Chapter # 23

'Salamualaikum (Peace be Upon You)" There came a man with vicious and manipulative hazel eyes. Wearing a beige shirt and brown pants, his sleeves rolled to the sleeve perfectly with two buttons opened. A powerful aura surrounded him as his men killed all Zoran's people before holding a grimace on his handsome features. 'You…?" De Villiers was taken aback, turning to Nathaniel who was still engrossed in his woman, pressed her unconscious form near him. 'Took you long enough," Exhaling, he finally decided to lift his eyes when the man stopped before him, 'Zaviyaar," Zaviyaar was frowning deeply at Nathaniel, holding his sides out of exasperation while Nathaniel embraced Zariah, like he was controlling something. Himself. He was doing this to control himself from inside or else he was fuming. He was inexplicably outraged but holding her near him was vanishing his anger so he declined to create distance or he knew he would cause havoc. 'Yesterday was my daughter's aqeeqah. What was the emergency to call me here? I have a family and a life, unlike you," Zaviyaar taunted. Aqeeqah is the Islamic tradition of the sacrifice of an animal on the occasion of a child's birth and he left right after that ceremony. He was enraged, it was an important moment which he almost skipped. 'Oh, congratulations. What is her name?" Nathaniel asked, shifting Zariah to his laps and tugging her hair behind her ear. 'Safiya," 'Nice." 'So? What do you want? I came here on a short notice. What do you want to show me?" Zaviyaar inhaled from frustration, observing the place only to find Zoran too. He was not surprised, judging from his course of activities, he brought this fate on himself. 'Safiya was born last week then you will get busy and won't get time so I saved time for you," Gradually turning his tone in an arduous one, he wrapped his hands around Zariah and picked her up. Cops were going to arrive soon and see this sight. They shall see him and his identity shall be divulged again. 'What do you mean?" 'Congratulations," 'You…?" To say he was astonished would be an understatement. His jaw dropped, not expecting him to do what he was yearning to do all this time. He was staring in disbelief as he placed his woman in the car, 'Here you go, my Darling," Whispering tenderly, he checked her thoroughly hoping they didn't dare to hurt her else he would start causing destruction here to engrave his name. 'Good. Not a single wound," Sighing in relief, he moved back, setting his mask again as the anger he subdued all this time began to roam wildly in his bones, tingling them. 'Are you going to say something or not?" Zaviyaar frowned, folding his arms at his chest. 'This pen drive contains all the information of the local gangs and pigeons in India, Sufiyan left it to me." He whispered darkly, resting the pen drive in his pockets and approached him steadily. 'If I want I can take over the land you were only dreaming of stealing. How horrible it must be, right, Zaviyaar?" Nathaniel warned openly, deepening his frown out of intense discontent. He hummed, inspecting the area. 'And I can see what you have done to Zoran and your mask." 'Do you intend to kill me too and take over the middle east as well for your grand comeback?" He joked, chuckling faintly but it made Nathaniel serious. He affixed his predatory gaze on Zaviyaar who was bewildered at this jaw clenching. Taking another dangerous step, he glared at his confused form before growling. 'He is not Zoran," He blinked, 'What?" 'He. Is. Not. Zoran." ‘The fuck? No, no, no, this can't be,' Zaviyaar thought, well aware that if it was the truth, he would pay dearly for it. His heart skipped a beat. Curling his hand in a fist, Nathaniel inhaled sharply, turning his head at the dead body before asking in a trembling tone barely able to control himself. 'So where the fuck is he?" Silence. Losing his composure, Nathaniel hit Zaviyaar's jaw before kicking him and throwing him to the ground with an unstoppable spleen. Zaviyaar's men pointed their guns at them and Nathaniel's did the same and with fury taking over, Nathaniel grabbed his collar, forcing him to stand, breathless, outraged, mindless. 'I gave you one damn duty. Release Guru and look over Zoran AND THIS WHAT YOU DID, ASSHOLE!?" He yelled, pushing him away. 'He was in India. I had no idea when he switched with a double!" Zaviyaar argued, wiping the blood from the corner of his lips. They knew his hatred and it had gobbled him, if he wouldn't lay his hand on his prey, he would wreck everywhere he would stand. 'He is NOT in India. Where the fuck is Zoran!?" 'How can you tell!?" 'Because I have marked their whole damn lineage, from Guru to his son Zoran, from their children to elderly, they all have a mark on their necks. He is not Zoran," Nathaniel scowled. The fact Zoran deliberately did this just to infuriate Nathaniel, to show him his outwit him was a scar on his ego. 'And he wants you to know that," Zaviyaar muttered, wiping him with his handkerchief before ending with a mischievous smirk. 'Lost to his slave? Tch, tch, tch, how saddening, Nathaniel," 'Exactly. Now that slave is daring to compete with me all because you failed your fucking job, you damn idiot!" Zaviyaar failed to suppress his smirk that Zoran hit his sensitive spot, well, he would face the worst consequences for these actions. Yet it amused him when he managed to give a small defeat to the notorious Plague Doctor. 'And now, until I know about his or Guru's whereabouts, you keep dreaming to step here." Nathaniel warned openly. That was his plan. He wanted to make Zaviyaar suffer for mixing them up, wiping off his impish expression. 'What?" 'Yes," 'The second Sufiyan left, so it was you who had joined his steps in India but let me tell you already it is mine. I will take it, with or without force." Zaviyaar growled, pointing his finger at Nathaniel. 'Just because you were born here doesn't mean it belongs to you. Fuck off," He scoffed. Clearing his throat with rapid breaths to regain his cold and sinister aura back before turning back to Zaviyaar with an open threat, pointing the finger back. 'Now as punishment, step in India again and I will fucking cut your damn legs off." 'You can't be serious, Nathaniel," 'I am dead serious. As long as you won't tell me about his whereabouts, stay away. Get lost," He said rudely, gesturing to him to leave, severing his pride as an ace as well. 'Your hatred has blinded you, you have gone crazy, Nathaniel. How will you manage here?" 'Do you not know who I am? Guess who is coming back and if you want me to end your people then be my guest," Refusing to listen or allowing him to steal the land which initially belonged to him, all this time, he was dying to rule it, to take control of it from the shadow. He won't let chance slip away as he motions to all his men, to end Nathaniel if they must. 'How will you do this?" 'Do you want to see?" Only to reveal that he had set up his snipers everywhere already and was only waiting for Zaviyaar to come all this time. He obliterated Zoran's men and now Nathaniel would do the same to him only if- 'I am giving you a month," ‘Fuck…' Zaviyaar was stiff, well aware that receiving hostility from Nathaniel would result in demise. He stood still, throat drying in anticipation when Nathaniel whistled and approached him dominantly. 'Treasure the breaths you have left with your newborn because you have seriously disappointed me this time," 'Nathaniel, no," Shaking his head in denial, he took a step back, being surrounded. Being targeted by Nathaniel meant no escape and by all means, he won't allow it. 'Tic, tok, tic, tok," Stopping his whistle, Nathaniel walked past Zaviyaar, placing his hand over his shoulder with a vicious warning that induced fright in. 'Time is running out, Zaviyaar, one month or else the next land I will conquer will be yours," With this, he took Zariah along and left Zaviyaar in a state of mess and distress on how to deal with this tribulation to save his family.