Rivan entered the nightclub and began searching for his friend in a sea of drunk people. He saw Rumail behind the counter and made his way over to him.

"Did you see Xi?" he asked his younger brother. Rumail who was dealing with multiple customers had gotten distracted and didn’t see Xiran leave.

"He was just here, having drinks. Last I saw him he was talking to a girl," Rivan scowled at Rumail’s words and gave him a strange look.

"Girl? He doesn’t talk to them anymore. How much you gave him to drink?"

"A lot. He wanted to get drunk," Rumail blushed and rubbed the back of his head.

"You made him get drunk and then didn’t bother to keep an eye on him. He probably left with a random girl, you understand what will this lead to? And who will have to deal with the consequences? Where is your brain today?" Rivan quietly chided his brother, so only he could hear and not the customers.

"I am sorry, I got distracted by customers," his tone was regretful as he pointed to the people waiting to get drinks.

"You understand how fragile his mental state is. I am going to find him before he does something he will regret and add to the mountain of things he already blames himself for."

Rivan moved with quick steps scanning the crowd, he closed his eyes for a second and filtered out the noises so he could only focus on Xiran’s and find him.

Then he heard him from behind the curtain in the corner. He was yelling at someone, Rivan rushed forward and yanked the curtain aside to find his friend towering over a girl, who seemed frightened out of her wits.

"You dare act like her and seduce me," Xiran hissed at her, his eyes were two fireballs ready to burn the poor girl, who whimpered and tried to get away from his stronghold. Xiran held her by the throat but wasn’t choking her.

"What happened?" Rivan calmly asked the girl. He knew asking Xiran was fruitless since he was drunk and the matter would only escalate if he didn’t act rationally.

"I...I met him at the b...bar. He smiled at me and called me Leia so I thought he was interested. I l...led him here and everything was going fine until he started yelling I was not Leia."

The frightened girl told Rivan with a pleading look. She had golden hair and green eyes just like Aselia and she was wearing some fruity perfume which smelled a fraction like her too. No wonder Xiran had mistaken her for Aselia in his drunk state.

Rivan stepped closer to Xiran and tugged him back by grabbing his shoulder, he let go of the girl and was hurled back.

"Go home and next time stay away from drunken strangers," Rivan ordered the petrified human girl who was rooted to her spot, her eyes were still on a fuming Xiran, who wanted to grab her again.

"Move now," Rivan raised his voice a notch and she needn’t be told again. Scuffling to her feet, she adjusted her dress and dashed out. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"Nooo," Xiran wanted to get hold of her again but Rivan pushed him down on the sofa.

"Don’t make me punch you. Stay here," Rivan growled at his friend who seemed dazed and the place and situation weren’t helping either.

He helped him fix his clothes and hoisted him up by his waist. Placing his arm around his shoulder Rivan took him out of there. His steps faltered and he could barely keep his eyes open.

Reaching his car Rivan dumped him in and got inside as well before instructing his chauffeur to take them to Xiran’s house. He glanced in the direction of his friend, who was half unconscious.

Rivan wanted to scold him but seeing how lost he appeared and the state he was in, he stored away his anger to unleash on him when Xiran will be sober. Rivan knew he was hurting but what he did was extremely reckless and he could have hurt an innocent girl. Rivan sighed heavily and shook his head in disappointment.

~Ring, Ring~

Rivan’s attention was diverted to his phone as it began to ring. He took it out of his pocket and checked the caller ID. It was an unknown number. He received the call:

"Hello!"

"Rivan!" the voice pinged his heart in a good way. A warm sensation filled him.

"Irlana! Are you alright?" his exasperation showed in his words and he wanted to yank her out through the phone. If only that was possible.

"I am, Rivan, I have limited time. Brother’s phone was switched off so I am calling you. There is something I need to tell you about father and brother," Irlana then went on to tell him about the serum her father had invented which could restore memories and what she had found in the diary regarding Xiran and his mother.

Rivan was shocked to learn of these new developments as he asked:

"That explains so much. Did he hurt you? Or extracted any information?"

"No, after he used the serum on me I told him minimal and he believed me that you people didn’t reveal any information in front of me," Irlana spoke in a hushed and hurried tone, although he was drunk and passed out.

"Where are you right now? And whose number is this?" his question left her tongue-tied. She didn’t want him to know she was with a client but couldn’t have him calling this number looking for her.

"I am with a certain someone, please don’t call this number. He doesn’t know I am using his phone," A surging wave of anger washed over Rivan and he couldn’t help but clench his fist and slam it into the seat.

"Did he hurt you?" he softly asked, wanting to take her in his arms and shield her from these men.

"No, I am alright. Don’t worry about me. I have to go now. But before I go I just want to say something," he held his breath as she whispered in her soft silky voice:

"I miss you Rivan," and his heart leapt at the joy those three words had brought him.

"I miss you too, Irlana..." and she was gone, leaving him sitting there with a heavy heart.