Chapter 552 - The Root Of The Problem

[Short flashback]

Zoey stared at the woman as the latter walked away from the narrow alley. The young lady was wearing a hood, but her delicate facial features that she tried to hide were etched in Zoey's mind.

'She can do dirty jobs?' The young Zoey wondered internally.

"Sherly… what a nice name." Zoey muttered under her breath. At the same time, Sherly's shadow vanished as she successfully exited the alley.

"My job is done, but…" Zoey's words trailed off as she remembered Niko asking her to buy an ice cream.

Upon the sudden thought, Zoey frowned and crossed her arms. "How can a guy like him nag for an ice cream? He could've asked Ivan -- I'm too busy for this!" 

Zoey grumbled and stomped her feet out of the alley. She didn't want to get Niko ice cream and would let him throw a tantrum instead.

However, Zoey found herself in the convenience store looking for ice cream in the end. She only realized it once she was in front of the freezer and looking for the flavor Niko asked her to.

Unfortunately, there wasn't any available ice cream of that flavor. Hence, since she was already there doing it, Zoey decided to buy Niko's cravings. Well, she would benefit anyway because Niko wouldn't bother her for a month.

As Zoey searched for other convenience stores in a place she was unfamiliar with, a figure caught her eyes. Out of instinct, Zoey turned her head to the direction and her eyes widened in disbelief.

"Inigo?" Zoey muttered under her breath. Inigo was just standing across the street, holding his phone while looking around as if waiting for someone.

Zoey stared at him for a while, blinking her eyes many times to confirm that her eyes weren't deceiving her. After several more blinks, Zoey's face brightened up as the young man across the street was indeed Inigo.

"Bro --" Before Zoey could shout and raise her hand to catch his attention, she halted seeing Inigo smile.

Zoey followed the direction where Inigo was smiling. To her dismay, the beautiful Inigo was smiling lovingly at was the same woman she admired hours ago.

'Sherly?' Momentarily, Zoey's mind couldn't function as she watched Inigo jog up to meet Sherly halfway.

The two talked, smiling from ear to ear. Inigo was like a normal teenage guy who was meeting his beautiful lover. From a bystanders point of view, they appeared to be in love. A young love that was so innocent and beautiful.

But in Zoey's perspective, she had an entirely different take. Sure, Inigo and Sherly seemed in love. But, Zoey just passed a message to Sherly with an order to eliminate someone.

"Don't tell me…" Zoey's words trailed off as time slowed down. "The person she was ordered to kill is Inigo? No, no…"

With that conclusion in her mind, Zoey shook her head in disbelief. Without a single thought, Zoey's feet immediately followed the two. She disregarded Niko's request because this situation was far more important.

To Zoey, Inigo was akin to a big brother. Although Inigo was smart, skilled, and silent, he was also very kind -- at least, to Zoey. He was the only person in the Silva Family who had different ideals and was not afraid to voice it out whenever it was necessary.

The reason Zoey admired him. Inigo was also the person who gave her the audacity to dream of having a different life. A normal life just like everybody else. A life where revenge should be slapping all those who wronged her with her success; and not through the method of tainting her hands -- the Silva Family way.

That's why Zoey was more in awe when Inigo ran away. Inigo finally did it. His defiance gave Zoey courage to cut her ties with the Silva Family in the future. When she was already capable just like Inigo.

Zoey followed the two and remained a safe distance since she knew Inigo would surely notice her if she went closer. The entire day was spent with Inigo and Sherly having fun on their date.

They went to see a movie, dine together, and went to an amusement park just like a normal couple's date. Nothing grand, but the two were smiling the whole day.

When the night hit, it was time for Inigo and Sherly to go home. Zoey was still following them and was hoping the order wouldn't be executed today. If that happened, Zoey could ambush Inigo and inform him about Sherly.

However, no matter how sincere her prayers were, it wasn't heard. The taxi that Inigo and Sherly were riding drove far away from the city they originally came from and enjoyed the day.

For whatever reason Inigo agreed, Zoey didn't know. Sherly must have given him a reason for him to follow her until the taxi stopped in a lone house in a town.

Zoey, who was riding in another taxi stopped from a safe distance. She secretly followed the two and had a glimpse of Inigo's weird expression. He was standing outside the house, looking around as the place was surrounded with trees and nothing else.

"No way…" Zoey bit her lower lip as she watched them talk while she approached closer to them. Deep down, Zoey knew Inigo figured there's something wrong -- that something was off.

Zoey's fist trembled as Inigo's smiling face from earlier events during his date with Sherly flashed across her mind. Inigo seemed genuinely happy; she had never seen him smile like that. 

'She was smiling too… was it all fake?' Zoey whispered inside her mind, trying to make sense of how Sherly could deceive Inigo like that. 

Sherly made a fool out of him. She played with his feelings and now, she wanted to kill him? 

"How wicked… Silva Family, how can you be so cruel?" Zoey muttered through her gritted teeth.

At that moment, Zoey's eyes flickered with resolve. For the first time, she took out the pistol she often carried just in case something happened during her job passing messages.

Without a second hesitation, Zoey took immediate strides towards the two and cocked the pistol. As she came closer, Sherly suddenly pulled out a gun and aimed it straight at Inigo's heart. Inigo's complexion immediately grew pale as he stared helplessly at the young lady.

"Sherly, you don't have to do this. Don't, love." Zoey heard Inigo's painful words as he shook his head while holding his hands up.

"I'm sorry."

*BANG!*