Chapter 10 At The Club

• Anna
• I sighed deeply, frustration simmering in my chest as I finally pulled the car to a halt in front of the club Anita had directed me to.
• "Do I really need to do this?" I complained for the umpteenth time.
• "Yes, darling, you absolutely do," Anita’s voice chimed through the chip embedded in the necklace she had insisted I wear.
• I had returned home to meet Mr Frederick, Anita's husband begging her to eat but she refused. I learnt she had not eaten for the past three days and had insisted that she won't eat until I go to the club tonight.
• "Remember the deal Anna, you must be nice to any guy that approach you tonight"
• I wonder why she is so adamant on hooking me up. I hate men and I don't plan on falling in love nor getting married, it will make me weak. I don't know a better way to make Anita understand this fact.
• I groaned, tipping my head back against the headrest. “You’re the absolute worst. Who even does this? A grown woman using her health to blackmail someone else? Are you a kid or something?"
• "I can hear you " Anita announced, chuckling.
• She had forcefully made me wear the chip so she could make sure I don't end up killing someone. Tsh. She knows me so well. But unfortunately, even with the chip on, i can get rid of pests without her even noticing. Just a kiss of my fork on their neck and it will be a successful exit to eternity.
• I rolled my eyes and stepped out of the car to straighten my dress.The soft fabric clung to my figure making me feel exposed under the glaring neon lights. I hated this. Every part of it.
• I exhaled frustratedly and walked inside. The moment I did, I fell sick.The dim light made it hard to see clearly across the other end and the blaring music could deafen a young child. At the other end of the hall, I could see some girls dressed in pants and bra - swaying their buttocks and making out with some guys. I walked up to the bar and sat down on one of the chairs.
• "What’ll it be, miss?" the bartender asked, his eyes scanning me curiously.
• "Nothing," I replied curtly, my gaze sweeping the room for potential threats.
• "You can’t just sit at a bar without ordering something," he pressed.
• "He’s right, Anna. Order a drink," Anita chimed in.
• I rolled my eyes so hard I was sure they’d disappear into my skull. "Fine. Any soft drink will do. No alcohol,"
• The bartender raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Soft drink? What are you, a kid?"
• I turned to shoot him a hard glare.
• "Just kidding," he said quickly, retreating to fetch my order.
• As I waited, my eyes caught a young man entering the club. Something about him immediately drew my attention. He moved with an air of confidence, his shoulders squared and his steps purposeful. His thick black hair gleamed under the dim lights, framing a face that could have been sculpted by the gods themselves.
• I froze as he approached the bar. His deep blue eyes glinted like jewels, and his chiseled jawline was enough to make any heart skip a beat—not mine, of course. He walked past me and sat on the chair beside mine.
• "Two bottles of your strongest wine," he ordered, his voice low and commanding.
• I couldn’t help but wonder what had brought him here. Heartbreak? A fight with his wife?. Well, I don't care.
• Before the bartender could return with his order, a scantily clad woman sidled up to him, running her hands over his arm.
• "Hey, want some company?" she winked, biting her lip seductively.
• "Get the heck away from me!" he growled, not bothering to hide his irritation. The woman hissed and quickly scurried away.
• The bartender set two wine bottles and a glass in front of him. Without hesitation, the man poured himself a drink and downed it in one gulp. Then another. And another. My eyes widened as he polished off both bottles and ordered more.
• "Hey, don’t you think you’ve had enough?" The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop myself.
• "Enough? No. Not until the pain goes away," he muttered, his voice tinged with bitterness.
• I scoffed. "Drinking your sorrows away?. You’re such a crybaby."
• He turned to glare at me. "Don’t call me that. The name’s Jayden."
• "Well, Jayden, or whatever you call yourself, you’re already drunk. Maybe ease up before you embarrass yourself," I shot back, sipping my juice.
• "I’m not drunk, and it’s none of your business," he snapped.
• "Fair enough," I said, raising my hands in mock surrender.
• I hissed as I sipped my juice. He's such a jerk. Maybe I shouldn't have even talked to him at the first place.
• "Anna! Are you there?" Anita’s voice broke through my thoughts.
• "Yes, what is it now?" I muttered.
• "That guy’s voice is dreamy. Is he cute?”
• “Cute?” I scoffed under my breath and turned to glance at Jayden. “If by ‘cute’ you mean someone who deserves a punch to the face, then sure.”
• “Someone’s in denial,” she teased.
• Before i could retort, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to find three rough-looking men standing behind me.
• "Hey! My boss over there wants a word with you" One of them said, pointing to one ugly looking man who was seated at the other end.
• Why in the world does this people always come up with multiple ways to step on my toes in order to get beaten by me?. I hope I won't have to break some bones tonight.
• "Disappear!" I ordered and turned to sip more juice.
• "What did you just say?" He growled.
• Silence. I am only acting gentle and keeping silent because Anita asked me not to cause any problem. But sincerely, being a good girl is really boring.
• "More juice!" I said to the bar attender.
• "I'm talking to you bitch!" He yelled, I shot him a hard stare. But before I could think of a way to get rid of him, he snatched the glass from my hand and smashed it against the floor.
• For a moment, I just stared at the shattered pieces. Then I slowly looked up, meeting his gaze with a deadly calm.
• "Now that I have broken your glass will you go with me or should I break you too?" The guy threatened with a smirk.
• "Geez! Who are those guys? Please don't do anything silly, just ignore them" Anita's voice came through the chip.
• I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails dug into my palms, the sharp pain barely managing to keep my growing fury in check. My chest rose and fell with each shallow breath as I fought to suppress the storm brewing within me.
• "I’ll try… but I don’t know how long I can keep pretending to stay calm," I whispered under my breath, my voice trembling with suppressed rage.
• "What was that? Did you just say something?" one of the goons sneered, his face twisting into a mocking grin.
• And that was it—the thin thread of restraint snapped. Gentility? Forget it. I’ve always believed in justice served with equal measure—an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
• "Yeah, I said something," I spat, my voice dripping with defiance. "I said you idiots are nothing but noise pollution. So why don’t you do us all a favor and piss off?"
• They gasped.
• "What? Such arrogance…" the leader growled, his hand gesturing sharply. "Grab her!"
• Before I could react, two of them seized me by the arms.
• Puff! Looks like it’s showtime. A sly smirk tugged at the corners of my lips. Time to turn the tables.
• "Please, don’t hurt me!" I pleaded, forcing my voice to tremble and my eyes to glisten with fake fear.
• The leader leaned in, his sour breath fanning my face. "If you don’t want to get hurt, you’ll come with us. No games."
• "O-okay," I stammered, feigning submission as I hesitated. "I… I’ll go with you."
• It'll be more fun if I beat them all together with their dumb boss. As I was about to take a step forward, a figure suddenly appeared before me. My br
• eath hitched as I recognized him.
• "Jayden?"
• He planted himself between me and the goons, struggling to steady his balance.
• "No!" Jayden barked. "She isn’t going anywhere. I won’t let you take her!"