Chapter 25 Realization

Chapter 25 Realization
"Can you tell me exactly what triggered this memory?" Andrea asked without responding to him. She slowly lowered herself to sit beside him again.

Gabriel contemplated for a moment then began to recount honestly what happened between him and Zina.

"She kissed you?" Andrea asked squinting.

Gabriel nodded.

"Memory is malleable," Andrea muttered, wearing a thoughtful expression.

"I have never been able to figure out why Zina is so obsessed with Adam despite the circumstances of their marriage," she sighed, relaxing on the sofa again.
"I think I get it now,"

"Adam did something to her," Gabriel nodded.

"Yes, but Zina was nothing to him." Andrea still seemed confused.

"He did it for me," Gabriel explained.

Andrea turned her head to him, her expression asking for more explanation.

"Her kiss was illogical, even factoring in emotions, we are not at that stage, and she's not that kind of person," Gabriel explained.

"Then the goal was to trigger your memory?"

"Yes. When I lost control of my body, a dormant program tried to override my consciousness block,"

Andrea turned away from him to the ceiling and smiled. Her smile turned into a chuckle and soon she was laughing like a manic.

Gabriel stared at her in confusion as tears formed in the corners of Andrea's eyes as she laughed. Watching her, he turned worried as she did not seem to be stopping anytime soon.

"What's funny?" he eventually had to ask.

"That idiot lost," Andrea squeezed between her laughter.
"I won," she seemed very elated and slowly stopped laughing, but a victorious grin remained on her face.

"Am I some kind of battlefield?" Gabriel was upset as he watched her.

Andrea turned to him and smiled.
"Yes Gabriel," she replied.

"You should never have recalled any memory of your creation. Adam believed memory is malleable and thus humans could be controlled like puppets on a string. He was right," she paused and her grin spread. "...To a point"

"I'll tell you how I met Adam" she started.

The day darkened further and the two ended up spending the night on the sofa. When Lucia walked in come morning, she found them snuggled together like two kittens.

Whipping out her phone, she opened the camera to take a picture but through the screen, a pair of cold eyes fixed on her.

"Umm, good morning," she grinned with a sheepish smile.

Gabriel glanced at the phone and then back at her with his brows raised and she became even more embarrassed.

"I just thought you looked cute together" She explained.

Andrea woke up at this time with bags under her eyes. She glanced at Gabriel to see his perfect face and rolled her eyes at him.

"Life's unfair," she muttered and rose. Heading to her room, she dragged her feet lazily.

"Any updates?" Gabriel asked as he rose.

Lucia headed for the kitchen, and Gabriel trailed behind.

"Tony's giving them hell in the courtroom. Apparently, the decision to rebrand all Arclight Orphanage Homes was made by the State, so it can be contested. Also, he made a new discovery, but I don't know what it was. As for the leak, it wasn't on our end, so you should check with your new girlfriend," she teased.

"I figured," Gabriel replied shaking his head as he grabbed the ice cream Lucia just pulled out of the fridge.

Lucia grabbed a spoon and turned around only for it to fly out of her hand towards Gabriel, "Hey!" she exclaimed, but could only watch helplessly as he dipped and started eating.

"What happened to blending in?" she complained and reopened the fridge to grab herself another cup.

"Do you have anything planned for today?" she asked after they'd both eaten their cups halfway.

"Not much, why?" Gabriel asked looking up at her.

"There's a party at Madison Hall, the Governor's daughter Ophelia is hosting. Can you come with me?" Lucia asked.

"Why?" Gabriel frowned.

Turning up blank, she stared at him in confusion for a moment.
"Because I'd like not to go alone?"

"Take Andrea"

"Why would I take a girl to a party?"

Gabriel shrugged, and Lucia scooped a spoonful of ice cream from her cup in annoyance.

"Just say no" she murmured.

"I'm just surprised that you would invite me" Gabriel tried to explain.

"Normally, I wouldn't, cause you were acting like you were made in a factory." Lucia rolled her eyes.

"But I was made in a factory" Gabriel replied.

By the time he showered and changed, he had a refreshing smile on his face while Lucia sulked.

Watching him leave the house through the bedroom window, Andrea had a small smile at the corner of her lips.

"Are we still going today?" Lucia asked from the door and slowly approached behind her.

"Of course, Tony did a very good job this time" Andrea nodded.

"What will you do about Gabriel's codes?" Lucia asked.

"Nothing" Andrea replied, lowering her head to run her fingers through her forehead.

"He is conscious enough to control who he becomes, the time for editing is long passed" she explained.

She left Lucia to get ready and only took a couple of hours to be fully changed. By this time, a few cars had arrived at the mansion from which walked out Fiona and a few guards. As she stood at the door of the mansion watching them prepare weapons, Andrea grinned and jumped into the sedan parked in front of her.

"Let's go," she said tapping gently on the seat in front of her. The engine started when Lucia joined her and the car rolled out, behind it the other cars followed.

"Are you truly ready for this life again?" Lucia asked, eying Andrea, who had her laptop in hand and an impassive expression.

"I guess we'll see," Andrea replied without looking up.

As the convoy made its way out of the secluded property of the mansion and into the busy Arclight streets, a lot of eyes followed in amazement and caution as they went past.