Chapter 626 - Ivan Meets Zion

The day had passed by in a blink of an eye. Zoey and Matthew had dined and he had to extend his break, to  Paul's dismay, but nothing he could do about it.

Miraculously, Zoey and Matthew didn't continue what their body desired. They managed just with a hearty meal between just the two of them.

"Aiya…" Zoey let out a sigh as she leaned her back on her swivel chair. "Finally, it's time to leave the office and paperwork!"

She celebrated, stretching her arms and body until her blood circulated freely around her veins. Although she didn't expect Matthew to pick her up, just the mere thought of resting brought  delight to be bubbling in her heart.

In her previous life, Zoey had grinded in her early twenties. There was no room for rest or pause. She thrived and survived, and she managed to establish her name.

But now, Zoey wanted to relax a little. If she made it before, she could do it again. Even though what Nikolai did was like a slap in the face, Zoey wanted to prove to herself that Niko only led her to the door.

"*sigh* I'm lucky to have my Matty with me." Zoey sighed, thinking of her beloved Matthew who was there to comfort her in times of need and shower her with love.

A subtle smile resurfaced on her lips as her eyes softened. Matthew! She could not help but thank heaven for granting her this second life.

Deep down, Zoey had often thought this second life was a curse. However, when she took a leap of faith and asked for Matthew's help, everything seemed possible.

It was as if everything would be alright in the end. She wanted to keep her optimism about the underlying dangers in this peaceful life.

Niko's presence earlier was proof that this peace was fleeting. It was just a matter of time, and Zoey just had to prepare to counter the worse that had yet to come.

While Zoey was deep in her thoughts, a sudden knock from outside the door reached her ear. Slowly, Zoey shifted her eyes towards the door.

"Come in," Zoey said, and the door opened carefully.

As soon as the door opened, Zion peeked his head in and asked, "Work's done?"

"Yes," The corner of her lips stretched into a smile as she watched her brother come inside.

"I thought you only needed to drop by the hospital? Being in the office for an entire day is not just dropping by." Zoey humored as Zion closed the door behind him.

"Wait until you've become a doctor. You'll understand." Zion chuckled, shaking his head as he trudged inside.

"Well, this is why I didn't take medicine. I have no time saving lives." Zoey shrugged nonchalantly as Zion perched on the long couch.

When Zion perched on the long cough, he furrowed his brows. "Zoey?"

"Yes?" As Zoey returned to her laid back stance, she moved her gaze back to her brother.

As soon as Zoey saw Zion, she widened her eyes as her complexion instantly grew pale. Zion was studying the hole that was embedded on the couch.

The bullet that was fired as a warning shot from Matthew to Nikolai. Zoey had forgotten about it. Hence, the bullet was still stuck inside its thick foam!

"What is this?" Under his breath, Zion wondered as he tried to get what was stuck inside. 

Normally, Zion would heed it no mind. However, something within him compelled him to check. Thus, he was listening to his instinct.

"Sis!" Just as Zion was trying to get what was stuck inside the couch, Ivan's voice interrupted him.

The second they heard Ivan's voice, the door was busted open. Zoey, who was mortified, felt relieved. However, the moment she laid her eyes on Ivan, she knitted her brows.

"Ivan? Are you alright?" Zoey asked, her eyes instinctively traveled across Ivan's figure.

When Zoey was certain Ivan didn't have wounds, she heaved a sigh of relief. After all, Ivan surely received Nikolai's wrath when they left the building.

"Yes!" Panting, Ivan placed his palms on the desk as he caught his breath. "Emergency! Sh*t is about to go down!"

After taking another deep breath, Ivan exclaimed. Zoey was silent for a second, blinking her eyes as she looked at him blankly.

"What?"

After another more seconds, Zoey tilted her head to the side. She didn't understand him at first and Ivan must have known that Zoey preferred details over vagueness.

"I mean, ahh… sh*t." Exasperated, Ivan pushed his body away from the desk as he massaged his temples.

As he paced back and forth, Ivan arched his right brow as he caught another figure inside the office. Slowly, Ivan turned his gaze to Zion and immediately cast him an eye full of disdain.

"Why is he here?" Out of annoyance, Ivan turned to Zoey and asked rudely.

As usual, Zion was unfazed. However, Zoey frowned as she offered Ivan a poker face.

"He is my brother, that's why. Just like how you can freely burst into my office, he can too." Zoey answered blankly.

"Ah, no, no, no. Sis, we need some time alone. Just the two of us -- important talks!" Ivan waved both his hands as he gestured his fingers, pointing at himself and Zoey.

"Ivan, save it for later, can you?" Since Ivan seemed trolling, Zoey was less interested about this 'emergency'.

Ivan usually overreacted on small things. Therefore, Zoey assumed this was just one of those moments where the primary subject was not her concern.

"Me and my brother will have a date together because…" Zoey widened her eyes as she briefly ground her teeth.

"...my brother is heartbroken."

Not that Zoey blamed Ivan. To be fair, it was her fault why Cora fell in love with another man aside from her brother. However, Zoey decided to let these matters go and let these individuals handle it themselves.

Whether Cora ended up with Ivan or Zion, she's still her friend. Zoey would protect Cora either way.

"Oh, damn..." As Ivan heard Zoey's muffled remarks, he nodded in understanding and scratched the back of his head. 

"Hey, buddy. Sorry for snatching your woman.. I hope you move on and never approach my girl, never."