CHAPTER 55: WOMEN

Maximus walked his way into the clubs parking lot.

The neon lights from the club’s entrance flickered against the sleek, shabby flooring of the entrance, and he let out a slow breath before stepping out.

The night had fully set in now, the streets still lively with people moving from bar to bar, the city pulsing with energy.

He adjusted the sleeves of his hoodie, glancing at the club’s entrance before making his way inside.

The moment he pushed through the heavy doors, the atmosphere hit him— deep bass vibrating through the floor, laughter spilling from different corners of the room, and bartenders expertly mixing drinks behind a sleek bar lined with expensive bottles.

The place was packed, just like always but something felt off.

A sharp crash split through the music followed by the unmistakable sound of glass shattering.

Heads turned toward the vip section, where the disturbance had erupted.

Maximus’s eyes narrowed as he spotted a man standing with a jagged half broken bottle clenched tightly in his grip.

His expression was twisted in rage, his entire body tense as he loomed over another man sitting smugly in a booth.

The seated man didn’t seem the least bit concerned.

He had an arm draped around a woman curled up in his lap, her painted nails tracing slow circles on his chest.

From the way the standing man’s face contorted with barely restrained fury, Maximus pieced it together instantly— this wasn’t just some random fight.

It was personal.

Zack was already moving before Maximus had a chance to react.

Unlike thee others who had paused to gawk, Zack stepped forward without hesitation.

"Alright, let’s not do something stupid," Zack said, voice low and calm.

The angry man barely acknowledged him, his grip on the broken bottle tightening.

His breath came in sharp, shallow bursts, his shoulders rising and falling.

It was clear he was past reasoning.

Zack exhaled. "Yeah, that’s what I thought."

He moved fast. Before the man could strike, Zack caught his wrist and twisted.

A choked-out gasp of pain escaped from the attacker’s throat as his fingers loosened, the broken bottle slipping from his grasp and hitting the floor with a dull clatter.

Zack didn’t stop there— he swept his leg out, catching the man’s knee, and sent him crashing down onto the couch beside him.

Club security stormed in seconds later, moving in to grab the man before he could recover.

Zack stepped back, shaking his head as the bouncer restrained him and dragged him toward the exit.

"Take him outside," Zack muttered, brushing his hands together as if dusting off an invisible mess.

The woman in the booth barely reacted, still lounging comfortably against her ’new’ man as if nothing had happened.

The seated man only chuckled, taking a slow sip from his drink, completely unbothered.

Maximus shook his head, exhaling sharply. "I see you’re keeping busy."

Zack smirked, rolling his shoulders as he turned to maximus. "Yeah, well, some guys don’t know when to move on."

Maximus nodded toward the man still lounging in the booth. "And he looks like he enjoys pushing buttons..."

Zack shrugged. "Probably, but not my problem..."

The club’s energy resumed pretty quickly, the excitement of the fight already fading into the background noise of music and chatter.

Zack clapped a hand on Maximus’s shoulder. "C’mon, lets grab a drink..."

They weaved through the crowd toward the bar, slipping into two empty seats.

The bartender, recognizing them instantly, set two glasses down without needing to ask.

Maximus grabbed his, swirling the dark liquid before setting it back down.

"So," Zack leaned against the bar, "Get to kiss Dressa on the lips today?"

Maximus let out a breath, repositioning himself in his seat "Nah, though why are you so interested in that? The date went pretty well, lots of crazy things happened today.. but, I don’t kiss and tell."

Zack raised an eyebrow. "Why wouldn’t I be? It’s obvious that she already likes you, you just need to push the right buttons..."

Maximus sighed but nodded nonetheless. "We stopped at her place for the evening, I was a gentleman and made sure she got home safely..."

Zacks smirk faded slightly. "You fool! Why didn’t you take it any further?!"

Maximus rolled his eyes. "What, you wanted me to stay at her place and sleep with her? Sorry bro, but I don’t operate like that... I am a man of virtue and discipline so its only sensible that I control my cock."

Zack grinned much to Maximus’s surprise. "If she let you come into her place, she was definitely expecting you to do somethings to her, the mood sounds perfect and she made the first initiative, should have been a man and finished it off."

Maximus shrugged. "Not eveything’s about mood."

Zack snorted. "Says the guy who made a runner fall for for him."

Maximus only shook his head, taking another sip of his drink.

The club’s atmosphere settled into a comfortable rhythm, the earlier fight now just a passing memory.

Zack leaned back against the bar, watching the crowd with an amused glint in his eyes. "So, what’s next?"

Maximus exhaled. "Got something important to handle tomorrow. My ’Fiancee’ brought up a new gig, big money to be spent and expecting big money as well."

Zack nodded his head slightly as a form of approval, "Oh so you didn’t sleep with Dressa because you wanna get with the billionaire girl huh?"

Maximus scoffed. "I don’t know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult."

"Bit of both," Zack teased.

They stayed a little longer, the conversation shifting between business, old memories and the latest club drama.

Eventually, Maximus finished his drink, setting the empty glass on the counter.

"I should head out," he said, stretching slightly. "It been a really long day, trust me when I say that..."

Zack nodded. "Try not to over think everything for once."

Maximus smirked, "You have no idea."

As he stepped out of the club and into the cool night air, he exhaled slowly, letting the crisp breeze clear his mind.

His hair blowed slightly in the wind that picked up as he walked to the curb and hailing a taxi. Before entering the car, his eyes fell on the man that had been pushed out of the bar.

Sitting alone on the ground, tearing up— Maximus felt a bit sorry for him.

"Nothing good ever comes from fighting over a woman ."