Zero Bar was part of an expensive hotel that had both the bar and restaurant parallelly running for the customers'' experience.

Daniel was on his way inside when he spotted Arwen talking to someone off to the side. His brows furrowed in confusion. Walking to her, he casually asked, "Arwen, you are here?"

Arwen smiled at him before raising her finger, signalling for him to wait for a moment. Daniel nodded, watching as she continued her conversation with the man. She seemed serious about whatever she was discussing, her tone calm but firm as she spoke. He had never witnessed her talk so professionally before.

But now that he had seen, he could say that she carried a tone of natural command that was hard to miss.

Once she finished, the man gave her a respectful nod before walking away. Turning to Daniel, she greeted him with a warm smile, "Daniel! Did I make you wait long?"

Daniel smiled and shook his head, "Not at all. I was just a little surprised to see you here." He, then, looked around and asked, "Was it something important?"

Arwen laughed lightly. "I had some things to take care of. What about you?" She checked her watch, then glanced in the direction Daniel had been heading before —the bar. "It''s still early. You are not working today?" It wasn''t unusual, but given Daniel''s habit, he would never engage himself at places like this during the work hours.

Daniel''s smile faltered, but he kept his tone casual. "I am here to pick Ryan. He is ... well, a bit drunk inside."

Arwen paused for a moment, processing that, but then nodded. "Oh, I see. In that case, I won''t hold you up. I still have a few things to wrap up myself. No need for the formalities."

Daniel nodded, taking a deep breath. "Alright then. I will head in. Take care."

Arwen nodded. "Thanks, Daniel. You too, take care."@@@@

With that, she gave him a parting nod and turned to walk in the opposite direction.

Daniel was taken aback. He hadn''t expected this.

"Ryan," Daniel began, his voice softening. "Arwen ... she has moved on. You need to —"

"No," Ryan interrupted, slamming his hand on the table. "This must all be her lie. Her way of making me feel like ...like this."

"Feel like what?" Daniel knew this day would come sooner or later, but he hadn''t expected that when it would, Ryan would still take the escape door of denial.

"Feel like I am losing a world. Feel like I am losing everything —everything that I had worth fighting for." Ryan answered, lifting the glass of his whisky to take another sip.

But just when it would have touched his lips, Daniel reached out to snatch it from his hands. "Don''t drink anymore. You already had enough," he said.

Ryan shook his head, denying Daniel''s attempt. "Don''t. Please don''t take that away. It''s making all this bearable. Let me have it a little longer."

"Ryan!" Daniel sighed, his patience thinning. He wanted to make Ryan see sense, but he knew that in such a drunken state, it would be of no use. Whatever he would say would only fall on deaf ears, and by tomorrow, it would all be forgotten. "Let me get you back home. You need rest to get better, not this," he said, putting the glass of whisky away.

Ryan was about to shake his head and refuse, but his boy was no longer capable of handling the alcohol. Before Ryan could comprehend what was happening, he was already lost in the abyss of darkness, along with the fear and pain he had felt all along.

Daniel would have reached out to help, but before he could react, Ryan''s head already hit the surface of the glass table hard.

"Sir, should I help?" the server approached. But Daniel shook his head.

"It''s fine. I will take him back home." With that, Daniel got up to help Ryan. In that moment, he felt a pang of sympathy for his friend, but still, he couldn''t bring himself to comfort him.