Chapter 30: Unveiling masks and manipulations -2

Ivan sympathetically shook his head as Zayden narrated how seven-year-old Ziana cried when they left the city. "You must have had a tough childhood because of her," Ivan said, his voice filled with empathy. Norah smiled, but Ziana felt an overwhelming urge to stuff him with chicken feet. His storytelling skills were as good as those of snake oil salesmen.

"Ziana was clingy but cute," Zayden replied with a smile. He raised his glass, savoring Ziana's furious expression along with the wine.

Ziana clenched her fork and dug into her salad. Her mother had forcefully dragged her out, and now she had to endure his fabricated neighbor tales again. It was a clever way for him to disguise their association as grim reapers. However, she didn't appreciate her family being manipulated by him, blindly believing every word that came out of his mouth.

"But why didn't you ever visit us?" Ivan asked, trying to understand the dynamics of their families' friendship. "And Mom never mentioned you guys. Nor did Zia," he added, turning to his mother and sister.

Zayden claimed they were really close, and Ziana shared a special bond with him, yet his family never mentioned them. This confusion deepened when he realized that none of his family members attended his father's funeral five years ago.

Norah and Zayden exchanged a worried look as they realized the conversation was delving into forbidden territory. Ziana didn't miss that. Why was her mother so concerned about something that existed only in her head? Instead of showing discomfort, she should be as confused as Ivan about this fabricated story, she thought with a frown.

Clearing her throat nervously, Norah forced a gentle smile. "Well, honey, sometimes life gets busy, and people drift apart," she said softly, avoiding his gaze. "Your father became very busy after his transfer to Veleton, and perhaps that created some distance between our families."

"They were also expanding their business abroad, so we never had a chance to reconnect," Norah added, smiling at Zayden, who nodded in agreement.

"But I'm glad Ziana met him again by chance," Norah continued, turning to her daughter. Then she scowled. "She'll finally have some decent men around her."

Ziana scoffed, her suspicion washed away by her mother's mockery. She had always disapproved of her relationship with Jackson, but now that they had finally broken up, her mother still never missed a chance to mock her for her mistake.

"Don't worry, Aunty. I won't let anyone hurt her now," Zayden said with a smile that melted Ziana's heart. It was actually rotting because of his false sweetness!

Ivan smiled at his words, while Ziana scowled at him. The way Zayden teased her and her furious reactions highlighted the deep bond they shared—a bond Ivan believed was built during their childhood years. But despite his mother's explanations and their playful quarrels, he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was still amiss. The puzzle pieces didn't quite fit together, leaving him with a lingering sense of unease.

'I have sent it to you,' Lia's message popped into Zayden's head. A small smile graced his lips as he took out his phone to lighten the heavy atmosphere in the room.

"Oh, Aunty." Downloading the picture, he continued, "Mom found an old picture of us while shifting things last week. Did you show it earlier this morning?"

Norah shook her head, slightly confused, but leaned forward as Zayden showed her a picture. A small sigh escaped her lips before being replaced by a smile. Taking the phone, she passed it to Ziana. "Look how clingy you were."

Ivan, sitting beside Ziana, leaned closer to look at the picture. His eyes sparkled, and a wide grin appeared on his lips as he saw Ziana clinging to a little boy's hand in a playground.

"There are a few more," Zayden commented, leaning back in his chair. He sensed Ivan would question their complicated relationship, so he asked Lia to prepare some fake proofs. He just hoped the guy would buy it without suspicion.

Ziana scrolled to another picture and frowned at the sight of familiar people posing in front of her old house in New Manston. Her eyes moved to her father and mother with Lady Winter standing between them. A group of four children, two girls and two boys, stood in front of them. And one of them was her younger self, of course.

"Who's the baby in Dada's arms?" Ivan asked, his voice full of excitement.

"It's Yael, my younger brother," Zayden replied with a smile. He looked at Ziana, who simply stared at him. Even humans were capable of photoshopping such pictures, so it was not a big deal for these supernatural beings, she thought as her curious little brother took the phone.

"You were pregnant, right, Mom?" he turned to his mother, noticing her small bump in the old black-and-white picture.

Norah nodded with a smile. Yes, she was indeed five months pregnant with him when they left New Manston, and she was grateful that these immortals didn't miss detailing it in the photos.

"The house looks pretty cool," Ivan smiled, looking at his family and their old house. His wariness towards Zayden's stories diminished as he glanced at the pictures.

"Oh, Zia, you look so fat!" he laughed, earning a slap on the back of his head from his sister. Norah smiled at the siblings who started arguing and turned to Zayden. She nodded with a thankful smile, and he smiled back at her.

Ziana noticed the vague exchange between them and became more suspicious. Why was her mom acting weird around these grim reapers? As if they shared a secret, she thought.

"Can you please send these to me?" Ivan asked, returning the phone to Zayden. Surprisingly, there were no pictures of his family staying in New Manston, and his parents never talked about their past lives. Ziana rarely remembered anything, so he stopped asking over the years. But seeing all these pictures, he was really excited to hear more about it.

Norah smiled a little, but her eyes were filled with sadness. New Manston brought nothing but painful memories, and she felt tears trespassing her emotions. "I will get dessert," she said and left the kitchen.

Ziana's eyes followed her mother before staring at Zayden. She crossed her arms, her brows creased in suspicion as she wondered if he had done something terrible to her mother.

