Chapter 704 - Karma

"Inigo didn't want to kill you, chu! He is actually a good guy although craaaaazy~!" Churu flew in front of Zoey with a bright smile on her face.

Slowly, Zoey shifted her unfocused gaze to the flying dumpling in front of her.

"Inigo and Matthew…?" Zoey trailed off as she stumbled back. "Now it makes sense..."

"Did Matthew know all along?" 

Churu nodded, playing with her tiny pompoms.

"But, why didn't he tell me?" Zoey's question came out as a whisper.

Deep down, Zoey always had this suspicion that Matthew was hiding something from her. But never in her wildest imagination would she have guessed this would be it.

"Because Matthew's case is different, chu! He shouldn't have memories of the previous life, but the man had some strong will and regret. Hence, he remembered it." 

"Then, why didn't he tell me?" Zoey intrigued almost immediately.

"Because he can't." Churu cast Zoey a look of dismay. "There are always rules, chu! Just like Inigo, he couldn't tell you because if they did, their heart would stop!"

Zoey was in disbelief. All this time, Matthew had known! 

"Did he know about Enzo?"

"He knows more than you know chu!"

Again, Zoey was rendered speechless. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She couldn't even know which emotion should be dominant at this moment.

It was just too shocking to believe. Zoey thought Enzo had changed. But, to be the person who was actually the person behind Matthew's death?

How could she accept all that? How could she accept that Zoey had been blindlessly chasing after the wrong person? How could she accept that she had gone through all that just to be slapped with the fact that everything was for naught?

Zoey felt her knees go weak before they gave in. She collapsed on the floor, questioning everything she had believed. If she could faint, she would.

It was too much for her.

"I feel like a joke." She muttered under her breath. "Am I that cursed?"

Zoey slowly raised her head while Churu floated down to her eye level. From birth until now, life had been toying with her. But this joke? It was just beyond a joke.

"I didn't ask to be born, chu." Zoey shook her head lightly. "So, why do I have to pay for my parent's sin?"

Churu sported an apologetic look. Even a demon like her could not help but pity Zoey. 

"It's not your fault chu. It just happened that you are born with zero luck." Churu was aware this wouldn't make things different. But it was true.

Zoey didn't have luck in her. Or rather, her path even before she was born was like a toddler's doodle. But she survived, didn't she? Zoey battled fiercely with her unfortunate life despite being born with little to no luck.

"Luck," Zoey chuckled. Her situation was so ridiculous that she couldn't help but laugh. "So, you're saying it's all about luck?"

"Not entirely. But we need luck in everything. But you see, your success in your company and this second life is not because of luck. It's all because of your hard work." Churu affirmed.

"But in the end, I still died. Not just died, but I had to witness how Matty broke down. And now, this? For what?"  Zoey questioned with a scoff. 

She just couldn't understand. Zoey didn't want to come in here just to witness Enzo confessing to his crime and knowing the real truth. But Churu dragged her. For what?

"Hmm." Churu pressed her lips together, humming a long, pondering tune. "What do you think?"

Churu raised her nonexistent brows, tilting her head to the side. Zoey furrowed her brows, baffled at the expression that resurfaced on this dumpling's face.

****

[PRESENT TIME]

*BANG BANG BANG!*

The loud shots of the guns and rifles resonated in Matthew's ears. However, he couldn't move nor think. It's as if his mind suddenly went into a blank state, cradling Zoey's body as blood pooled under them.

"Master," Carter called out as the enemies were closing in but to no avail. 

Matthew didn't respond. He was just staring ahead, barely blinking. Little did the others know, Matthew was not just staring at nothingness. He was staring at someone not far away from him.

"You're not in the list tonight, Mister Xi." The grim reaper with his giant scythe while in his tux checked the list on his papreholder.

"Why are you here?" Matthew whispered. His men failed to hear him as they were too occupied fighting the enemies.

"Collecting souls, obviously." The handsome grim reaper shrugged.

Matthew's lips parted, but no words came out. He wanted to ask him to not take Zoey. Just take him instead of Zoey. She didn't deserve to die just like that. No, she couldn't.

He would still love her. He hadn't shown his love for her; what he had shown was not enough for him.

