Chapter 69 Chapter 69. Cleaned Ring, False Calm
The bodyguards stepped forward and forcefully dragged Juliette out. She struggled like a crazy female, her venomous gaze locked on Zoria. As she was hauled away, she screamed curses at the top of her lungs, “Zoria, you won’t die a peaceful death! You’ll regret this, I swear you will!”
Zoria remained calm, showing no reaction at all. She quietly stared at the ceiling until the door of the hospital room closed once more and everything fell back into silence. She rubbed her eyes, already flooded with tears, as vast and overwhelming as an ocean.
Juliette’s curses echoed relentlessly in her ears, impossible to shake off.
Would she really not die in peace?
…
In just one day, the ring had been completely cleaned. Every trace of blood was gone, and it looked brand new. The assistant respectfully handed the ring to Zephyr.
Zephyr took it, slipped it onto his ring finger, and nodded in satisfaction.
“Has Juliette gone to see Zoria recently?”
“Yes.”
“And how did Zoria react?” Zephyr asked, casually turning the ring, his tone filled with interest.
The assistant hesitated for a moment, carefully weighing how to phrase his answer so as not to provoke the boss’s anger.
Zephyr raised an eyebrow. “That hard to say?”
The assistant took a deep breath. “Juliette went to beg Luna… but Luna refused.”
After speaking, he cautiously lifted his head to look at Zephyr. Only when he saw that Zephyr’s expression hadn’t changed did he finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Zephyr narrowed his eyes slightly and placed the ring back into its box. “Alright. I know. Get out.”
The moment the door closed, Zephyr clenched his fist and slammed it hard onto the desk, producing a heavy bang. Even though he had already anticipated this outcome, the anger still left him deeply unsettled.
The fury surging in his chest refused to dissipate. Zephyr stared at the blurred reflection of his own strained figure in the floor-to-ceiling glass.
“Zoria, you’re impressive. I don’t believe you can truly stay calm about all of this.”
Night fell, and Zephyr returned to the villa.
As soon as the car stopped at the gate, he saw Faye. She was leaning against the wall by the entrance, her vacant eyes fixed on Zephyr’s figure. Her body looked frozen stiff, as if she couldn’t even lift her feet to move. She raised a hand to rub her eyes—so swollen she could barely open them—her face deathly pale, her lips drained of all color.
When she saw Zephyr approach, she weakly called out, “Zephyr…”
For more than ten days now, just thinking about a future without Zephyr had filled Faye with unbearable unwillingness. She couldn’t accept that the affection Zephyr had given her for over a decade had been stolen away by Zoria.
Ever since she was young, she had wanted to become Zephyr’s mate. After growing up, she had ignored worldly judgment and willingly become his Luna. Zephyr had once promised to stay with her for life, to take care of her, and that once he fully took control of the Everhart Pack, he would form a bond with her. But now, all those vows had turned to smoke.
Faye reached out with her icy hands and clutched his sleeve. Her voice trembled. “Zephyr, can you not leave? Please… don’t abandon me…”
Faye’s gaunt, haggard face fell into Zephyr’s eyes. His heart trembled slightly—but not because of Faye. It was because he thought of Zoria, the female lying in the hospital, waiting for him to sever their bond.
Zephyr tightened his fingers, the emotions on his face shifting again and again. When he finally relaxed, he was still holding Faye’s hand. The chill seeping into his palm made him frown slightly. “How long have you been standing here?”
“One… one day.” At first, Faye had been sitting on the sofa waiting, but as her anxiety piled up, she eventually couldn’t take it anymore and came to stand outside, waiting for him.
The last time Faye had slapped Jenna, Jenna had ignored her completely, leaving her to fend for herself. In the end, Zephyr still softened. He closed his eyes, his hand tightening around Faye’s.
“Go inside. I’m not leaving tonight.”
Hearing that Zephyr wasn’t going to leave, Faye’s body, rigid with tension, finally relaxed a little.
Keeping his voice steady, Zephyr said, “Let’s talk for a bit.”
Faye nodded. Zephyr really should make things clear with her—at the very least, he owed her a choice.
“What is it you want to talk to me about?” Faye sniffed. Mentally exhausted, her voice was hoarse and so soft it was almost impossible to hear.
"Faye, I’m sorry." Zephyr spoke first, his voice heavy with deep remorse.
Faye shook her head hard. "You didn’t do anything wrong to me." Yet the unease in her chest only grew stronger, an inescapable sense that Zephyr was about to say something beyond repair.
"The day after tomorrow, Zoria and I will be going to court. She wants to sever the bond with me."
Faye froze. A flicker of joy rose in her heart, but before she could even feel it fully, Zephyr continued.
"But I won’t sever the bond with her. Even if she takes it all the way to the Lycan Court, I won’t allow it to happen."
In that instant, tears spilled from Faye’s eyes. "Why?"
Why wouldn’t he sever the bond with Zoria? Why wouldn’t he keep his promise to her? Why was he so ready to discard the feelings he once had for her?
Zephyr only shook his head. "Faye, I’m taking you back to Whisper Bay."
Faye bit down hard on her lip, her chest heaving violently with emotion.
"I don’t want to." Was she supposed to go back to Whisper Bay just to make room for Zephyr and Zoria’s happiness? She couldn’t do that.
She grabbed Zephyr’s hand tightly. "You said you’d take care of me for the rest of my life. You can’t just leave me behind. I don’t want to go back to Whisper Bay. Let me stay here. You can visit me once a week, even once a month if you want. I just want to stay by your side."