Chapter 74 Chapter 74. A Bargain for Freedom
Zoria slept restlessly, trapped in a cycle of nightmares. When she woke, her back was soaked with cold sweat. She dragged her aching body to the window and stared at the sky outside.
She desperately wanted to die.
But the ones who deserved to die were still alive.
So she had to survive. She had to drag them down to hell with her own hands.
The bitter taste of medicine still lingered in her mouth. Supporting herself against the wall, Zoria stumbled into the bathroom, lifted the toilet lid, and bent over, retching violently. She didn’t stop until even sour fluid came up.
As she stepped back out, she saw Dr. Luke standing not far away. She pressed her lips together, knowing he had heard everything. If he told Zephyr that she had thrown up the medicine, she would surely be punished when he returned.
Seeing the fear in her eyes, Dr. Luke spoke gently. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell Mr. Hawthorne. But that medicine really is good for your body.”
Only then did Zoria finally relax.
“Thank you.” Her voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible. Dr. Luke could only understand by reading her lips.
Zephyr stayed with Faye for three full days before he finally couldn’t help but return to Zoria. He stepped lightly into her room and saw her curled up like a kitten in the snow-white bedding. As she slept, Zoria looked peaceful and harmless, completely defenseless.
Zephyr knelt on one knee on the bed, carefully crawled closer, pulled back the covers, and gathered her into his arms.
Startled awake, Zoria struggled on instinct, but Zephyr only held her tighter and hurriedly pressed a kiss to the nape of her neck.
The familiar, uneven breaths from behind mingled with the chill of the late night, making Zoria tremble. She shuddered for a moment before slowly calming down, then braced her elbow and pushed against Zephyr’s solid chest.
“Let go of me. I’m cold.”
“I’ll hold you for a bit,” he said. “You won’t be cold anymore.”
Zephyr’s pretense of concern made Zoria sick to her stomach. She didn’t answer, turning her face away and refusing to even look at him.
Zephyr still wouldn’t let it go. He pressed his body close to hers, leaned in by her ear, and whispered, “Faye’s sick. I’ve been staying with her these past few days, taking care of her. Did you miss me?”
Zoria stared straight at him, her gaze dark and heavy. “When you die,” she said coldly, “I’ll miss you.”
When she saw Zephyr freeze, she suddenly laughed. “Faye’s sick? Is it serious? Could she die from it?”
On the surface, she sounded concerned, but her eyes were filled with malice.
Smack!
Zephyr slapped her hard on the butt. The force was so strong it left a burning, searing pain.
His face hardened. “Don’t you know how to speak properly? Do you have to piss me off before you’re satisfied?”
Zoria’s eyes were icy, the cruelty in their depths sharper than a snake’s fangs. Facing her like this, Zephyr felt both furious and helpless.
Zoria preferred sweetness over bitterness. He had already been gentle with her to this extent, yet she still refused to be obedient.
During the three days he had been away, Zephyr had thought a lot. Dr. Luke’s words kept replaying in his mind. He knew he couldn’t push Zoria too hard—at the very least, he needed to get her pregnant as soon as possible.
Thinking of babies, Zephyr unconsciously reached out and touched Zoria’s belly. On her smooth skin was an ugly scar.
“Zoria,” he said softly, “let’s have two babies. Just two is enough.”
One baby he and Zoria would raise themselves. The other would be given to Faye to adopt. Over the past three days, he had talked to Faye at length. She had been frank, she wanted a pup of Zephyr’s blood, something to lean on emotionally.
Zephyr had no reason to refuse. After all, he had promised her long ago.
“I won’t give birth,” Zoria rejected him almost without thinking.
“That’s not up to you.”
Zoria clenched her teeth, her eyes fierce. Zephyr was determined to force her to have a child, but the thought of carrying the bloodline of this beast inside her made her feel disgusted to her very core.
“Maybe you’re already pregnant,” Zephyr said, stroking her stomach.
A chill ran down Zoria’s back. She struggled to suppress her trembling. After being raped by Zephyr repeatedly over the past few days, there was a very real chance she was pregnant again.
“Fine,” she said at last. “If you want me to obediently give birth for you, that’s possible. But on one condition—you let me go outside. I don’t want to be locked up here forever.”
Zoria’s sudden concession caught Zephyr slightly off guard. He lifted her chin. “You want to go out?”
“Yes.”
Zephyr said, “You can go out, but you’ll have bodyguards with you.”
Zoria let out a soft laugh, her tone full of mockery. “Then don’t even dream about me willingly carrying your child.”
Zephyr’s possessiveness toward Zoria had reached the point where he didn’t want her to go out and see anyone at all. He wanted to keep her locked inside the house.
“What if you run away?” he asked.
“The entire city of Amberville is under your surveillance,” she replied coolly. “Do you really think I could escape?”
Zephyr thought about it and realized she wasn’t wrong. To be safe, he decided he would have his men secretly keep an eye on her.
He pulled Zoria into his arms and kissed her lips. “Fine. I agree. But I still won’t feel at ease letting you go alone. Your phone has to have tracking installed, and no matter where you are, you must answer my calls.”
Zoria nodded. “Alright.”
The next morning, Zephyr had breakfast with Zoria and then left.
As soon as he was gone, Zoria immediately returned to her room, changed her clothes, and prepared to go out. She wanted to buy abortion pills. What she had said the night before about giving birth to Zephyr had been nothing but a lie.