37 He is my man!

Zayden drove through the bustling streets until he reached the location Yael had shared. He parked the car and let out a sigh, feeling torn between his desire to tear apart that woman and his inexplicable urge to come to her aid whenever she was in trouble. Perhaps it had become a habit, he thought, exhaling another sigh.

Stepping out of the car, he gazed at the familiar club where his unexpected involvement with Ziana had begun. It was now his third visit here today — first when Ziana time traveled back to Earth, then when they encountered trouble with some troublemakers, and now, here to rescue her from another predicament. Taking a deep breath, he entered the club, pondering whether it held special significance to her or if it was merely a place she frequented.

As expected, the club was packed, filled with dancing and revelry. Zayden made his way through the entrance alley, passing numerous couples, until he reached the heart of the club where the dance floor buzzed with energy. He searched the crowd, his eyes darting around, before taking out his phone to call Yael.

"Where are you?" he asked, scanning the room as he moved towards the seating areas and private lobby, which led to stairs ascending to the next floor with private rooms.

And then, his eyes caught sight of a woman, clearly intoxicated, sitting on the serving table with crossed legs, clutching a bottle. Beside her sat his brother on an L-shaped maroon sofa, his expression troubled. Zayden took a deep breath and approached them, his eyes squinting as he focused on Ziana's flushed face and pink-colored cheeks, cradling the bottle close to her chest.

"How many bottles did she drink?" he asked, reaching them and noticing the emptied bottles scattered on the large round table where Ziana sat.

Yael's eyes lit up at the sound of Zayden's voice, and he quickly stood up, almost embracing his brother in relief. "I think she's had five," he answered, casting a troubled glance at the intoxicated woman.

"Five?" Zayden frowned, anger filling his eyes as he glared at his brother.

"No, I didn't order them. She kept threatening that if I didn't buy her more, she would jump off this table," Yael explained, his words competing with the disbelief in Zayden's eyes. Growing frustrated, Yael grumbled, "I swear! After her third bottle, she turned into some kind of monster."

"Oye! Get me another bottle!" Ziana interjected, her gaze fixed on Yael. When he hesitated, she raised the bottle in her hand and demanded, "Can't you hear me? Get me another bottle right now!"

And suddenly, she stood up on the table, drawing the attention of passersby and confirming Yael's claim. Zayden let out a loud sigh, his eyes fixed on the woman who was finding pleasure in causing a scene.

"Let's go home, Ziana. Please!" Yael pleaded, aware of the unwanted attention they were attracting. He moved forward and reached for her hand, but Ziana shook her head.

"No! I'll jump off this cliff if you force me!" she mumbled, closing her eyes and pretending to leap, further frustrating Zayden.

"You can do that at a real cliff," he commented, stepping closer and firmly grasping her hand. "Let's go now."

Ziana opened her eyes, gazing at the man with a voice she recognized. She blinked, trying to focus on the features of Zayden's handsome face. A smile tugged at her lips as her drowsy eyes produced blurry images of him, mistaking him for someone else.

"Oh, Jackson! My baby," Ziana mused, a grin forming on her lips as she stared into Zayden's black eyes.

"No, you're not a baby anymore," the drunkard muttered, shaking her head with a pout. "You're someone's babe now," she whispered, Karina's voice echoing in the background. The way she addressed Jackson always pricked the wrong parts of her heart.

"And now a jerk above all," she continued, glaring at the enraged reaper whose patience was reaching its limit. Ziana wasn't just being a nuisance, but also mistaking him for her ex-boyfriend? It was absurd, and she had truly lost her sanity.

"How can you treat me so coldly? We were good friends right from the start of college," the tipsy, heartbroken woman rambled, causing her commotion to transform into chaos as curious onlookers stopped to witness the drama.

"That witch Karen has wrapped you around her finger," she declared, mimicking it by raising her pinky finger and twirling her left index finger around it.

A few chuckles rippled through the room at her nickname for Karina. Some even pulled out their phones, ready to capture the girl who was about to break the internet with her witty performance.

"What's happening here?" A loud voice interrupted the crowd, drawing everyone's attention. Zayden turned around, hoping for some help, but when he met the bald man's eyes, his expression turned into one of shock. The bald man, the owner of the club, recognized him too, and anger filled his gaze. He had been searching for him all over the city.

"Finally, we meet again!" The bald man stepped forward, grabbing Zayden by the collar and tightening his grip. He roared, "What the fuck did you do to us last time?"

