Chapter 668 - Interrupting Someone's Karma

"You're the one who gave that idea to your abductors, aren't you?" Zoey inquired, without looking away from him.

Niko arched his brows as he shoved his hands inside his pocket, thrusting his bottom lip forward as he shrugged.

"Is it important?" He asked.

Zoey sported a subtle smile. "No." She said as she shook her head lightly.

Slowly, she turned around and looked at the setting sun. Hearing the direct answer from Nikolai wasn't necessary. She got her answer with his subtle reaction.

The thought of it made Zoey chuckle faintly. Back then, she thought Nikolai was just as unlucky as her. Thus, she wanted to protect him because she could relate to him in some way.

But now that she remembered, she shouldn't have done that. If only she didn't play as a hero, she wouldn't be here with him.

Maybe, her life would've changed drastically. Or she could've been dead growing around Zachery… or not.

"Why are you thinking?" Niko inquired as he walked and stood to her side.

"About helping people." Zoey pressed her lips in a thin line, stretching it in a smile. "I should've been careful who I saved. I could be interrupting their karma."

"Heh. Unfortunately, what is done is done." Nikolai chuckled as he glanced at Zoey, clicking his tongue with a wink.

"I guess." Zoey shrugged as she turned to Nikolai. "I don't regret it, nevertheless."

"Oh?" Surprised, Nikolai arched his brow as he narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Why not? If you didn't push me back then, I wouldn't be here, neither would you be here.." 

"I don't know." Again, Zoey shrugged as she retracted her eyes away from him and turned to the beautiful horizon.

"I didn't know who you were back then. Or what you would become. All I know is that kid who trusts another kid for their lives. You're the first person who trusted me and looked me in the eye. Saving you come naturally." 

Nikolai rocked his head back and forth lightly. Slowly, a smirk resurfaced on his lips as he glanced at Zoey's side profile again.

"You're a fool, Zia."

"I'm not." Zoey chuckled as she shook her head.

'I saved you back then. Thus, it's my responsibility to take it back.' She added internally. However, she didn't say it aloud, as she had been doing quite well in this place.

'Also, I have time. Inigo wouldn't bother me until seven years later or after this. I need to focus on this problem first.' Zoey repeated her words from the past week inside her head.

"Nik, we brought him here." Suddenly, Patrizio came in from behind them.

Nikolai pivoted his upper back, looking back at Patrizio. "I'll see him then."

After hearing from Nikolai, Patrizio nodded and walked away. The former then shot Zoey with a vicious smirk.

"Come, princess. I want you to meet someone." He offered his hand.

Zoey arched her brow, darting her hand at his hand and to his vicious pair of eyes. She pressed her lips together before reaching his hand. They walked back to the mansion, Nikolai holding her hand but Zoey… she wasn't holding him back.

When they arrived in the mansion, Zoey arched her brow again. Her eyes glinted with malice as they sharpened.

There, the person who was sitting on the couch and stood upon the sight of Nikolai was someone she was familiar with: Cecil.

"Oh! Miss Zhou! You're also here?!" As soon as Cecil saw Zoey's face, his eyes widened as he took a step back.

However, his eyes were quick to move to Nikolai and Zoey's hand. Upon laying his eyes on their hands, Cecil gasped in disbelief.

"You!" Cecil shot Zoey an eye full of disdain, thinking Zoey also switched sides. "Boss Nik, that woman is Xi Matthew's woman! You don't have to trust her!" 

Nikolai chuckled as he dragged Zoey to the seat across Cecil. When the two sat down, Nikolai glanced at the men around him.

Upon meeting their boss's eyes, they suddenly raised their pistols to Cecil's head. The latter stood frozen, surprised and baffled at his situation.

"Bo — boss… what --"

"Let me tell you, little dog. Everything you say can trigger your death. Zia is not anyone's woman but mine." As Nikolai rested his back against the couch, he spread his arm on the couch's back.

Meanwhile, Zoey, who was sitting beside him glanced at Nikolai. Yet, she held back on saying her thoughts aloud.

"Your… I'm sorry, boss." Before Cecil could question about this strange arrangement, Cecil gritted his teeth and apologized instead.

Why the heck Zoey was there whenever he met someone important? She was there when he was summoned by Matthew. And now, she's with Nikolai?

Just what kind of spell did she put on these young powerful men? In Cecil's eyes, Zoey might be pretty. However, men like them shouldn't be bewitched by a woman's beauty as women were cunning in a terrifying way.

"So?" Nikolai tilted his head, neither accepting or refusing his apology. He didn't care. He cared about something else.

"Ahem!" Cecil cleared his throat and glanced at Zoey.

"Don't mind her. Go on." Nikolai waved, taking notice at Cecil's reluctance.

"Xi Matthew stepped down as the CEO of the Xi Corporation and it seems like it is to focus on his underworld activities. The Xi family's power hasn't been stable and companies are out to take the spot. I don't know what they've been up to, but Xi Matthew has been giving me strange tasks."

"Like?"

"Like start doing business on your turf." Cecil cleared his throat as he carefully relayed the task that was given to him.

"Oh? And he does the funding?" Nikolai smirked as he didn't expect anything less from Matthew.

"So far, in the span of a week, Xi Matthew has managed to rise in the ranks. Local triads were already under him and he's been in the talks with international triads." Cecil sighed heavily. "He ran the Xi Corporation and cemented its position in the top. Stepping down and focusing on something else… Boss, what should we do?"

"Isn't he an interesting man?" Nikolai smirked as he glanced at Zoey.

Meanwhile, Zoey froze. She didn't expect Matthew to step down as the CEO of their family business. And now, Cecil was telling them that Matthew has gone deeper in the underworld...?

'Matty…' Dismay or moved, Zoey didn't know what to feel. But what she was certain about was that she was worried for him.

Underground alliances were often marked by betrayal. Take Cecil for example. Just more than a week ago, he was currying favor from Matthew. But now, here he was, tattling about him to Nikolai.

"You're digging your own grave." Under her breath, Zoey murmured that stopped Cecil from speaking to Nikolai. When the two cast their eyes, Zoey let out a scoff.

"You'll die, Cecil. You better start thinking about which devil's hands you're willing to be sent to hell from." Zoey smirked.

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Author's Note:

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