Chapter 70

Several months before Anna's wedding… At the nightclub, 'Satan's Nest'… Zane's POV "Sign the contract." The voice boomed inside the VIP lounge. A single golden pendant light hung overhead. I stood stiffly as I stared at the man across the table. The air was thick, not just with tension, but with the sharp, unmistakable scent of cedarwood and high-end eau de cologne. It clung to the man in front of me like a second skin. The man's intimidating aura made people straighten up and shut their mouths. I had heard whispers about a high-rolling client with dangerous connections, someone you didn't say no to unless you had a death wish. My first impression of the client was sharp and immediate: this was no ordinary man. He looked like a mafia kingpin pulled straight from a crime noir fantasy. He lounged with an unnerving ease, legs crossed, his every movement deliberate and smooth. His olive-toned, bronzed skin hinted at an exotic and intense mixed Mexican and Italian heritage. A silver brow pi