Niklaus' point of view

I couldn't believe my eyes, no, my eyes must be deceiving me. How was this possible? How could she be alive? I had seen her lifeless form, I had just returned from the columbarium where I stored her ash, so how was she standing in the middle of the club and dancing like she got no problems.

I must be seeing things, that was my first thought. But the more I got closer and closer, shoving past the dancing bodies, she was as real as it gets. No, it wasn't a dream, even with the blonde hair she wore that was reflected blue due to the lightning, I could still recognize her.

There was just one person between us and she would be within touching range. Also, she had turned when I called her name, staring at me wide-eyed shocked. Yes, that was it! That was her! Maya must be surprised to see me too!

But just as I tried to slip past that body forming a barrier between us, someone shoved me hard and I fell, no, fell with someone.

"I'm so sorry," I hastily got off the lady I had unintentionally brought down to the ground -not because I was embarrassed but due to the fact I couldn't find Maya anymore.

"You pervert, how dare you harass my girlfriend! " a punch met me on the face instead when I tried to leave.

The fact that I hadn't seen that coming plus I was not entirely sober made me see stars and stumbled to the ground.

"Maya," I ignored the pain, my gaze darting around the club in search of her.

I was dragged up to my feet by the same bastard who still wasn't satisfied with the first punch on my face. He intended to sock me in the jaw again when I intercepted his hand, landing him one instead.

"I already apologized," I said to his girlfriend who shrieked out of fright. The blow made the son of a biscuit double over in pain and I walked past them, going to look for Maya.

Our fight somehow caused a small commotion because people stopped dancing and stared at us, making it harder to search for Maya with them huddled together pointing fingers and gossiping.

But somehow, I caught someone with the same blonde hair and clothes and rushed over to her.

"Maya," I grabbed her hand.

But the face that turned around to me wasn't even close to the Maya I saw on the dance floor.

"What's your problem?" she glared, flung my grip off her, and left.

I thread my hand through my hair, how was this possible? I was sure I had seen her or was it my imagination? Was I so desperate to see Maya that I let my imagination somehow overlap with reality?

I felt a touch on my shoulder and a warning scream - from the ladies of course - but it was too late, a whack met me on the side of my eye.

Now, this is it!

I charged at that idiot, spearing him to the ground which elicited a scream of fear from the crowd, not that I cared.

For this guy to have the nerve to touch me, he must be some nouveau riche still reeling from the exhilaration of his newly accumulated wealth. Well, he'd bear the brunt of my anger.

I punched the daylight out of him, pouring all my frustration into each blow, and would have ended the guy had Pablo not had his men separate us.

"No, come after me! You idiot!" I roared in an outburst while the bastard was helped to his feet.

It pleased me to know that I was in a better state than him. Apart from a black eye he had given me when I was distracted, I had split lips and a swollen jaw unlike him who had a broken nose added to his other injuries. I was going to be sued for that - I was a hundred percent sure - but who cares, he was the one who came at me first.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Pablo was furious and followed after me as I walked to our private booth upstairs.

He went on, "I brought you here so you could breathe and feel alive again, not make someone else's life miserable,"

"Fine, I heard you!" I snapped at him unintentionally, dazing him. I wiped my face with my palm, wincing upon coming in contact with the wound on the side of my eye.

"I'm sorry but I need to meet the owner of this place," I announced.

Pablo narrowed his eyes at me, "Meet him? What do you need to meet him?"

" I saw Maya," I disclosed and heard his groan of disapproval.

"I know you're not going to believe me which is why I need to glance through their security -"

"Nikaus, that's -"

"Impossible, right? I thought the same way too, