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Zeke froze for a moment, clearly taken aback by Bella’s boldness, but his smug expression quickly returned.
“What? You think I can’t handle it?”
Bella didn’t flinch, her gaze unwavering as she held the drink in front of him.
“Go ahead.
Show me,” she said with a playful smirk, all while her sharp eyes caught the underlying malice in Zeke’s actions earlier.
Zeke, eager to prove himself, took the drink and downed it in one go.
His confidence faltered when he realized how quickly the alcohol hit him, and a slight flush appeared on his cheeks.
The other men, sensing something was off, exchanged uneasy glances, but none dared to intervene.
Bella took a step back, her eyes narrowing.
“Now, that was easy.
Let’s see if you can still think clearly after this,” she said coldly.
Zeke, now visibly unsteady, stumbled a bit as he tried to regain his composure.
“What’s your problem, huh?” he slurred, trying to maintain his bravado.
Bella tilted her head, a hint of disgust in her voice.
“My problem? I’m just cleaning up the mess you’ve made.
You think you can treat people like that and get away with it?”
The men around them, who had been watching the scene unfold, began to lose their earlier enthusiasm, unsure whether to back Zeke or simply distance themselves from the brewing tension.
At that moment, Axel returned from his call, noticing the shift in atmosphere immediately.
His eyes flicked from Bella to the men, then to Zeke, who was now stumbling and clearly not in control.
“Bella, you good?” he asked, stepping closer.
“Yeah, just making sure some people don’t forget their manners,” Bella replied, her voice steady but with an edge.
Axel’s expression darkened as he looked at Zeke.
“This is my sister.
You better keep that in mind, Zeke.
”
Zeke, now realizing he was in over his head, muttered something incoherent before stumbling off to find a seat in the corner, his pride wounded but his head too dizzy to fight back.
Bella turned to Axel, her playful demeanor fading.
“I’m fine.
Thanks for the distraction,” she said, though her mind was still tangled with thoughts of Justin, of what they had lost, and the men who thought they could take what didn’t belong to them.
Axel, sensing her shift in mood, gave her a knowing look.
“Let’s get out of here.
This place is too much.
”
Bella nodded, letting out a sigh as she grabbed her bag.
But as they headed for the door, her thoughts were still clouded by the mess that had become her life—and the one man who seemed determined to stay out of her reach, even when she needed him the most.
