91 Influenced 2 (1/2)

If Gio said he never doubted Sofony Mendez' motives and origins, then he would be lying blatantly.

He did. It was because of this that he had her life reviewed. He also had everyone near her investigated. In the process, he learned how different she was from her past self and what kind of life she had lived before.

To be honest, she was someone who would normally not become part of his life.

Sofony's identity was that low. She had no contact with the rich, had no wealth to speak of, or any special talent worthy of recognition. She's probably a woman he would only see in the streets if he ever decided to take a walk. But that itself lessens their chances of being acquainted. After all, he had a car, scratch that, cars. Why would he walk a busy street?

Perhaps, their first meeting changed it all.

But actually even on their first meeting, were it not for his stupid but ambitious stepmother making him go to that cheap hotel, he would not still have ever encountered her. They would have never had their first union.

Gio chuckled as he parked his car on the basement of the building where the shooting range was located,wondering if this was the kind of fate manipulation talked by that daring woman.

Two months ago, he suddenly found himself invited to a cheap hotel by his stepmother. He also just found himself drugged. And then before he knew it, he had already bedded a girl who was not even in his strike-zone.

A couple of weeks later, he saw himself falling so deep for her body to the point that his craving wouldn't let him forget about her. He then questioned why he had suddenly developed attachment for that girl.

He contemplated.

Was everything pre-arranged by something other than fate? That time, he didn't like what came into mind, but his growing fondness for both her body and the girl was quite odd. He couldn't stop musing whether he was still his old self who only planned to play around with her as payback for her debts.

Whether the girl knew or not, he'd been watching her closely ever since they reunited. When he praised her for her stamina and strength, he was actually wondering why a girl so weak a week ago suddenly became like this.

But on that night she seemed so lost, when she reached out to him to make him stay, he seemingly had some images flashed in his mind. It was like he already saw that scene so many times in the past.

Of course, that should be impossible since that was the first time it happened. Only, he really couldn't shake off that feeling.

Then, time and circumstances started to reveal her mysteriousness.

One was that new sister of hers who's not someone even his best investigator could make sense with. There was also that puzzling footage wherein only he could see how Sofony became blind.

At that point, a part of his mind actually told him she became dangerously mysterious. So he should kill her.

However, he didn't do it. He even found himself panicking just to send her to the hospital. Another deja vu struck him, his senses telling him that he also saw this scene before.

And that vision made him afraid to lose her.

...

Gio strode out of the elevator. He just arrived at the noisy shooting range and he could see people practicing with their guns. Some were in the middle of loading magazines, the others pulling the bolt. There were, of course, people shooting out bullets with little pause. Sofony was one of them.

With his hands on his pants' pockets, his tall figure walked towards her casually. His eyes never left her, and they were showing approval at her focus and posture.

”You're here, Gio!” One of the burly guys near the elevator noticed him and waved his hand at him. This man then asked while pointing a thumb to one of the only three flowers among the twenty-plus thorns present. ”Here to fetch that pretty miss?”

Gio didn't pause walking. But he nodded before bypassing the other. The burly man laughed, ”Haha, I knew it! You won't fancy a useless girl!”

Another man chimed in. This one turned his head with his hand still continuously pulling the trigger.

”Hey, Demon Gio, I don't know where you find that missy but she's quite amazing. When she first started, everyone scattered away, afraid of getting killed by stray bullets coming from her. But look, now people have returned to their stalls since they knew she's not just any random rookie!”

This time Gio stopped his strides for a few seconds. He met this acquaintance stares and grinned. ”I know, Claus. Now, focus on your shots. Once the other mercenaries know you miss the bullseye thrice, they're going to party for sure, and you will be their laughingstock!”

”I missed?” The man swept his gaze back to the target and saw no holes outside the tenth ring. ”What missed?! You demon, you actually made me doubt whether my senses and accuracy drop! For an easy non-moving target? No way!!!”

He chortled and was about to rain heavy curses upon Gio but he had already walked away.