Chapter 312 - Snippet Of The Past II

"Well, one way or another, don't you think everyone is?" Iñigo shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, slowly getting up from the wooden chair. "But I realized during this one year with you, Zia, it's not revenge I am seeking, but entertainment!" Slowly, he strode towards her, coming out from the obscurity which soon revealed a long haired man which was tied in a bun with a huge tattoo on his neck. 

"What about you?" Several steps away from her, Iñigo stopped and cocked his head to the side. "Revenge? For your dear husband and best friend? Well, it's impossible that you can do so because you want to see me and chat." He asked, knitting his brows in curiosity before nodding his head at his last remarks. 

"Haha," A weak laugh escaped her lips, shaking her head which caused the man before her to knit his brows once again. "Ironically, I went through the trouble just to see you and chat." As if finding her own reason funny, Zoey ignored the pain in her arm which had been shot at earlier. 

"Oh?"

"Yeah, it's crazy..." Zoey nodded her head, raising her eyes and locked gaze with him. If not for the circumstances they were in, one would think they were friends by how calmly they were exchanging words. 

"Now that you've seen me, what do you think?" Slowly, the side of his lips curled into a gentle smile, taking her words as a compliment in a way. 

"I think? Well, I think you look pretty cool." Zoey traveled her gaze from his head to toe, her vision blurred a little more while nodding her in satisfaction. 

"Cool? Well, thank you." Surprised at the genuine compliment, Iñigo chuckled. "Because of that, I will be cool for you forever, Zia! So, you won't die tonight as a reward!" As if declaring something that he should be proud of, Iñigo reassured with a vicious smile. 

Both Zoey and Iñigo knew what he meant by 'being cool forever', and it wasn't that kind that would leave anyone in awe. However, this reward he had been talking about, Zoey knew it was all just crap. 

After all, Iñigo had been trying his best for Zoey to keep her alive. The reason Zoey made it this far because his men wouldn't fire a critical shot on her by the orders they received. She inflicted wounds though, but not enough to die in an instant. 

"Well, I'm sorry to pop your bubbles but..." Zoey paused, releasing a heavy exhale from her mouth. "I did want to see you to confirm something." Slowly, she returned her gaze back at him and shrugged her shoulders. 

"Confirm something?" His brows knitted together, puzzled at what she meant by that. 

"Mm..." She hummed a tune, sighing as her stiffed shoulders relaxed. "You can't live without me anymore, can you, Iñigo?" Every word was akin to a stake that pierced her wounds, but Zoey couldn't focus on that at the moment. 

"You killed my husband because he was the biggest threat. You manipulated my stupid father that pushed him in taking Cora's life that also cost my brother's mental health — cunning." Zoey spouted all the answers that she kept seeking, but only realized the answers now all on her own. 

"And Enzo... Iñigo, did you really think I will taint my hands with his blood?" Zoey scoffed, dropping the name that sounded too painful for her as well. 

Iñigo just shrugged his shoulders as a reply. He was not surprised that Zoey had her answers without him telling her. It was quite boring for him that he didn't have to experience the leisure of explaining, but that didn't matter. He would just enjoy listening to her not so accurate deductions. 

"That's why it's silly." Zoey chuckled upon seeing his lack of reaction. 

"You're silly, Zia." He replied, chuckling along with her. 

"Indeed, I am." Zoey nodded her head, couldn't disagree with him about that. "I could've reduced the damage myself and killed the threat, but it's late. I just realized it now... what a shame." She sighed, shaking her head sideways. 

Meanwhile, Iñigo furrowed his brows in confusion. What did she mean by that? Not that knowing the dangers coming in her way would make a difference. 

Well, perhaps, there will be a slight difference, but the result would still be the same. After all, Iñigo had prepared all these years so his plan would be executed perfectly. Thus, if plan A didn't work, there would be plan B, plan C, and so on. 

Good thing, he didn't have to go that far because no one would've expected this series of misfortune he had cast upon them. In other words, no one was prepared — even the great Matthew Xi who died on the first day of his revenge. 

"Iñigo, you never change, huh? You always get complacent whenever you get the upper hand. How sad." Her eyes studied the confused hazel orbs, clicking her tongue as she was once again reminded of this bad habit of his from then and now. 

"Complacent? When did I..." Just as he scoffed in mockery, his voice trailed off as his eyes widened slowly. 

"Yes, just now." Zoey languidly shrugged her shoulders as she pointed the pistol's muzzle on her temple. "Like I said, you can't live without me anymore... why? Because you're obsessed with me." She paused, chuckling at how misleading the word 'obsessed', but that was the truth. 

"Obsessed to see me suffer the same way you did. Obsessed to push all the blame on me when, in fact, your tiny brain just couldn't accept the truth that I am not the one who betrayed you. And that obsession was the only reason you're still alive, am I right?" In a matter-of-fact tone, Zoey listed down the facts despite feeling her lungs clench with every word she spouted. 

"You thought I came here to kill you... haha! What an idiot." She laughed faintly before clenching her teeth tightly. "Why would I give you an easy escape, Iñigo? My death is enough to serve you eternal misery until you take your own life because there's nothing inside your shell." Zoey stressed upon her every word, her tone laced with ridicule as she was not afraid of death. 

"Pray that we won't be living in the same timeline, my old friend. I will be your karma." Her eyes never left his. Although her vision got even more blurry, Zoey could see his figure running towards her but to no avail. 

*BANG!*

The bullet passed through her temples, an instant death as her body collapsed down the the concrete ground.

[End of flashback]