Chapter 81 Chapter 81. Shattered Glass, Shattered Peace
His hand traced along her soft waist and gradually slid upward, his movements unhurried and practiced.
Zoria woke with a slight shiver and shifted to the side. But she had barely moved when Zephyr grabbed her from under the blanket, like catching a rabbit, pulled her onto his lap, and casually ruffled her hair.
Zephyr was in an especially good mood today. Even after learning that Zoria hadn’t eaten, he didn’t get angry. In a low, seductive voice, he asked, “Why didn’t you eat today?”
Zoria lowered her head, her lashes trembling. “I couldn’t eat. My stomach feels bad.”
Zephyr frowned slightly and placed his hand on her abdomen, gently rubbing it. “Does it still hurt now?”
Zoria did not answer the question. She only said, "I want to go out."
Zephyr replied, "What for? If you want to buy something, I’ll have my men get it for you. If you want to eat something, tell the chef and he’ll cook it. All you need to do is stay home, rest properly, and wait for me to come back."
The atmosphere instantly turned unpleasant. Zephyr remembered the last time Zoria had gone out—things between them had ended badly. He had promised himself he would treat her well. He knew he could no longer force her like before and that he needed to learn to respect her, to give her enough time and freedom. But the moment he thought about Lysander lurking outside like a hungry wolf watching its prey, all he wanted was to keep Zoria locked in his arms, right under his gaze, every second of every day.
Zoria fell silent, her expression clearly darkening. Zephyr knew she was unhappy again, but on the matter of letting her go out, he would not give in.
He laid Zoria back onto the bed. "Sit and rest. I’ll go tell the chef to make something light for you, something easy on your stomach."
The moment Zephyr left, Zoria lifted her head. Her gloomy eyes fixed on his retreating back. A sharp cramping pain began twisting in her womb, and a thin layer of sweat broke out across her forehead.
Zephyr had not been gone long when the sound of shattering glass suddenly rang out from the room. His heart clenched, and almost instinctively, he quickened his pace and rushed back toward Zoria’s room.
The room was in chaos. Decorations lay shattered everywhere, shards of glass scattered across the floor. Zephyr’s gaze immediately locked onto Zoria, then slowly lowered, landing on her bare feet standing amidst the broken glass.
Blood stained the floor red, yet she seemed not to feel any pain at all. Her blue pupils were cold and shadowed as she looked at Zephyr, then curved her lips into a faint smile.
"Either way, I can’t go out," she said hoarsely. "So what use do I have for these legs?"
A sharp crystal shard pierced straight through the sole of Zoria’s foot, blood pouring out without stopping.
Zephyr’s breath caught. "Zoria, don’t move."
Zoria looked up at him. Stubbornness glimmered in her eyes. She stepped back, driving the crystal deeper into her flesh, the pain unbearable. It surged from her foot up into her abdomen, violent, as if her body were being torn apart.
Zephyr’s brows knitted tightly. He kicked aside the decoration in front of him and strode forward, scooping Zoria up into his arms. His expression was terrifyingly grim as he turned away from the light, his entire body radiating the dark, oppressive aura of an enraged Alpha.
Zoria’s feet were covered in cuts, blood and flesh tangled with broken shards of glass, a horrifying sight.
He could not understand why Zoria would go this far. Was it really just because she wanted to go out?
"Just because I wouldn’t let you go out, you hurt yourself like this?" Zephyr’s voice was low and dark. His hand closed around her ankle, unconsciously tightening.
"Zoria, you’re really stupid."
At that, Zoria let out a bitter laugh. "If I weren’t stupid, how could I have ever loved you?"
"And besides," she continued hoarsely, "this little bit of injury—how does it even compare to one-tenth of what you’ve done to me?" Her face twisted, unclear whether she was smiling or crying.
Zephyr stared at her for a long time before finally asking, "Why are you so determined to go out?"
Zoria gave a soft laugh. "I want to see Lysander."
The moment she said his name, Zephyr’s eyes instantly reddened. He frowned, his voice rough and harsh. "Why do you want to see him? Didn’t you say last time that you’d only met him once and weren’t close?"
"We really aren’t close," Zoria said. "But he invited me to a meal. I should return the courtesy."
It was obvious that Zoria was deliberately provoking Zephyr, stepping directly on the pride of an Alpha. Zephyr ground his teeth, gripping her ankle tightly as he dug a shard of crystal out from her bloodied flesh.
"Zoria, from now on, you are not allowed to mention Lysander again. Meeting him is out of the question. He’s nothing but a beast."
Zoria smiled back at him coldly. "And is he really more of a beast than you?"
“Right now you’re injured, so I don’t want to argue with you.” Zephyr stared straight at her. “But if you still insist on seeing Lysander, then even if I have to break both your legs, I will not let you see him!”
When Zoria turned her face away, his other hand clamped down on her chin, forcing her to look at him. “Zoria, stay away from him.”
“You tell me to stay away and I’m supposed to obey?” Zoria sneered. “Who do you think you are, giving me orders?”
“Smack!”
A slap landed hard across her face. Zoria collapsed onto the bed. Her ears rang, her mind went blank. After a moment, eyes reddened, she slowly turned her head back.
“Because right now, I’m the only one you have left.”