Zayden tried to recall if he had erased their memories during their previous encounter, but he realized that he had only asked the bartender to erase the CCTV footage before hurrying behind Ziana. Panic washed over him as he realized the gravity of the situation.

"Is he the same man from your fight last time?" Yael connected with Zayden through their telepathic link, fear evident on his face.

"Yes!" Zayden confirmed that it was the same man, and Yael's hope dwindled.

"Call Lia and ask her to unblock my powers," Zayden ordered, knowing that only his powers could potentially save them now.

"Speak, if you don't want to get muted permanently!" The bald man roared, still gripping Zayden tightly, pushing him toward the center table where they stood side by side. He demanded to know what Zayden had used on them during their previous encounter, his rage evident. He had not only escaped the situation but also made him and his men kneel on the ground, which had wounded his pride.

"Speak, bastard!" He demanded, clutching onto Zayden's collar tightly.

Crack!

A bottle shattered over the bald man's head, the sound echoing through the room. The crowd gasped as they witnessed the turn of events. Ziana, the drunken girl, had struck the man with the bottle.

"How dare you touch him?" Her loud voice broke the silence, equally shocking both Zayden, and Yael. The bald man released his grip on Zayden, touching his injured head in disbelief.

"He is my man!" Ziana declared, her voice carrying through the room as the music stopped playing. "A bald egg like you can't taint his beauty." She mumbled, clutching the cracked bottleneck tightly, her eyes softening as she looked at Zayden with a sheepish smile.

Zayden was taken aback by her actions and words, but he quickly regained his composure. As the bald man turned to face Ziana, she continued with a chuckle, "His head is bigger than an ostrich's egg." Her comment elicited laughter from the crowd, though some suppressed their amusement to avoid drawing attention from the gangster she had dared to hit.

Infuriated, the bald man moved forward to hold her, but before he could react, Zayden took a bottle from the table and hit the other side of his head.

Crack!

Gasps and cries filled the room as blood dripped down both sides of the bald man's head. Zayden grabbed Ziana's hand and pulled her toward the club's entrance. "Stay within the crowd until I send someone to fetch you." He instructed Yael to blend in with the crowd and not to follow them to ensure his safety.

Yael followed Zayden's orders, he squatted down next to the injured man, pretending to be a stranger. "Someone to quickly call an ambulance," he ordered, bringing people out of their shock.

"Catch them!" The bald man whispered to his mates who rushed to his side. He slowly fell unconscious in Yael's arms who held him with the hope that his brother could escape this situation safely.

—

Zayden rushed outside the club, dragging the drunkard along with him on the empty pavements. Ziana grumbled, struggling to free herself but he ran at a decent speed, looking around for a place to hide and handle this woman first before looking out for Yael.

They reached a small, narrow alley connected to older buildings, he quickly pulled Ziana into the darkness, in the dim-lit streetlights that managed to hide them in the shadows.

Pushing her to a wall and pressing against the cold brick, he patted her cheeks and tried to wake her up, "Ziana! Ziana, look at me!"

Her eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the dimness as she focused on him. A silly smile tugged at her lips, captivated by the allure he held even in the afterlife. His handsome face formed a hazy image in her mind, and she gazed into his captivating midnight eyes.

"Oh, it's you!" she slurred with a grin, which soon transformed into a frown. "You're a jerk too," she mumbled, her pout revealing her wounded feelings. "Every handsome man I meet turns out to be a jerk."

"Everyone's a jerk," she muttered, shaking her head, cautioning herself not to be swayed by his enticing features.

Zayden sighed, realizing she still mistook him for Jackson, while tension surged through his veins, knowing they could be hunted down at any moment. He took a deep breath, bending down to meet her gaze. "Wake up from your dream before I decide to hand you over to those gangsters," he warned, a hint of red glistening in his eyes, causing Ziana to furrow her brows.

Cupping his face, she grumbled, "How can such a beautiful mouth spout nonsense all the time? Can't you be sweet, just once?"

Taken aback by her gesture, Zayden attempted to remove her hands, but she held his face firmly. Her eyes savored the sight, gradually succumbing to his charms, which trailed down to his lips, pink and welcoming.

"Your lips," she mumbled, her dreamy eyes fixated on them. "They're tauntingly tempting." Her words caught him off guard, his eyes widening as his instincts warned of impending danger.

But before he could react, Ziana leaned closer and captured his lips. A faint golden light shimmered on her shoulder as their lips touched, signifying something more significant.

No, she was sealing the bond! The very contract he so badly wanted to nullify.