Chapter 70 Chapter 70. Courtroom Masks and Lies
"Faye, I’m doing this for your own good."
"This isn’t for my own good!" she cried. "If I’d known you were going to send me back to Whisper Bay, I would never have come to Amberville to find you. I’d rather die from illness than stand by and watch you and Zoria together."
Zephyr’s gaze slowly turned cold. The sudden change in his expression made Faye’s heart clench, fear creeping in despite herself.
Trembling, she wrapped her arms around Zephyr’s waist, burying her face in his chest. Her voice was hoarse, filled with desperate pleading. "Zephyr, I’m begging you. Don’t send me back. I’ll do anything you ask of me in the future… anything."
Zephyr closed his eyes lightly. Hearing her words, a tangled mix of emotions surged inside him, impossible to name.
"Will you really listen to me?" he asked quietly.
"Yes." Faye lifted her head. Her face was soaked with tears, her fragile, pitiful look making it impossible for Zephyr to let go.
Zephyr raised a hand and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.
"The day after tomorrow, at the bond-severing hearing, if Zoria mentions you, I want you to admit that you’re my mother’s adopted daughter."
Faye went still, then lowered her head. Her long lashes trembled slightly. After a moment, she looked up again and forced a bitter smile. "Alright. I agree."
Zephyr silently pulled Faye into his arms, completely unaware of the vicious glint flashing deep in her eyes. As long as she stayed by Zephyr’s side, she still had a chance to get rid of Zoria. She would make Zephyr himself send Zoria down into hell.
…
Fifteen days of preparation passed in the blink of an eye. When the day of the hearing arrived, the news had just leaked and already drawn crowds of curious onlookers and reporters.
The weather was unbearably hot. Zephyr wore a shirt with the top two buttons undone, revealing the strong collarbones of an Alpha.
He had been waiting in the courtroom until close to the start of the session when Zoria finally entered quietly with Evander and a lawyer.
After fifteen days of recovery, Zoria still looked thin and frail. Her half-human Omega appearance made her seem like someone who had just been wronged, and standing in the solemn courtroom only emphasized how much she looked like the injured party—which, in truth, she was.
The moment Zephyr saw Zoria standing beside Evander, his gaze turned icy. He let out a cold laugh. Seven, standing next to him, suddenly felt a chill sweep over him, making him uncomfortable despite the sweltering heat.
As if sensing Zephyr’s burning stare, Zoria turned her head slightly. Her face looked drawn, dark circles clearly visible beneath her eyes, and Zephyr was caught off guard for a brief moment.
Realizing that Zephyr was looking at her, Zoria calmly turned her face away.
Seeing that her complexion didn’t look good, Evander assumed she was nervous and gently patted her back. "Don’t be nervous."
“Okay.”
Saying she wasn’t tense would have been a lie. Just moments ago, she had clearly seen the confident smile on Zephyr’s face.
Both parties were present. After the judge finished confirming their identities, he followed procedure and asked the plaintiff to state her claims.
Zoria recounted the contents of the lawsuit, summarizing that Zephyr had committed domestic violence and adultery.
She added one more sentence: “The relationship between him and me has completely broken down. There is no possibility of reconciliation. I request the dissolution of the bond contract with him.”
Zoria’s voice was calm, but if one listened closely, a faint tremor could still be heard beneath it.
Zephyr propped his chin on his hand and looked at Zoria, a shadowy smile hanging on his lips. When he heard her say the words “completely broken down, beyond repair,” he unconsciously stroked the ring on his left ring finger.
His expression was so unnervingly composed that no one could guess what he was thinking, only vaguely sensing the anger simmering beneath the surface.
The judge asked Zephyr to respond. Zephyr lifted an eyebrow slightly and said coolly, “I disagree.”
He watched Zoria in silence, trying to catch even the smallest flicker of emotion on her face. But Zoria only lowered her head, her hands on the table clenched tightly into fists.
From several meters away, he could still clearly see her shoulders trembling ever so slightly.
Zephyr let out a soft chuckle, his voice low and light. The real show was only just beginning.
“As for her accusations of adultery and domestic violence, I deny them all. On these two points, Zoria, can you provide any evidence?”
There was no video footage of the abuse. What could a few injuries on Zoria’s body really prove?
Zoria shook her head. “I don’t have evidence of the abuse. But he definitely cheated, and he even brought his mistress home to live with us.”
The moment the words fell, the courtroom erupted into murmurs as everyone stared at one another in shock.
Zephyr replied calmly, “She’s my sister. We grew up together. She’s my mother’s adopted daughter. If the judge doesn’t believe me, she can speak for herself. She’s here today.”
Zoria’s breath caught, her face draining of color. She hadn’t expected Zephyr to bring Faye to court, much less force Faye to claim she was his sister.
How utterly ridiculous.
All eyes turned toward a corner of the room. Faye lifted her head and spoke hoarsely, “That’s right. Zephyr and I don’t have any inappropriate relationship at all…”
From beginning to end, a faint smile lingered at the corners of Zephyr’s lips. After Faye finished speaking, he continued, “As for our relationship, we’ve known each other for nearly six years and have been bonded for four. Zoria was the one who pursued me first. Just because she says our feelings have broken down, does that really prove our relationship is beyond saving?”
Zoria said wearily, “Yes, we’ve been together for many years. But it’s precisely those years that let me see your true nature clearly, and see clearly what our relationship really is. Your Honor, I request a unilateral termination of the bond with him.”