Chapter 103 Chapter 103. Understanding the Alpha
Lysander shook his head, his expression grave. “Not necessarily. I understand Zephyr. How he feels about you, I might understand even better than he does himself.”
The relationship between Zephyr and Zoria couldn’t really be called a bonded partnership. It was more accurate to say that the Alpha regarded the Omega as something that belonged to him. After being together for a long time, the Alpha gradually developed feelings for the Omega. Yet he believed the Omega was unworthy of his love, so he deliberately trampled on her and humiliated her. Only when the Omega was pushed to the point of resistance, biting back at him, even coming close to death, did he finally wake up.
“Do you like Zephyr?” Zoria suddenly asked.
Lysander was stunned for a long moment. His hand gripping the steering wheel went rigid, the knuckles turning white. “What did you just say?”
Zoria rubbed her stomach as she murmured, “You understand him that well, and you’re always obsessed with taking whatever he likes. I’ve thought about it carefully. Other than the possibility that you like him, I can’t think of any other reason.”
The corner of Lysander’s mouth curved higher and higher, almost beyond his control. Despite the pain etched across his face, he still couldn’t suppress the urge to laugh. He slumped forward against the steering wheel. After laughing for a while, his expression suddenly darkened, as if he had turned into a different person altogether.
“I’m his enemy, got that?”
An enemy meant you didn’t want your opponent to live well, right? Zoria nodded to show she understood. But Lysander, sitting in the driver’s seat, was clearly dissatisfied with her reaction.
In the end, he said nothing more. After the car had driven on for a bit, Lysander asked, “So, have you decided where you’re going to settle?”
“For now, all I’ve thought about is leaving Amberville,” Zoria replied.
“You’ve lived in Amberville for more than twenty years. If you leave, won’t you feel any regret?”
“No.” She felt no attachment to that place anymore.
Lysander laughed, his voice both coaxing and sweet. “Zoria, you could really consider coming with me. If you do, I’ll help you deal with Zephyr. What do you say?”
“Bullshit.”
Lysander was no different from Zephyr. To both of them, she was just something to toy with at will. The only difference was that one enjoyed destroying her body, while the other took pleasure in killing her spirit.
“Our deal is over,” Zoria reminded him.
A meaningful smile spread across Lysander’s lips. He had promised Zoria he would only “play” with her for one night, but now he wanted to go back on his word.
As soon as Zephyr returned, he called the hospital. When he learned that Faye had fallen ill, he rushed over at once. While taking care of Faye, he also ordered his men to keep an eye on Zoria.
With Zephyr by her side, Faye’s emotions gradually stabilized. Just a week later, she was loudly insisting on returning to the villa. Her mental state was so good it was as if nothing had ever happened.
Zephyr brought Faye back to the villa. After settling her in, he immediately went to Zoria’s room. Back then, he had rushed Zoria out in such a hurry that he had only managed to take a few changes of clothes. Almost everything else was still there, now covered in dust.
Zephyr lifted his head and looked at the photo on the bedside cabinet. It was a picture of him and Zoria together. He picked up the frame and stared at Zoria’s bright, sweet smile. Her blue eyes were gentle and full of affection as they looked at him.
For a moment, Zephyr felt lost. How long had it been since Zoria had smiled at him like that? He tried to remember, but all that remained in his memory was her cold, mocking smile. Helpless, he shook his head, the corners of his lips curling into a bitter smile, as if he were laughing at himself. His gaze dropped to the ring on his left ring finger. Ever since the bond annulment case, he had continued to wear it, but Zoria had long since thrown hers away. Just like her feelings for him—no one knew where she had discarded them.
Zoria had once said she would love him forever, that she would never leave him. But now she was gone, leaving him nothing but a cold, distant silhouette. He remembered how well Zoria had treated him back then, and how he had betrayed her in return, even causing her to miscarry three times.
Perhaps this was his retribution. If you betrayed love, you really would be punished for it.
Zephyr reached out and gently stroked Zoria’s face in the photo, tender and intimate, as if he were truly touching her.
He stayed in the room for a while before leaving, placing the photo back where it belonged. He closed the door behind him. To him, the room without Zoria was terrifyingly cold, cold straight into his heart.
Zephyr and Zoria had severed their bond. In just a few short days, the news had spread throughout the city, yet no one knew why they had done so.
After Faye returned to the villa, she sat in her wheelchair and instructed the maid, Jenna, to call an interior design company. She wanted to renovate the villa completely, to erase every trace and scent of Zoria from the place.
She pushed her wheelchair out into the front yard by herself, closed her eyes, and basked in the sunlight. The corners of her lips lifted into a smug smile.
Zephyr and Zoria had cut their bond. Faye believed that it wouldn’t be long before Zephyr allowed her to become the new Luna of Hawthorne.
Without Zephyr to shield her, Zoria would soon vanish from this world as well. At that thought, a chill flickered through Faye’s eyes, revealing a flash of malice.
Only Lola and Jenna remained as servants in the villa. Both had been ordered by Faye to clear out Zoria’s belongings. Zoria did not own much, but everything she had was accumulated over many years, leaving the room cluttered and disordered.
Lola and Jenna spent the entire day before they finally managed to empty one room. Their backs ached and their legs felt weak with exhaustion, yet neither dared complain. Lola sighed inwardly. Ever since she had come here and seen Faye, she had vaguely understood a few things.