As if reading Matthew's thought, the grim reaper smiled; not kindly or wickedly. It was just a plain smile giving no clue what it meant.

"She's not on the list. But, my list gets long over time. If you don't want her name written in here, you should get yourself together and get her treated." The grim reaper checked his list once again. 

"Oh! Her name is starting to resurface. You should hurry now." 

Upon dropping his advice, the grim reaper suddenly disappeared. Matthew blinked his eyes, coming back into his senses.

"Master, we should --"

"Help me." Matthew uttered, catching Carter because of his change in tone. "Carry Zoey. We have to get out of here."

Matthew ordered, locking eyes with Carter. The latter heaved a sharp sigh of relief seeing that Matthew recovered.

Carter nodded and squatted down. "Men! Try to push the enemy back! We will get out of here!"

When Carter gave the orders, he tried to carry Zoey. Just as he did, Matthew clasped on his arm.

"I entrust her with you. Don't look back and just get out of here. Look for Zion and provide him everything that he needs." Matthew ordered with conviction. 

The grim reaper said it himself. Zoey wasn't on his list just yet. Hence, there's still a slim chance she's still there with him. No matter how slim the chances were, Matthew wanted to keep this sliver of hope the grim reaper gave him.

Carter nodded in resolution. He had seen Matthew break down and barely keep himself together. Even though he didn't have much hope, Carter also wanted to believe in the desperate hope to save Zoey.

"Owen, protect master! I will rush Miss Zhou to the upper deck!" Carter shouted for Owen to hear.

"Shit!" Alas, Owen let out a curse as he ran out of ammo. Then one after another, everyone had maxed out their ammo as well. 

Just when they thought they could finally run upon Matthew's recovering to his senses, they'd hit another problem. They were cornered; enemies from every side coming at them.

When their enemies raised their guns, preparing to kill them one by one, another one was fired. But not from Matthew's direction, but from behind them.

"What the…'' The people on the front line turned around just to be welcomed with bullets that killed them. 

Again, the sound of endless shooting resonated across every corner of the yacht. But this time, Matthew's forces were not involved.

When the last Silva men dropped dead, Matthew, Owen, Carter, and his men remained hostile at the approaching men from both their sides. The old man leading them had his hands held up in the air.

"Xi Matthew?" The old man asked.

Confused and alert, Owen took out his dagger, standing in a defense stance in front of his boss.

"Who are you?" Owen challenged.

"Oh, that's cute." The old man chuckled, shaking his head lightly. "Don't worry, little soldier. We are here just to deliver a message for Mister Xi."

The old man who was also the person who saved Angelo from Patrizio's clutches put his hand inside his suit. He paused as he scanned Matthew's men, before carefully taking out a letter.

"Here." The old man clipped the letter in between his middle and forefinger, handing it out to Owen.

Owen cautiously took it. "What's this?"

"For Mister Xi." The latter shrugged, then, glanced at the unconscious woman in Carter's embrace. "She wouldn't die from her wounds. But she will die from bleeding out. If I were you, you should rush her to the upper deck. I heard the doctor there had saved more lives tonight."

Owen furrowed his brows; not just him but everyone of them. He then passed the letter to Matthew which the latter suspiciously opened.

What was inside was not actually a letter. But a small card with a short message. It said:

[I took your name out of my will. You're homeless now!

Xoxo,

Your former mom. *kiss*]

Upon seeing it, Matthew slowly raised his eyes full of disbelief to the old man. The latter only offered a bright smile.

****

Meanwhile, in another country. Inside a luxury restaurant.

"People tell me that karma is not real." A blanched haired man poured a glass of wine. "But I tell them, she is just busy."

Upon saying that, the man raised his gaze to the elegant woman sitting across from him. She smirked, accepting the glass of wine he poured for her.

"So, I'm wondering how those kids in the Silva Family got your attention, Sese?" He asked in interest.

"Haha." She chuckled, twirling the wine elegantly. "They're bullying my son and daughter-in-law, that's all."

"Tsk tsk. That's what they call get serve what you deserve, huh?" The man chuckled back. "Ah… it's good we all left you alone, Madam."

"Vivian." Vivian corrected. "I'm just Vivian now. A rich old lady who disowned her own son."

With that being said, both of them raised a toast.