zephyr nodded thoughtfully. Zoria was no longer the obedient little rabbit he could shape however he pleased. If she lost control, there was a real chance she might commit suicide right there in the courtroom.
Seven suggested that Zephyr’s behavior in court would be crucial. At the very least, outsiders needed to believe that there was still affection between Zephyr and Zoria, so that Zoria’s lawsuit could be framed as a rash act driven by momentary anger.
On top of that, Zephyr needed to hold leverage over her.
For example—an affair, assets, or violence.
Seven spoke with careful tact, but seeing the hostility thickening between Zephyr’s brows, he knew his instincts were right. After listening to Seven’s proposal, Zephyr also began to reorganize his thoughts.
Make others believe their relationship hadn’t completely fallen apart?
…
Hawthorne Manor.
Faye curled up on the sofa, unmoving for a long time. Aside from eating and sleeping, she spent all her remaining time sitting there. Her complexion was pale, dark circles hung heavily beneath her eyes, her brows were drawn tight, and exhaustion weighed plainly on her face. She stared vacantly out the window, as if waiting for something.
"Ms. Faye, you shouldn’t wait today. Alpha isn’t coming back."
Jenna stepped forward with a gentle reminder, but before she could finish, Faye suddenly sprang up from the sofa and slapped her hard across the face.
"Shut your mouth!"
The sharp sound of the slap echoed harshly through the empty living room. Jenna clutched her cheek, her eyes instantly reddening, unable to believe Faye had actually struck her.
Faye looked as if she had gone mad. Zephyr had been away from the manor for a full week, and during that time she hadn’t slept peacefully for a single night. Every night, nightmares jolted her awake. She dreamed of Zephyr driving her away, telling her he no longer wanted her.
Her eyes were bloodshot, veins crawling across them, making them look as though they were stained with fresh blood. "Was it you? Was it you whispering nonsense about me into Zephyr’s ear?!"
She staggered toward Jenna, the feral look in her eyes sending a chill straight down Jenna’s spine. Jenna kept retreating, shaking her head as she trembled. "Ms. Faye, it wasn’t me. I didn’t say anything in front of Alpha. I swear."
Jenna truly had no idea what had happened, nor did she understand why Mr. Hawthorne had stopped coming back to the manor and had suddenly grown cold toward Faye.
But now, faced with Faye’s accusations, Jenna vaguely realized that Zephyr must have learned the truth about Faye framing Zoria.
This realization made Jenna panic as well. She had always thought that even if Alpha knew the truth, he wouldn’t care. After all, he didn’t love Zoria. The female he loved was clearly Faye. But now, it seemed the reality was completely the opposite.