"Will you kill yourself?" Zoey flatly asked. "I don't want to think about it, but your action tells me I should put you on my list."
Enzo scoffed as he slowly let her hand go. Tilting his head back, Enzo chuckled as he scratched his temple.
"Enzo, I don't want to hurt you in the name of friendship and you being my family. Don't give me a reason to do it. I'm barely sane." Zoey warned, giving him the benefit of the doubt that Enzo's ambition wouldn't reach the point that he would kill Matthew.
When Enzo didn't reply, Zoey nodded her head slowly and turned around. Without a word, she continued in her strides,
However, this time, he stopped her by his arm wrapped around her from her back. In her ear, he whispered,
"I don't want to be your friend. I liked you even before you met my cousin. I tried, Zoey. I tried to stop my heart, but I'm also barely sane. Why can't you consider me?"
Zoey swallowed, hearing her throat move in her ear. She was well-aware of that even before. But, Zoey chose to feign ignorance because she saw him as nothing but a friend.
The only man in her heart was Matthew. No one, not even Enzo, could replace or fill the void that Matthew had left in her heart. No matter how pure and sincere Enzo's heart was.
"Zoey, I can be whoever you want. I proved I can also do what my cousin could. Do you think brother Matt didn't do anything to secure his position in the company? The Xi Family is not as clean as you think they are."
Enzo added, his embrace tightening as he buried his face into Zoey's shoulder. Unlike his words, Zoey could feel his strong desire tremble on his arm. It was as if he was holding on to his lifeline.
Zoey could feel his last, desperate, and silent call for her. He wanted her to accept and recognize him as a man to keep him sane.
But, life was cruel.
Even if Zoey wanted to help, she couldn't. She had reached this far and no matter what, she wouldn't just turn her back on the late Matthew and Cora.
Enzo's love for her was not enough to stop her. The pain of losing Matthew and Cora, nothing could overpower that strong emotion.
"Let go," Zoey coldly replied to his heartfelt sentiment.
Upon hearing Zoey's unfazed tone, Enzo froze and scoffed. Slowly, he released her from his embrace and Zoey faced him.
"I'm sorry. Even if I want to try, I can't."
Zoey expressed. It was too late for the two of them to work. Zoey had fell too deep for her to return to the time where the two of them would do nothing but stupid stuff.
"Why?" Enzo asked. His cold expression finally changed as his eyes flickered with bitterness. "He is dead, Z. Why should I have to compete with the dead? Why can't we move on?"
Enzo added, raising questions he had been meaning to ask her. More than it pained him that Zoey couldn't move on, Enzo was more hurt that he couldn't even win against the dead, let alone the living.
"Tell me, what did my cousin do that I can't?"
"Nothing." Zoey replied blankly, not looking away from him. "If you can lead the XI Corporation, there's nothing that he did that you couldn't."
"Then, why can't you acknowledge me?"
For a moment, Zoey looked at him and took a step forward. Slowly, she raised her right hand and cupped his jaw.
"I wish I could, Enzo. I wish I could move on just like the rest of you; I really do. But I can't." Zoey uttered under her breath. "Even if you can top all his achievements, it's impossible for me to applaud and love you just like you want."
"Why?" Hurt, Enzo asked as his eyes eventually grew blood-shot red.
"You're not him. You're not Matthew, Enzo." Zoey answered with a bitter smile. "I hope you're happy on the path you've chosen and I wish we will never meet in our next lifetime."
With that being said, Zoey retracted her hand away. It pained her that when Matthew died, all their lives took an unprecedented turn.
Even with the news of Vivian's condition, Zoey didn't plan to look back. It was a painful choice, but she had already decided the time she left the Xi territory.
Just before Zoey could turn around, Enzo caught her arm midway and gripped it tightly. Surprised, Zoey was caught off guard as he forcefully pushed her to the vacant table nearly.
Everything happened within a short frame of time and Zoey found herself under Enzo's body. "What do you think you're doing?"
"We haven't tried yet. How are you so sure it won't work?" Desperate to turn things around, Enzo forced his lips on her, holding her wrist tightly.
Since he had booked the entire local restaurant, no one was around. Zoey struggled as his lips pressed against her roughly until her lips were bleeding.
Zoey bit his lower lip as both of their blood mixed inside their mouths. When she realized that hurting him mildly was not enough to stop him, Zoey was forced to choose violence to retaliate.
With a kick in between his legs, Enzo let out a growl as he immediately let her go to tend to his injured third leg. Taking advantage of the situation, Zoey sat up on the edge on the table where he had pinned her down.
"Disgusting." Through her gritted teeth, Zoey spat as she split the blood on the floor. "This change is disgusting and this is why you can't even compete with him. My husband would never do this."
Zoey added with malevolence. With a shake of her head, Zoey stormed away.
This was the last time she had seen Enzo before her death. Deep down, Zoey couldn't truly blame Enzo. Deep down, she wished if they would ever get reincarnated and live in the same timeline again, Zoey didn't want anything to do with Enzo.
His love for her changed him into someone she hated. His obsession to win her heart changed him. If only they didn't meet and became friends, Enzo wouldn't be pushed to the edge just like her.
Hence, for the last time, Zoey respected their great memories together and let him off.
After this short encounter, Zoey had continued with her life and died in the end.