Chapter 5 Chapter 5. Abandoned by the Entire Family

Zoria's face turned ghostly pale, her eye sockets damp. Something seemed stuck in her throat, neither swallowable nor spit outable, pain choking her breath.

"Zephyr, do you even have a heart? This is a life! He is also your child!"

"He might not even be mine. In the past month, I could count on one hand the times I came back to the castle, and yet an impure Omega like you could get pregnant so easily?"

Zoria felt as if struck by lightning, her whole body shaking. Zephyr was suspecting her of infidelity? She lowered her head, grief and despair consuming her heart. Tears instantly poured, covering her suffering face.

The car braked suddenly, and Zoria had no time to prepare. Her forehead slammed hard against the back of the front seat.

"Here we are, get out!"

Zoria wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and opened the door to step out. Today was the trial of the mayor, and the crowd in front of the courthouse was packed with onlookers.

More than ten police cars were parked neatly before the courthouse gate. Zoria followed Zephyr inside, immediately drawing the crowd's stares and whispers filled with cruel words about her.

Her whole body felt drained, her legs went weak. She forced herself to take heavy steps, clinging to Zephyr’s shadow as they moved into the courthouse.

As soon as she entered the hall, she saw the members of Everhart already present. Juliette, Zoria’s mother, sat in a chair, eyes red from crying, while her younger sister tried to comfort her.

"Mommy…"

Hearing her, Juliette looked up and saw Zoria. She immediately rushed in front of her and swung her hand, slapping Zoria’s face hard.

"Get out! I never had a daughter like you! If you hadn’t insisted on bonding with Zephyr, our family wouldn’t be in this situation!"

The slap twisted Zoria’s face, her ears rang, and her mind went blank. No one stepped forward to stop her. Everyone just stood there coldly, and a few of her relatives even joined Juliette in humiliating her without mercy.

"If she were my daughter, I would have beaten her to death! She has no conscience!"

Zoria’s frail body staggered a few steps, then she lowered her head, tears brimming in her eyes.

Juliette’s eyes were bloodshot, her face contorted as she screamed, "Zoria, how could you be so despicable?! You bonded with Zephyr, bringing shame to your father, and now you’ve even killed him twice in spirit!"

Zoria’s mind was blank. She lifted her head, her pale face marked by Juliette’s red handprint, struggling pitifully.

Yes… she really was despicable, wasn’t she?

Zoria laughed. But it was a laugh filled with sorrow and bitterness. On her tear-streaked face, her smile looked even more pitiful and hideous than her crying.

Juliette’s eyes were rimmed red, her face twisted with fury as she roared, "Zoria, you wretch! How could you collude with Zephyr to harm your own father?"

Zoria’s eyes widened in shock. She and Zephyr had joined hands to hurt her father? When had that ever happened?

Juliette was about to lunge forward to strike Zoria, but the other family members standing behind her pulled her back. Her gaze turned venomous, as though the person before her was no longer her daughter but an enemy.

Juliette’s younger sister clutched her tightly and shouted at Zoria, "Zoria, how dare you still show your face here? Even now, you still insist on staying by Zephyr’s side? Do you want the entire Everhart to become a laughingstock of the empire?"

All eyes shifted to Zoria. Zephyr stood with his arms crossed, the corner of his lips curved in a faint smile, yet it carried no real joy. His gaze was cold, laced with mockery.

Zoria clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms until the pain pierced her heart.

Zephyr, do you truly want me to witness this humiliation with my own eyes?

Juliette, her hair disheveled, glared madly at Zephyr as if she wished to attack him. Zephyr sneered. He strolled leisurely to stand before Zoria, placing himself among the Everhart members, and with a composed yet intimate gesture, he took Zoria’s hand.

He spoke softly, "How could you be so careless as to hurt yourself? Your face is already swollen." His fingers brushed gently across her cheek, his eyes filled with pity, his demeanor openly tender toward her before everyone.

Zoria’s gaze blazed with hatred. She bit hard on her lower lip, her complexion pale. Once, she had foolishly dreamed that Zephyr might treat her with kindness, even if it was only an illusion. Yet now, when Zephyr truly showed her gentleness, she felt nothing but revulsion.

Zephyr had deliberately brought her to court, deliberately forced her to witness the downfall of Everhart and the disgrace of her family.

He was merciless indeed.

“The trial has begun.” Zephyr pulled Zoria’s hand forcefully, seating her opposite the defendant.

“Why? Zephyr, why do you hate me like this?”

For the past three years, Zoria had always wondered why Zephyr did not love her yet agreed to mate with her. Now there was only one question left: why did he hate her?

Zephyr leaned back in his chair, his gaze sharp and cold. Kieran had been convicted of embezzlement with solid evidence, and the whistleblower had been Zephyr himself. He had hidden within Everhart for years just to obtain this proof. Zoria had unintentionally become an accomplice. If she had not mated with Zephyr, would Kieran have been less vigilant toward him?

Finally, the judge delivered the verdict: Kieran was sentenced to twenty years in prison.

Twenty years… Kieran was fifty years old now; by the time he was released, he would be seventy. Would he even live to see seventy to be released?

Hearing the verdict, Zoria quietly stood: “Zephyr, didn’t you say that as long as I signed the commitment to donate my bone marrow, you would spare my father?”

Zephyr sneered: “I only promised to preserve his life. Zoria, do you really think with his crimes he would escape the death penalty?”

“What do you mean?”