Chapter 611 - Choose

KNOCK KNOCK

"He's back." Just by the sound of the door knocking, Zoey rolled her eyes as she figured whom it may be: Ivan.

"Come --" Just before Zoey could finish her sentence, the door was busted open and Ivan came in stomping his feet.

"Why do I even bother?" Zoey muttered as if she wasn't surprised that Ivan intruded her office even before she could give him permission. Well, it was not like it was still the ancient time for someone to need permission to enter a place.

"Sis, I bumped into Angelo just now. He looked mad. What happened?" Without a second hesitation, what Zoey already expected to hear finally heard it.

"Nothing." As if on cue, Zoey just shrugged her shoulders and stretched her lips into a forced smile with her brows raised. 

"Nothing?" Ivan repeated, squirting his eyes suspiciously. "The way he stormed off from this building says otherwise."

Ivan uttered firmly. He knew Angelo as they'd been partners for a long time after Zoey severed her ties with the Silva Family. Therefore, he knew something was off by the way Zoey and Angelo's aura.

"Well, he didn't like my decisions, that's all. I think he wants to resign because you, dating my best friend also annoys him." In a matter-of-fact tone, Zoey shrugged once again as she attempted to put part of the blame onto Ivan.

"What?" In disbelief, Ivan gasped as he peered at her in dismay. "Why are you putting this on me? We were all fine yesterday!"

Ivan exclaimed, arching his right brow. Ivan blinked his eyes many times, shaking his head mildly as he widened his eyes upon uttering his claims.

"Yesterday is in the past." Still bearing the same nonchalant behaviour, Zoey spat back. She just couldn't tell Ivan that the reason Angelo was here was because he had the same motivation as Zoey.

"People change their minds after thinking things over." She added.

Zoey just couldn't tell that Angelo was initially a double agent, serving Nikolai and Inigo before deciding to ally with Zoey. That wouldn't help the situation they were in. 

Not to mention, Matthew's sudden involvement in the matter. Not that Zoey doesn't trust Ivan. He would just make things worse especially with Cora in his life.

Speaking of Cora… Zoey raised her gaze again and narrowed her eyes into a slit. "Anyway,"

"Anyway?" Zoey's sudden change of expression caused Ivan to arched his right brow. "What?"

"Are you and Cora are dating for real?" Zoey didn't beat around the bush as she asked to confirm. She still had mixed emotions with this. Hence, she wanted to hear Ivan's side and see if he was truly sincere about this whole charade.

Ivan was a little taken aback by the abrupt blunt question. After a beat, he cleared his throat and looked at her straight in the eye.

"Yes, we are dating."

"Are your feelings a hundred percent certain?" Zoey immediately queried back.

"Hundred ten percent!" Without a second delay, Ivan exclaimed with a nod.

"Then, will you die for her?" Zoey arched her right brow without breaking her gaze away from him.

This time, Ivan didn't answer instantly. Instead, he furrowed his brows together as he looked at Zoey in disdain. "Why would I die for her?" 

"Well, maybe because you lived your life honorably that no one bore a grudge against you." Zoey rolled her eyes as she sarcastically remarked.

"Haha!" Finding Zoey's humor hilarious, Ivan cackled before he said, "Of course not, sis. I wouldn't die for her, but I can kill for her." 

In a matter-of-fact tone, Ivan shrugged his shoulders which made Zoey nod in understanding. Ivan understood Zoey's concerns with Ivan entering into a serious relationship. To make it more concerning: Ivan was dating Cora.

Therefore, Ivan figured that Zoey was more concerned about Cora's safety than Ivan's. Still, Ivan found Zoey's question ridiculous. 

Not that Ivan wouldn't take a bullet for Cora. But he would rather choose to be the person who would pull the trigger instead of taking its bullet. Ivan was determined to be the most villainous person in the world if that was the only method to keep Cora safe.

"Oh…" Surprised by Ivan's philosophy, Zoey nodded in awe. "I didn't expect to hear that."

Zoey added in a mutter as she briefly raised her brows and cleared her throat. "You're really serious, huh? So, you also know what to do next."

"Do, what?" Puzzled at what Zoey was pointing at, Ivan narrowed his eyes as he waited for Zoey's clarification patiently.

Seeing his reaction, Zoey let out a heavy sigh as she shook her head lightly. "Have you forgotten, Ivan? There's a rule in the Silva Family regarding things like this."

In a matter-of-fact tone, Zoey started refreshing Ivan's memory on the family rules where they pledge loyalty to. Upon hearing Zoey's words, Ivan's eyes slowly widened as he finally remembered this important detail before he recklessly decided to pursue his feelings.

"You do what you need to do; choose." Zoey looked at him dead in the eye, her eyes flickered with determination.

In the world they lived in, love and mercy were one of the nonexistent emotions. Ironic that despite those, loyalty in the family was considered sacred. Most of them weren't blood related, but it was never important.

Once they were considered as members of the family, they needed to see them as their real family who was their top priority.

Hence, with Ivan's situation, he needed to choose. It would be either stay in the family, or be the family's enemy. Although the latter was a little misleading; because it was more accurate to say that Ivan would most likely lose the Silva Family's protection.

After all, every member of an organization had one or two enemies for personal reasons. Hence, without the family's backing, one could exact their revenge, settle some old scores, and those sort of things.

"I wouldn't even consider the third option. I would kill you myself Ivan if you made Cora part of the Silva Family.." After a long silence, Zoey remarked as she would never allow Cora to enter such a cruel world.