Chapter 78 Chapter 78. Fever, Secrets, and Schemes
This was the first time Zoria had ever voiced her hatred for Zephyr so bluntly.
Zephyr looked at her, feeling a sharp pain rip through his chest, as if a knife really had been plunged deep into his heart.
“You really hate me that much?”
Zoria clenched her teeth. “Yes. I want to see you dead. Zephyr, why are you still alive in this world? Why hasn’t a bastard like you died yet?”
Zephyr pressed his lips together tightly. His ears rang, his thoughts a complete mess.
Zoria yanked her arm free with all her strength. Her body lurched violently, nearly collapsing. She forced herself to stand and kept walking. Zephyr followed behind, watching as she took only a few steps before her legs gave out and she crashed hard onto the floor.
“Zoria…” Zephyr’s heart seized. He rushed forward and lifted her into his arms. Her body went limp against his chest, light as a feather, like holding a small kitten.
He lowered his head and looked at her pallid face. Her brows were tightly drawn, making her look heartbreakingly pitiful. Zephyr had never imagined that Zoria could hate him so deeply.
……
In a lavish suite, the bed was a complete mess.
“Babe, are you comfortable?”
A head poked out from beneath the covers—it was Faye. Her face was still flushed from the peak of passion, her eyes shimmering like autumn water.
“Michael, can you agree to me now?”
Michael wrapped an arm around Faye’s slender waist. “My men saw Zoria go out today.”
Faye frowned. “Then why didn’t you deal with her?”
“Zephyr has someone tailing her closely. My men had no chance to make a move.”
At the sound of Zephyr’s name, Faye’s heart clenched. She buried her face against Michael’s chest, hiding the look on her face. “So how long do we have to wait before we can take care of her?”
“Rushing things will only ruin everything.” As he finished speaking, he lowered his head and lightly bit at Faye’s neck.
Faye instinctively shrank back, her expression darkening. “Don’t leave marks on my neck.”
“Alright, alright. Let’s put Zoria aside for now. I’ll handle her later.” Michael curled his lips into a sinister smile.
Faye closed her eyes. She knew she shouldn’t rush things, but the thought of killing Zoria was growing more intense by the second. She couldn’t wait any longer. If Zoria was always under Zephyr’s protection, did that mean she would never die for the rest of her life?
……
“How is she?” Zephyr stood by the bed, looking at Zoria lying unconscious. He had thought she was just tired and would wake up after resting for a while, but she had slept straight through to evening. No matter how he called her, she wouldn’t wake.
Dr. Luke pushed up his glasses. “She caught a chill, which led to a fever. It’s not serious for now.”
“For now?”
“Yes. At the moment, it’s just a cold. But if it drags on, it could turn into a chronic condition.” Dr. Luke glanced at Zephyr’s grim expression, then continued, “Mr. Hawthorne, you want Ms. Zoria to get pregnant, don’t you?”
“Of course.”
“But Ms. Zoria has great difficulty conceiving.”
“What do you mean?”
Dr. Luke sighed. “Her emotional state has a huge impact on pregnancy. The early stages are already risky, and Ms. Zoria has miscarried twice before. This time, not only will it be hard for her to conceive, but she’s also prone to habitual miscarriage.”
Zephyr clenched his fist. “I understand.”
Whether Zephyr truly understood or not was something Dr. Luke couldn’t be sure of. All he knew was that he had made himself very clear.
“Mr. Hawthorne, once the IV is finished, remove the needle for her. I’ve sorted the medicine and left it on the table. When Ms. Zoria wakes up, make sure she takes it.”
With that, Dr. Luke left the room. Zephyr sat by the bed, watching Zoria intently as she lay unconscious.
Zoria was tucked tightly under the blanket, only her small face exposed. Her cheeks were faintly flushed, making her look even more fragile than usual, as if she might vanish at any moment. Unable to resist, he reached out and lightly touched her chin and her pale lips.
The room was so quiet that he could clearly hear the soft drip of the IV. A mix of irritation and fear welled up in his chest.
Zephyr stood up and went into the bathroom. When he picked up Zoria’s coat from the floor to put it into the laundry basket, he heard a faint rustling sound from the pocket. Reaching in, he pulled out a small bottle of pills.
Vitamins? The doctor had already prescribed medicine at home, so why had Zoria gone out to buy vitamins?
Zephyr opened the cap and saw that the seal had already been broken. A sense of unease crept into his heart. His instincts told him that this bottle wasn’t simple.
Zoria was sick, and logically he should have slept in another room. But he was already used to having her by his side. Sleeping separately made him feel like something was missing. He took off his shoes, climbed into bed carefully, hesitated for a moment, then pulled Zoria’s feverish body into his arms. Only then did he finally fall asleep at ease.
Zoria didn’t wake until the next morning. Her mind was still foggy, and it took her a while to force her heavy eyelids open.
Zephyr was sitting by the bed, reading documents. When he saw her wake up, he immediately set the laptop aside. “Zoria, you’re awake.”
Zoria opened her large, round eyes wide but didn’t say a word.
Zephyr asked again, "Do you want some water?"
He remembered the doctor’s words and decided that from now on he would treat her better—at the very least, he would stop taking his anger out on her for no reason. Zephyr poured a glass of warm water and pulled Zoria into his arms. "Drink."