Chapter 690 - Auction IX

Knowing Inigo's sick humor, he was confident that Zoey and Nikolai wouldn't retreat. The reason the guards that were standing by the side of each row let her go.

Zoey was prepared to come at them. But, they didn't say a word when Zoey stood up from her seat. Even when she exited the hall, no one stopped Zoey.

'Matty, where are you?' Zoey wondered as she hastened her pace. At the last exit door, Zoey halted as she witnessed the guard on the door getting shot.

'Inigo's men? Matthew's? Nikolai?' Zoey discreetly took a step back.

There were just too many pawns that a chessboard could occupy. In her mind, she believed there were three forces at the moment: Matthew's, Nikolai, and Inigo's.

"Miss Zia?" Not long after, Zoey finally got her answers.

One man in a tux approached her. "We already know about the infiltration. Come this way."

"How did you…" Zoey murmured, scanning the men coming in, surrounding the entire deck, paying her no attention.

"Those men were the other forces men. We'll slowly take over the deck. Boss told us to keep you safe. Don't worry." The man reassured her.

But that wasn't the reassurance she wanted. Still, Zoey nodded as she glanced at the pistol clung across his body from inside his opened blazer.

"Lead the way." Zoey urged.

Without wasting a second, the man escorted her out of the lower deck. As they did, more and more men brushed past them.

Surely, this yacht was bigger than she thought. And Nikolai's seemed to bring more than half of his elite men to secure this yacht.

"How did Inigo get his way in?" Zoey inquired as she quickened her pace to catch up on him.

"No one knows, Miss Zia. It seems like he had planned this a long time ago and had his men around. So, don't trust anyone. Boss Nik told us to keep you safe and away from her."

"How about Niko?" She blurted out out of habit.

Zoey held her dress up, trying to multitask on jogging whilst removing her heels. After successfully removing one of her stilettos, she went on to remove the other. 

While she did so, she constantly glanced at the man's back. He didn't answer her on her last query.

She furrowed her brows. She had never seen this man before and her hostility grew drastically. As soon as that thought hovered inside her head, Zoey halted.

"Who are you?"

Sensing that she stopped, the man suddenly stopped. Slowly, he faced Zoey with a straight face.

"I am Boss Nik's current right-hand man."

"Then, why are you saving me when your boss is inside there trapped with Inigo?" Zoey was quick to question back, raising her chin up as she glanced at her surroundings.

Again, after her question, the man remained silent for a moment. Zoey narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Don't misunderstand, Miss Zia. I'm merely following orders from my boss."

"Who's your boss?" Zoey raised her brow, taking a step back to create distance between them.

"Nikolai Silvestri." He answered firmly, but Zoey was too dubious about this claim.

However, her suspicion immediately vanished upon a sudden realization. Zoey took a step back as the man raised a gun at her.

"Did he order you to kill me?" She asked, but he remained silent. "No… haha! Nik won't order that."

Zoey shook her head slightly. Surely, the chaotic world of the underground world never fail to fascinate her.

No matter how it may appear to others, the loyalty of the members in a crime family was often mistaken. They weren't loyal to Nikolai. They were loyal to the crime family.

Therefore, if the boss was losing his mind, or something or someone was clouding the boss's judgement, the core members of the family would take action. In other words, they perceived Zoey as a threat that wavered Nikolai's decision.

So, to knock some sense into the big boss, they'd take her out even at the cost of their lives. It just so happened that tonight would be a bloody night. And her death could be covered up as a casualty.

"I'm sorry, Miss Zia. I'll make this quick since that traitor Inigo is out to get my boss' neck." The man apologized coldly, slowly placing his finger on the trigger.

Zoey swallowed a mouthful of saliva, watching her breathing as she didn't bat her eye. After a beat, Zoey tossed her on stiletto and ducked.

*BANG*

Missed. 

"Here!" Zoey yelled, throwing her other stiletto towards his face.

However, the man flung his hand that was holding the gun that hit the stiletto mid air. Just as he did, Zoey was already in front of him and assaulted his throat by her elbow.

"Ah--!" Being caught off-guard, the man took a step back as he coughed. "You b--"

Just as the man raised the gun, Zoey swiftly chopped his wrist, making him lose his grip on the gun. Followed by a jab under his chin with her palm, and then comboed by an elbow assault on his nape.

Zoey didn't give him time to recover until he collapsed on the floor -- face first. Placing her foot on the back of his head, Zoey scoffed as she tilted her head back.

"Everyone just wants to kill me." She pressed her foot harder against the back of his head. Her eyes glinted with killing intent while panting for air.

"B*tch!" The man growled, pushing himself up. Zoey pressed her foot harder but to no avail.

When she realized that this guy was not someone who could be underestimated, Zoey immediately hopped back. 

"Sht!" She rushed towards the direction of where the gun flew off.

However, no matter how quick she was -- just as her hand was about to reach for the gun -- the man already had his spare pistol in his hand.

"I told you I'll make it quick. But I don't think that's possible." The man spat through his gritted teeth. 

And without a second hesitation, the man pulled the trigger that was aimed directly at her back.

*BANG!*

"Ah!" Zoey shrieked at the lead penetrating her flesh, burning  her internally as her breath hitched.