Chapter 16 Chapter 16. You Are My Slave
"Zoria, shut up!" Zephyr shouted harshly.
Seeing Zephyr's eyes darken and grow as cold as a murderer’s, Zoria’s heart skipped a beat. If she still didn’t understand Faye's intentions, then she was truly foolish.
Zephyr took two steps forward, glancing at the photo frame on the floor, stained with blood. His gaze grew even colder. Zoria could feel the icy aura emanating from Zephyr and realized that he was truly angry. She instinctively backed away until her back hit the wall, leaving her with nowhere to retreat.
"I didn’t touch her. It was her who..."
Before Zoria could finish her sentence... Slap! A resounding slap struck her face.
Zoria’s head slammed into the wall, and the pain instantly overwhelmed her. A sweet, metallic taste of blood filled her mouth.
"Zoria, do you want to die?!" Zephyr gritted his teeth, looking at Zoria as if she were a criminal.
Zoria held the side of her face that had just been slapped, the pain so intense that it felt numb. She understood that any explanation she gave in front of Zephyr would be meaningless, because he treated Faye like a treasure. For Faye, Zephyr would abandon his pride, his arrogance, and accept a marriage with Zoria - the female he had not loved for five years. So no matter what Faye said, Zephyr would believe her.
Zoria lifted her head to look at Zephyr, her once gloomy eyes suddenly flashing with a glimmer of light. She boldly admitted, "Yes, I hit her! Not only do I want to make her bleed, I want to kill her! Zephyr, if you don't want me to really kill Faye one day, you'd better sever the bond with me now!"
Zephyr's gaze hardened, his teeth clenched. He stepped forward, grabbing Zoria’s wrist and forcefully throwing it away. Zoria was pushed to the ground, her arm's bone crackling loudly. It seemed her arm had broken. The pain was so intense that she opened her mouth to scream, cold sweat pouring down her forehead.
Faye hadn't expected Zoria to admit to hitting her. Her face clearly showed a sense of pleasure. Her goal had been to break the bond between Zephyr and Zoria. If her wish came true, it would be perfect.
But the joy was short-lived. Zephyr's next words were like a cold splash of water straight to Faye's head, leaving her utterly disappointed. "If you think this will make me sever the bond with you, you're wrong!"
Zoria heard Zephyr’s words and immediately let out a mocking laugh. She tried to endure the pain radiating from her arm, lifting her head to glance at Faye, her eyes filled with derision.
The dull pain spreading from her stomach made Zoria clutch her abdomen. Her body wavered, and her legs trembled, unable to support her.
Her left arm had completely lost strength, and even the simple act of clenching her fist seemed impossible. Could it be that her arm... was broken?
Zoria’s face turned pale from the pain as she lifted her head to look at Zephyr – the one who made her feel both hurt and hatred.
“Zephyr, stand before Faye and tell me, what do you really think of me? Why won’t you sever our bond? Why do you have to imprison me here?” Her voice choked, echoing clearly in the silent room.
Faye’s eyes widened as she looked at Zephyr, her hand subconsciously tightening around the wound on her forehead, her nerves taut. She too wanted to know, what did Zephyr think of Zoria? Why did he keep Zoria in the castle?
Zephyr could not answer the unsettling questions that filled him with anxiety, nor could he explain his unwarranted possessiveness over Zoria. For the past five years, Zoria had become a part of his life, much like the habit of drinking water when thirsty. Though it was dull, he could not let go.
“Zephyr…” Faye’s voice softly called, pulling Zephyr from his thoughts.
Zephyr turned his gaze toward Zoria, his eyes suddenly growing cold. “You are my slave. If you don’t want the title of Luna of Hawthorne, then spend your life as my slave. From now on, you will take care of Faye.”
His words, so cold and indifferent, cut through Zoria like a sharp blade, deeply penetrating her bones. She bit her lip until blood oozed out. Then she nodded forcefully and said with a bitter tone, "I know, if I don’t agree, you’ll use my father's life to threaten me..."
Once again, she became painfully aware of how foolish she had been in loving Zephyr before.
After hearing Zephyr's response, Faye sighed in relief. Although her ultimate goal had not been reached, making Zoria her slave was enough for now. This made it more convenient for her to humiliate and torment Zoria. If she let Zoria go too easily, wouldn't that be too much of a loss for all the years she had spent living under the title of Zephyr's mistress?
With that thought in mind, Faye took Zephyr's hand, her voice trembling with frustration, "Zephyr, it hurts so much..."
"I’ll take you to the hospital," Zephyr said gently, comforting her, then bent down to lift Faye in his arms. He then coldly told Zoria, "You stay in the castle. You're not allowed to go anywhere! I’ll return to punish you later."
Faye glanced at Zoria, who stood silently in the corner of the room, her face pale. Instantly, she removed her disguise and flashed a victorious smile at Zoria. Her eyes gleamed with a dark, malicious plan.
The room was left empty with only Zoria, alone. She searched through the drawer for the pregnancy medication that Evander had prescribed and tried to open the bottle with her right hand, but couldn’t. In the end, she had to use her mouth to open it.
Zoria then took three pills at once. One pill got stuck in her throat, and the bitter, sour taste spread throughout her mouth, making her feel nauseous.
She sat down heavily on the bed, her stomach in sharp pain. Looking up, she saw the photo of herself with Zephyr hanging on the wall.
In the photo, she held Zephyr's hand and smiled sweetly, her eyes full of hope for the future. Now, her face was haggard, and the corners of her mouth only held a bitter smile, her eyes filled with despair.
"Baby... when will I be able to leave this place?"