Chapter 21 Chapter 21. Zephyr in Panic
“Damn it!” Zephyr carried Zoria into the bedroom and laid her gently on the bed. Faye, seeing him step out only to return with Zoria in his arms, was taken aback. “Zephyr, didn’t you say you were going to get some water? Why are you bringing Zoria back here…”
Before she could finish, the chill radiating from Zephyr silenced her. Getting water had been nothing but an excuse. Ever since leading Zoria into the storage room, he had been restless. The image of her terrified face kept flashing in his mind.
Even when he tried to sleep, peace eluded him. In the middle of the night, he rose to check on her, intending to release her, only to find her unconscious the moment he entered.
Zephyr had no intention of explaining himself to Faye, nor did he know how. A storm surged inside him, unstoppable, like a flood bursting through its banks.
He laid Zoria, her body dust-streaked, upon the bed, then pulled a coat from the wardrobe and slipped it on.
Biting her lip, Faye could not suppress her question. “It’s so late, do you still plan to go out?”
“Yes.” Zephyr’s reply was cold. He took another coat and draped it over Zoria’s body before lifting her once more.
He did not realize how tender and cautious his actions toward Zoria had become. His eyes betrayed his growing panic.
Faye sat on the bed, watching everything unfold, a knot of discomfort twisting inside her. She glared at Zoria, her gaze burning with hatred.
Turning away, she slid down from the bed and said softly, “I want to go with you.”
“No.” Zephyr strode quickly out with Zoria in his arms, never once looking back at Faye.
"Zephyr!" Faye hastily threw on her coat and rushed out of the room. But she only saw the empty corridor, with no trace of Zephyr.
Not long after, Faye heard the sound of a car engine starting from the courtyard outside. She clenched her teeth, her hand tightening so hard that blue veins rose beneath her skin.
In Faye's eyes burned unwillingness, fury, and jealousy. They consumed her entire vision.
Faye silently cursed that one day she would make Zoria live a life worse than death, make Zephyr despise her and drive her away like a dog.
Zephyr drove while constantly glancing at the passenger seat, where Zoria was sitting. Her face was now even redder than before.
Red welts began to rise on her chin, looking terribly uncomfortable. She furrowed her brows, her body unconsciously rubbing against the seat, her breathing growing heavier, occasionally releasing painful groans.
Zephyr gripped the steering wheel tightly, his right foot pressing hard on the accelerator as he sped toward the nearest hospital.
Zephyr stopped the car outside the parking lot, opened the passenger door, and lifted Zoria out. She was burning with a high fever, her whole body radiating heat. Her breath brushed against his neck, scalding and uncomfortable.
A flicker of worry crossed Zephyr’s eyes. This was the first time he had ever seen Zoria fall ill like this. At first, he had only meant to punish her lightly, lock her up for a few hours and then let her go. He had never expected her dust allergy to be this severe.
"Zephyr?" Evander frowned, his cold gaze fixed on Zephyr as he hurried into the emergency department with a woman in his arms.
Hearing the familiar voice, Zephyr’s steps faltered. Normally, he only brought others to the central hospital. This was his first time coming to the hospital near home, and he had not expected to run into Evander.
Zephyr always kept an indescribable distance from Evander. He disliked him, or more precisely, he disliked seeing him appear in front of himself and Zoria.
"Bringing someone to the hospital at this hour? Who are you holding?" Evander’s voice was icy.
Thinking about how Zoria had gone to see a doctor alone during the day, about how worn down she had looked when she left, Evander had no intention of showing Zephyr any courtesy.
"Zoria had an allergic reaction. I brought her here to be checked."
"What?" Evander had thought Zephyr was holding someone else. When he heard Zoria’s name, he froze. He hurried over and saw that her skin was flushed all over. The moment his hand touched her forehead, a wave of intense heat surged into his palm.
Zoria’s dust allergy was no secret. Since cubhood, she had been cherished like a treasure, rarely allowed to go out, never even traveling far, all because her parents were afraid she might have an allergic reaction.
But now she was in such serious condition. What had caused this?
Seeing the dust still tangled in Zoria’s hair, Evander roared in anger. "You did this to her again, didn’t you?"
Zephyr pressed his lips together and said nothing. His pale violet eyes glinted with cold indifference.
"She came to the hospital this afternoon, and now you’re dragging her back here again tonight. How long do you plan to torture her?"
Zoria had gone to see Evander today? The thought made Zephyr even more irritable.
"What did she come in for today?"
"A twisted arm injury. You didn’t know?" Evander sneered. "Then again, Zephyr, busy doting on your lover, how would you notice that Zoria’s left arm was twisted, that she almost..."
"Almost what?" Zephyr’s gaze sharpened. He could clearly sense that Evander was hiding something.
Evander bit his lip, cursing himself for almost blurting out the fact that Zoria was pregnant.
"She ended up like this because of you. And you still dare to ask what she almost went through? She almost got tortured to death by you."
Those words left Zephyr speechless, unable to argue back.
Evander did not want to waste time arguing. The most important thing now was to save Zoria. Her body had always been weak, and she was pregnant. The prenatal exam report had already shown signs of threatened miscarriage.
Now, with such a severe allergic reaction, if it was not treated in time, her life could be in danger.
After applying medication, giving injections, and setting up an IV, more than two hours passed before Zoria’s temperature finally began to drop and return to normal.
Fortunately, there were no other serious problems. The baby in her womb was still safe. She only needed to take her pregnancy support medication on time.
Evander wanted to take care of Zoria himself and intended to drive out the any unnecessary presence, but Zephyr stubbornly refused to leave.
The atmosphere in the room gradually grew tense.