Chapter 548 - She's Here

"Hay… what a nice view!" Zoey exclaimed in delight after chugging a mouthful of beer. She cocked her head to Matthew, sitting on the swivel chair.

"It's perfect. You're right." She added with a grin before turning her gaze back to the city view.

Earlier, Matthew intended to drink while sitting on the pair of couches.. However, Zoey had another idea. 

She dragged the one seater couch near the floor to length window with all her might and placed it in front of the floor to length window. If she could even push the office desk to the side, Zoey would have already done so. 

But it was fixed, so she could only squeeze the seat behind the desk. Fortunately, there was enough space since the office was designed to have a lot of space.

Meanwhile, Matthew just shook his head and perched on the swivel chair. He would always stare at the city lights every time he would work overtime. Having Zoey as his company with beer in their hand gave him a different vibe from the usual stiff air in the room.

Matthew opened the can of cold beer in his hand while Zoey was already enjoying hers. As he did so, the side of his lips curled into a smile as he was reminded of a particular memory.

Back in their previous life, days after their first unconventional encounter, Zoey took him to the hospital's rooftop. It was her birthday; he could remember it vividly.

Just the thought made him let out a faint chortle. Zoey arched her right brow as she turned her attention to him.

"Remember something funny?" She asked as she narrowed her eyes, intrigued at what was happening inside his head.

Matthew glanced at Zoey and hummed a low tune. "A cute one."

"Cute?" Zoey's already raised eyebrow raised even more. She scrutinized his expression and could not help but squint her eyes in a thin line.

"It's not about a girl, right?" 

After a brief consideration, Zoey queried because the subtle smile on his lips was genuine. It may look reserved, but that's how he used to smile in her beautiful memories.

To her dismay, Matthew's answer was not what she expected.

"It's about a girl."

"Hah!" Zoey scoffed in dismay. "Okay!"

She exclaimed with a tone of sarcasm. Zoey glared at him before rolling her eyes at him and back to the oddly serene view of the busy city. 

'So what if he is reminded of a girl? He's mine now.' To appease herself, Zoey stated facts inside her mind. "Not that he has any other option.'

Matthew chuckled, seeing her frustration. If only she knew the girl he was talking was also her. Matthew drank a mouthful of beer, quite bitter but bearable.

He wasn't used to drinking such a type of beverage. He preferred wine, but since this was her treat, there was no reason to complain. 

The air grew silent as neither of them talked. Zoey was busy thinking who was the pest occupying Matthew's head while the latter was just enjoying her company even without exchanging words.

"So that girl…" Just then, Zoey finally broke the silence as her curiosity grew overwhelming each passing minute.

"Did you like her?" 

"Hmm?" Slowly, Matthew turned his head to her and cocked his head a little to the side.

"That girl that you just remembered." Zoey clarified as she cleared her throat and sported a poker face. "I won't get mad, really. I'm just curious what she's like."

"Haha," Upon hearing her last remarks, Matthew chuckled and shook his head lightly. He knew this was akin to entrapment conversation. 

"Hmm, funny." In the end, Matthew decided to describe the woman he fell in love with.

"Funny?"

"Mhm… I first thought she's complicated to understand, or her train of thoughts. But I realized it's not her who was complicated — it was the situation." Matthew explained as his mind wandered far from the current timeline.

"She's actually simple to understand if one tries to know her. She does things that make others make a decision very easily. She didn't want to hold others back because of her. Ironically, she holds her emotions back because of others."

Matthew recalled her heart of gold. Zoey had a horrible childhood. Still, she didn't think of revenge for herself because her revenge at that point was her success.

It was commendable and awe-inspiring. No matter how badly she was treated and despised by her biological father, Zoey forgave him because of Zion, the reason Matthew held back on exacting revenge for her.

He couldn't just ruin someone while affecting those who are dear to Zoey. Although Matthew regretted that time. If only he had followed his instinct, he would have had less enemies before everything went south.

Zoey remained silent, listening to his voice. Matthew's tone was gentle and loving, reminiscing a lovely memory that made her feel he wanted to go back. 

It was… a little painful. To hear him recall someone and hear him describe her in such a gentle manner. It was as if she asked him to grip on her heart and clench it.

"She seems… amazing." Zoey muttered as she retracted her gaze away from Matthew while suppressing the building jealousy.

"Amazing is an understatement." Matthew corrected. "She's incomparable."

Upon hearing his last remarks, Zoey chugged down the beer to ease her nerves. They were talking about someone — probably from his childhood memory — that her husband failed to tell her in their previous life.

Well, their marriage was cut short. So Zoey knew little things while Matthew was the same. Zoey forced herself to be cheerful, sporting a smile on her face as she let out a sharp and heavy exhale.

"So, where is she now? With your looks and status, why aren't you two together?" Zoey asked with an awkward smile on her face as she turned to face Matthew.

Slowly, Matthew faced her and chuckled. "Who said we're not together?"

Matthew took a sip from the can of beer, his eyes still on Zoey as he could detect the jealousy glinting in her eyes. 

"Am I a third party?" Zoey gasped in disbelief, staring at Matthew in utter dismay at the sudden conclusion in her head. 

"No," Matthew swallowed the bitter beverage and shook his head. He then reached to the one seater couch she was sitting on and pulled himself closer.

When the swivel chair stopped closer to her side, he leaned his arm and inched his head closer to her. 

"Where is she, you ask? Here. You're incomparable, don't you know that?"