Allea

thirty-four

It's somewhat understandable why would Aris Salvadge give me the invitation to the Z'nA. I remember, this club being the sensation of the year, everyone -no matter from business or Hollywood- wanted to be there on its opening night this Saturday. It was acknowledged as the aggrandizing and charismatic of the city among the famous fifty or something nightclubs of the Z'nA Proprietorships throughout dominating the country as well as few branches in other countries. The sole owner and representative of Z'nA is none other than Zyair Ahlstrom, he was called many names, but the one mostly used was the Devil of night. Bizarre, I know.

Like the backward algorithm of alphabets in his name, he too is a against-the-tide-of-things kinda person and roguish at that. No news, no paparazzi, no picture of him could be found anywhere, presumably only a few rare know his name, or who's the owner of Z'nA nightclub braches. One second in front of the world's eyes, in the other nothing, and no one would ever be able to find anything about him. Each time someone asks his name, each time his name changes. In front of thousands of eyes, his identity is hidden, paparazzi linger around his clubs to have one glimpse of him, he will walk right through them and they wouldn't even know.

Ahlstrom family comes from an old heritage of people that did a lot of illegal things; drugs, smuggling, mafia, and a lot of others, everything his ancestors have done. The change came when the reign of the family fell in the hands of the grandfather of Zyair Ahlstrom, he completely turned the tables of everything and converted every illegal work into legal, black into white money. The grandfather pulled out the roots that were so deep in the underworld of their family, washed them clean, and it became known that from then on the association of the underworld in Ahlstrom became forbidden and unbreakable law. Their illegally earned wealth was scattered whole around the world but he turned their wealth into legitimate Industries and trading Incorporations, building an Empire.

Ahlstrom's family history's known by the world, yet anyone could hardly find any news about them. They have been rarely seen on news and by any means refused to or no one could find the point where their wealth stands in the scale of riches'.  I don't know how grandfather Ahlstrom did it, but he used every means to whitewash his family's name, from the lives of the people they destroyed or killed, and succeeded.

Zyair Ahlstrom will be announced as the sole heir of all the Ahlstrom heritage and business about two and a half years later. I have heard, the centuries-old lineage of their family consists of countless valuable things, but one could only imagine as none has seen it. His family background could be considered the reason he kept his identity hidden from the whole world, it can be assumed that his being an heir was enough for him to lose his life, as the families they destroyed have buried generations of hatred in their hearts for Ahlstrom's. Neither was the heir of Ahlstrom or the owner of Z'nA -no one knew both were the same- ever seen nor heard of. But after being announced as the heir, his face will be exposed to the world as a holder of Ahlstrom's.

 I don't know how his friendship with Aris Salvadge started, but I think they go way back to even the friendship with Nial Delton. My past-self foolishness' made me follow Aris Salvadge everywhere, of course, the club was not the exception. I used every means to get an entry into that club, I spent thousands to buy one entry pass.

Zyair Ahlstrom's a man of no emotions, nothing can move him, he cares about no laws, fears, and regards none, and everyone should steer clear of such a person. Well, my past self didn't quite actually understand this until I pestered the only person, outside his family, he regarded as family.

After about one and half a year of seeing me lingering around his friend everywhere like a fly, he took notice of me. I still remember the day my past twenty-three something years old self was at his club, my gaze flickering from time to time toward the upper floor's exclusive rooms, to have one glimpse of the man I was there for. That was when I realized a little tap on my shoulder and for the first time, I faced him, his face that was nothing less handsome than the man I was there for made me hold my breath.