Chapter 50
Hearing these words, Rishima gained her composure, her eyes filled with mockery.
If she remembered correctly, Zvonimir had once spoken just as gently to Farah.
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On the surface, he coaxed Farah tenderly, but in reality, he treated her as nothing more than a breeding tool for his pack. If she hadn’t seen the photo Zvonimir kept hidden in his wallet, Rishima might have believed he truly loved Farah.
Now, Zvonimir was using this same deceitful demeanor to show concern for her. She guessed it was because he wanted to turn her into a replacement for Shirley once again.
Zvonimir was lost in his illusion of tenderness with Shirley, while Rishima merely bore a face that resembled Shirley’s, allowing him to indulge in his memories. Rishima was willing to bet that if she exposed Zvonimir’s hypocrisy now, he would immediately turn his anger on her.
Since Zvonimir wanted to use her as a vessel for his nostalgic fantasies with Shirley, she was more than willing to play along. When he became completely consumed by this illusion, it would be her chance to escape from the empire.
In just a few seconds, Rishima’s thoughts had shifted multiple times, but her face betrayed no unusual emotions. She merely said, “Perhaps I caught a cold last night, and now I have a terrible headache–it feels like it’s going to explode.”
Zvonimir extended his hand to feel her forehead, frowning slightly. “You’re running a bit of a fever. I’ll get you some medicine.”
Since Rishima was pregnant, she didn’t dare take medication casually, so she lied, “I already took some earlier.”
After a brief pause, she added, “Zvonimir, I’d like some water.”
Seeing Rishima weakly asking for his help, Zvonimir felt a wave of satisfaction, and his anger from discovering she hadn’t come home all night nearly dissipated.
He thought that if Rishima always behaved this obediently, he would undoubtedly treat her with more affection.
Of course, Zvonimir kept this thought to himself and didn’t say it out loud.
He poured her a glass of warm water and asked, “Have you had breakfast?”
Rishima took the glass and shook her head. “I don’t feel like eating.
Zvonimir immediately called the five star restaurant and ordered over a dozen of Rishima’s favorite dishes to be delivered to the villa. Rishima didn’t stop him; after drinking the water, she returned to the bedroom to rest.
She wasn’t pretending to be sick to gain Zvonimir’s attention–she really had caught a cold. Her throat was sore, her head ached terribly and after spending a sleepless night at Matthew’s house, all she wanted to do upon returning to the villa was sleep.
However, she dared not take any medicine for fear of harming the baby. Moreover, it was just a mild fever; she figured drinking plenty of water and getting some rest would help her recover.
Half an hour later, staff from Năm Sau restaurant delivered the food to the villa.
Zvonimir entered the bedroom and woke Rishima, insisting she eat some soup. She almost vomited from the taste, but fearing Zvonimir might notice something unusual, she forced herself to endure it.
As soon as Zvonimir left the bedroom, Rishima rushed to the bathroom and vomited everything she had just eaten. The sour taste lingering in her throat made her feel even more nauseous.
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Chapter 50
“Two months into her pregnancy, with such severe morning sickness it was highly likely that Zvonimir would grow suspicious.”
Rishima stared at her own reflection in the mirror, her face pale and her expression filled with worry.
The wolves of the Silverfang pack were known for their ruthless methods. They were entirely capable of doing something as cruel as killing the mother to take her cubs.
Perhaps Zvonimir wouldn’t kill her, but once the wolves of the pack found out she was pregnant, and once the two wolf cubs were born, she might never see them again for the rest of her life.
Thus, under no circumstances could she let Zvonimir discover her pregnancy. Moreover, she needed to leave the empire before her belly began to show; otherwise, escape would become impossible.
“I will help you.” Thinking of Matthew’s words from the night before gentle yet resolute–Rishima was momentarily startled. She gazed into the mirror at her own reflection for a long time before finally making up her mind.
After leaving the bathroom, Rishima opened WhatsApp and sent a message to Matthew: “I agree to your terms.”
Her words were vague, but Matthew immediately responded, as though he had been waiting for her message all along.
Matthew replied, “Don’t worry. I’ll prepare everything for you. But we still have to wait for the right moment. You’ll need to hold on a bit longer.”
Rishima responded, “I understand. Thank you.”
Moonlight and Silverfang were the two largest wolf packs across the galaxy, not just the empire. They had numerous collaborative projects, so Matthew helping her escape the empire was no easy task
Matthew wouldn’t openly confront Zvonimir for her sake, and Rishima understood his predicament. She didn’t expect him to immediately help her escape Zvonimir’s clutches.
Due to her fever, Rishima’s head throbbed as if it might split apart. After exchanging only a few messages with Matthew, she fell asleep, unaware of when Zvonimir entered the bedroom.
Zvonimir sat at the edge of the bed, staring at Rishima for a long time. His gaze remained fixed on her face, and the longer he looked, the more captivated and stirred he became.
He even began to suspect that Rishima might actually be Shirley. Otherwise, how could they look so alike? From the eyes to the nose and mouth, they bore an uncanny resemblance,
But on closer inspection, there were still differences between Rishima and Shirley.
For instance, Rishima’s irises were gray, whereas Shirley’s were brown. Additionally, Rishima’s waist didn’t bear the birthmark that Shirley had, and when Rishima smiled, she had dimples–something Shirley lacked.
Four years ago, when Zvonimir first saw Rishima at a banquet, he nearly believed Shirley was still alive.
Six years ago, Shirley had gone missing along the tsunami–stricken coast. Despite a two–month search, the rescue team never found her body.
No one believed Shirley had survived; perhaps her body had been swept away or eaten by fish.
Besides, if Shirley were alive, why wouldn’t she return to the empire
Zvonimir had come to accept that Shirley was gone, but the feelings he held for her never faded.
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Chapter 50
As Rishima had guessed, he deluded himself into thinking Rishima was Shirley, indulging in this false dream while always knowing deep down that Rishima wasot Shirley.
Zvonimir had thought that if Rhima were a bit more obedient and understanding, and bore a few wolf cubs for Silverfang, he might not have abandoned her.
But Rishima’s temperament truly tested his patience, leading him to sever their mate bond. Little did he expect that after the bond was broken, he would feel that only being with her could truly bring him satisfaction.
As this thought crossed his mind, Zvonimir felt heat surge through his body. His gaze lingered on Rishima before he leaned down and kissed her, the kiss firm and domineering.
“Uhm…” Rishima was awakened by him. She frowned, her mind still hazy as she reached out to push Zvonimir away.
Not only did Zvonimir not back off, but he deepened the kiss. His tongue claimed hers, and his hands held hers firmly.
In the quiet bedroom, the sounds of muffled moans and the wet noises of their kiss began to fill the air…
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