The crowd is noisy as soon as I entered the club room. I can smell the heavy liquors with the mix of smoke circulating the whole area. I roamed my eyes around as I sat on the bar stool in front of the bartender. He immediately smiled at me. He knew me as I am already a regular customer here.

"One margarita for a sweet lady," he said and give me a drink.

"Thank you, Dark," I said to the bartender. I sipped on it and immediately taste the liquor against my throat. I smiled at him before I roamed my eyes around. People having fun in the crowd with loud music occupying the room. Some are even making out.

This is my life. A party-goer. I don't like being alone. I am always enjoying the life of a lady in her early twenties. I smirk as I saw guys lingering their eyes on me. I don't have time to entertain them for today. I just want to get wasted. I don't know why but I feel like someone is watching me from the crowd. I feel those intense glares from those guys, but now, it's way different.

I always got my brother who will bring me home with just one call so I don't mind getting wasted tonight. He's not that busy though. I want to let my stress out tonight because of what happened today. I just took my exam for our last semester and my friend Nicole is nowhere to be found.

"One more, please," I said to Dark, the bartender. He immediately refilled my glass. I look at him. He was busy entertaining the other customers. Though he has a resemblance with someone. A man who I already buried from my past.

I shook my head. I don't want to remember him anymore. It's already been five years. He just caused me heartache that I don't want to feel anymore.

"It's your birthday, right?" Dark said to me. I already feel that I am tipsy that's why I just nodded to him. "Happy birthday." He even smirks.

Who would have thought that a mere stranger knows my birthday? It's my birthday today but it feels so lonely celebrating it. I am not used to celebrating it with my family or friends. I just want to take it as a normal day.

"Don't mention it." I shrugged at him.

Later that night, I busied myself drinking until I felt my head throbbing already. It's normal especially now that my eyes are getting blurry. It felt like I am spinning. It just worsen when I stood up and went to the dance floor. I enjoyed myself with the beat of the music playing, losing my sanity amid the crowd. I felt that I am free. I feel freedom with the thought of enjoying myself at this hour.

I got the urged of wanting to go to the comfort room. My vision is not already clear as I feel tipsy.

"Excuse me!" I exclaimed at the people on my way. They are even glaring at me as I passed through. I rolled my eyes at them and went to the comfort room and did my thing.

I can hear footsteps as I wash my face with cold water coming from the faucet. It helped removed my tipsiness for a while. I am in front of the mirror but I can't see anyone here. I am just alone. But when I was about to get out, three guys wearing sleeveless hoods on their heads are on the door frame of the men's room. I gulped as they looked dangerous, especially with the way they cover themselves. They also have a tattoo on their arms that I think, hawks?

I should go now but my knees felt weak at the sight of them. They are blocking the entrance. And with one wrong move, they might know someone is here. I calmed myself and was about to go out when someone covered my mouth with his palm.

"Hmph..." I struggled in removing it.

"Shhh. They might hear you..." A baritone voice whispered near my ear that made me stoned from my place. He was at my back as we were at the back door of the women's comfort room. I can feel his harsh breathing as he was constantly leaning his back on the wall. "Don't make any noises."

His voice is familiar but I can't determine when I heard it. I want to focus on why he was here but then a loud bang startled me. I whimpered as the guy behind me covered my mouth harder so I won't make a noise. It was surely gunshot and it was near us.

"Damn it." he cussed.

"You should find the heiress of Ferrer's. She's the only one who can save our boss. You already have her information!" An angry voice transcended the place. Is he the one who shot the guy? What are they talking about? It's like they're looking for someone.

"But sir, there's no such name as Riellana Ferrer. No one owns that. We are looking for it for years."

"Keep looking. She's the only bait for the 'The Falcons' to show up. They should know who they mess up with."

"Our boss needed her as soon as possible—" He didn't finished what he said when the guy behinid me pulled me out of the comfort room and shot them using the gun he's already holding. Where did he get that?

He shoot five bullets at their legs before he ran towards the exit while still holding my wrist tightly. I can't run properly because of my heels. When we're already at the parking lot, he pocketed his gun inside his black jacket. We stopped in front of the blue car and he easily slid me in. He immediately followed to the driver's seat.

I can hear gunshots from the outside. I looked at our back and it as the three strangers wearing hooded sleeveless shirts. They are following us with their guns already. They have gunshots on their body yet they still can move. I hear the guy with me cursed out of his breath as he started maneuvering his car. We got out of the club bar but still the guys are shooting bullets at us. I already covering my ears as I was praying to keep me alive.

"Stay calm." I heard him uttered. I still didn't look at him nor see his face because of the mask covering his face. Geez! Why am I in this situation? My eyes begun to blur again because of shredded tears now. My body keeps on shivering. I'm afraid. I might die tonight.

"Spare my life..." I keep on whispering as my eyes are shut closed. I just turned 23 and now this will happen to me?

Minutes passed, I can't hear gunshots anymore. I started opening my eyes and it immediately roamed around. We stopped in front of a condominium building. Madrigal Towers, where I am living.

I looked at the guy beside me but he already opened the door on his side and walked on my side. I focused my gaze on him until he opened the car's door. Still with my head already throbbing, my eyes getting blurry and my feet being swollen, I took my way out of his car. I stood up in front of him but I almost stumbled when he removed his mask infront of me. I gasped seeing him again.

Those green eyes that I admired before, his chiseled jawline that compliments his V-shaped face, his perfect pointed nose, and his alluring lips that makes him seductive and mysterious. He's still the same but with mature features. That's why his voice seems familiar to me... He was the man I keep on hiding from.

“Elijah...” I mumbled his name but my voice shivers while looking at him.

He stared at me intensely. He pursed his lips as he roamed his eyes on my face as if he's checking on me. "You know me, huh? I've been looking for you." I can sense anger with the way he said it. I don't know why, but it should be me who needs to get mad at him because of what he did before.

I wanted to rebutt and defend myself but my mind is already occupied with too much thoughts thinking of what just happened tonight. I just want to get some rest as my system wants to shut down already. I looked straightly at him and he was saying something as if he's scolding me. I don't understand anything. I just felt my body collapsed on his broad chest as my vision suddenly covered with darkness.