Chapter 20 - (Unedited) Pictorial Part 3

Zach held her hand as they poses and do as what the photographer wanted.

"Show me close affection." The photographer instructed and Zach pulled her waist and scooped her face.

Andromeda is surprised and looked up into his eyes will full of love. This is what she feels now. She encircle her arms around his nape and lean her forehead to his. They stayed like that for a little while and Zach kiss her lips and her forehead and her nose and back to her lips.

"You two are a perfect couple. Natural photogenic." The photographer said and Zach reach her cheeks and wipe the tear on her right. They didn't see it so he wipe it stealthily.

He wrapped her into his arms and hugged her for a while. They wore two different types of gowns and tuxedo and anything she wore was simple yet elegant.

They change after and he receive a call from General Alexandro.

"General?"

"Meet me tonight. I have something to say."

"Okay. Where?" He asked. The old man said the location and he hang up.

He turn to Andromeda who is currently removing her makeup and Kathleen looked like not in mood anymore. However, he care no less about the girl and focus on his fiancee more. He help her removing the make up and kiss her lips.

"Stop it." She said coldly.

"What?" He smile. "You love it when I kiss you." He said like they are still living three years ago. She remain silent but he still smile like nothing happened between them that broke their hearts.

He kisses her nose lightly and then her lips lightly. She was frozen, her heart melted and wanted more of that. Her old self the Andromeda who fallen in love with him is coming back. That soft heart woman who would do everything and give everything to the man she loved. That's what Mondragon's are. They will give their all once they love a person.

"I'll drive you home." He reached her purse. He stood and pulled her up. "You need to rest more. Does your head hurt?"

"A little." She answered.

Maybe she should just forgive him. But what if—he's doing this because her grandfather told him so? What if—she can't give what he wanted and eventually would leave her like he did? She can't survive anymore. Because her love to him was so much that almost nothing left to her.

She let him hold her until to the car, hugged her, kissed her head and brushed his finger tips on her arm. Maybe she needed that comfort, but her heart is near to explode. She's becoming more anxious as time passes, afraid that this is just for show and he don't love her anymore.

"Do you still love that chicken carbonara? I told the maid to make it for you."

"Okay." She said and look out the window.

They reach the house and Andromeda looked at the maids in the same outfit. There are at least three of them, but she haven't seen the other one before. She remember a thin woman and have a curly hair, shorter than the other one taller and seemed to know martial arts and combat.

"Good Evening Lady Andy, your dinner is ready." The head maid said as they escorted her to the dinning table. Chicken and Mushroom Carbonara is served for her. She take a sit and reach the fork.

She can feel a pair of eyes eyeing her waiting for her to eat. She exhales and hold her head a little dramatic.

"I don't have an appetite." She stood and walk upstairs.

"Darling, do you want to eat something else?" Elder Pattinson asked.

"I am fine, General." She said and enter Zachary's room. She closes the door and looked at the bed.

Two years of not being together. Have he ever brought his woman here? She strode to bed and crawl to reach the pillow. She shoved her face and inhaled, Zach's scent. She fall asleep without changing her clothes and removing her shoes.

Something wakes her when the door opens, and she couldn't hear footsteps. Someone is here to kill her.

***

Zach enter the restaurant and greet General Mondragon. He sat down and reach the water.

"Eat first." Elder Mondragon said.

"It's fine. I can eat back home. Maybe Andy hasn't eaten yet."

"I will be straight forward to you." The Elder said as he hold his hands.

"Okay."

"Did you know why I forced the two of you into this arrangement?" Elder asked and he remain silent. "I want you to save my granddaughter from herself. All these years when you left her—she shattered. She lost herself. She don't want to survive anymore. Those years that she struggled of wanting to die every day is a big advantage to someone who wanted to kill her. I monitored her and give her enough safety so she could live. She's my only heiress, Zach. Everyone are after her head."

"You mean—assassins are after her right now?" Zach asked, his brows creased and his heart was pounding.

"Yes. I want you to save her from herself so she could protect herself and fight. She keep doing extreme things for her to die easily. What you both lost cannot be restored." The Elder said and hold both of his hands tightly. "I feel so broken seeing my granddaughter trying to kill her everyday that pass. I should hate you for living her, but you are the only one that could save her from herself. Please, protect her until the end."

Zach feel so guilty at that moment. It was his entire fault for her leaving her.

"I understand." Now, he has to do what he promised and do his responsibility to her.

***

Andromeda roll on the bed to the other side away from the door and she lower her body glowering at the maid with a knife with her. The tall maid smirked at her. Andromeda exhales and hold her chest.

"Damn it! You scared the hellaoutta me!" She scold her. The maid slash the assassin throw the knife on her direction and she expertly caught the handle and play it on her hands.

The assassin glowers and pull out a gun with a muffler from her back and pointed it to her. Andromeda's eyes widens and she started walking backwards. The Assassins pull the trigger and to the stranger's surprise, Andromeda uses the knife to divert the bullet's direction away from her.

The Assassin keep on firing and firing but Andromeda was so fast that she lost count of the bullet. Andy exhales and blow the knife with a smirked.

"These days has been so boring. Thank you for coming. And did you perhaps, make that carbonara? I'm sorry but I am actually not fond of parsley on top."

Andy throw the knife back to the woman and it expertly caught it. Andromeda run out to the balcony and jumped down without thinking. She roll on the grass and hide on the bushes. She look around and there's not much of security around the house. Damn it, how can he locate a house like this. The maids and the guards. Fuck.

She acted so surprised when the maid also jumped out from the balcony and in front of her. Andromeda tackle the woman and she was right. The woman was strong. It wasn't on how strong she was. She already thought that her opponent have more than three equipment to kill her.

Andromeda didn't hesitate to punch the woman on the nose and ducked down from her kicking her wrist for her not to throw whatever the thing was. The woman stood and hold her bleeding and broken nose.

"Andro!" Zachary shouted and the woman looked at Zach who just arrived. Andromeda's first rule is not to get distracted. The woman gritted and thought that she was of course distracted but Andromeda take the attack using her finger to hit a certain vein on the woman's neck. The woman looked at her and she collapsed into the ground.

Damn, she use all of her power to do that stuff. Bad, girl. She don't want to kill anyone with that. Maybe Sabrina could help her saving the person she's killing. She still needs her for conformations.

Zachary run to her and hold her.

"Andy, baby."

"I am fine, dummy!" She pushes him and one security guard came running.

Andromeda check the woman. Her eyes are still open yet she's unconscious.

"What did you do to her?"

"She might die." Andromeda mutter. She hissed and punch the ground. "Damn it. I shouldn't use that at all. So stupid."