Zayden met her gaze and shrugged lightly. He could read her mind through her expressions but was not allowed to reveal the truth. Norah wanted to keep her hidden from the supernatural world as long as possible, and Lady Winter respected her decision. Nevertheless, he wished she could speak with her daughter soon.

The dinner ended smoothly with laughter and casual chat. Ivan joined Zayden's crew and teased Ziana to the extent that the poor soul left the dinner and stormed into her room. Norah didn't stop them, as it was rare for her daughter to be so mad, and she enjoyed the show while it lasted.

Surprisingly, Zayden helped her clean the dishes after dinner. He was clueless but somehow managed to do it, and that slightly changed her opinion of him.

"Drive safely," Norah and Ivan bid goodbye as Zayden walked out.

He bowed to Norah and ruffled Ivan's hair. "Good night," he wished before walking towards his car.

"He seems like a good guy," Ivan commented as they walked back inside the house.

"But you wanted to break his leg earlier this afternoon," Norah teased her son, who scratched his neck and shrugged before running upstairs.

Zayden sat inside his car, taking a deep breath. He took out his phone and dialed Lia's number to vent his frustration.

"I apologized to them and even did the dishes as per her orders," he grumbled, unbuttoning his collar button. "Unblock my powers now!" he demanded, while Lia hummed in response.

"Come to your new villa. She hasn't finished punishing you yet."

Lia ended the call, leaving Zayden groaning in frustration. His mother was being hypocritical right now. He had already paid for playing with Ziana's emotions, but she was hell-bent on playing with him now.

Running his hands through his hair, he took a deep breath and drove towards his home for the next three months.

---

[Villa of the Dead]

Zayden parked the car in front of the location and got out. He stared at the building, his eyes filled with delight. He had ordered his men to find a place that would suit his demeanor perfectly, and this one met certain conditions.

It was isolated from the crowded human areas, far away from the bustling city, and situated on a small hill. The building was adorned in black and grey, the perfect colors to match his mood, and the pool was large enough to cover half of the entrance yard.

He entered the house and nodded in satisfaction. The interiors were exquisite, a beautiful blend of black and wooden furnishings that exuded richness. A smile crept onto his lips, but it didn't last long after he saw his teammates sitting on the couch.

Lia noticed his entrance, and the two reapers beside her followed her gaze. Yael's bright smile relieved Zayden's worries about his well-being, but Xavier's nervous eyes alarmed his senses. His gaze shifted to the woman sitting on the adjacent large couch. Her expression was calm, ready to engulf him in a storm.

"What's the rule we need to strictly follow in the human world?" she asked the moment he walked towards them.

"Never interfere with life and death," Zayden answered as he took a seat on the couch parallel to hers. He slightly jumped and tested the softness of the cushion.

"Then why did you kill the demon?" Lady Winter's calm expression turned into a furious glare. Her eyes glowed red with frustration. His butterfly show had caused chaos in the afterlife chamber, and she had to face the wrath of the higher-ups again.

"Should I have let him hurt your precious human?" Zayden questioned back, leaning behind the couch.

"I tasked you with protecting her and bringing him in for further interrogation." Unable to contain her anger, Lady Winter yelled at him, "Who the hell ordered you to put on some fancy butterfly show?"

"We have no clues left now!! How will we find the real culprit behind this attack? And what if the demon tries to attack Ziana again? Will you take responsibility if anything happens to her? Can you get her another rebirth deal if she dies again?" Lady Winter growled, and the three reapers shuddered in fear.

But Zayden clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Stop worrying about it. The butterflies will lead us to the culprit," he replied.

"Butterflies?" Lady Winter scoffed and crossed her arms. "Will they bring him back to life? Can they retrieve the dead demon's soul and guide us?" she grumbled in annoyance.

"I never said I killed him." Zayden's words confused everyone, and when Lady Winter started to nag him, he added, "I just split his soul into thousands of butterflies."

"He will surely reach his master to escape this karmic torture."

Yael and Lia gasped in astonishment, while Xavier's lips curled

into a smirk. His brother was undeniably a monster, as ripping a demon's soul was akin to subjecting a human body to blazing fire. It was agonizing and incredibly painful.

"So the butterflies will lead us to the culprit?" Lady Winter asked, her eyes softening in relief.

Zayden nodded with a small smirk. This devil was undeniably smart, and sometimes it irked Lady Winter's ego. She got up from the couch and walked towards the stairs.

"But you still won't get your powers. You deserve to suffer as a mere human for hurting Ziana," she declared, turning to them before climbing up the stairs.

Zayden's proud smile disappeared, replaced with a sneer. "But I saved her damn life!"

"Lia, make sure to unblock his powers after a week. Let him endure the pain of being a mere human," Lady Winter added without turning around, and Zayden scoffed out loud.

He deserved a reward, not punishment, for his tremendous efforts. It took great strength to subject someone to karmic torture, yet this woman left him unrewarded!

Staring at Lady Winter's back as she entered the forbidden room, he huffed before walking towards his own room.

The trio chuckled as he closed the door with a bang. They were pleased with Lady Winter's orders and equally excited to see their poor prince adapt to his human lifestyle.

"What exactly did he do?" Yael asked in wonder, as he was unaware of today's incident.

"Let's talk about it over some beer," Lia suggested, and the two reapers nodded before heading towards the bar counter.

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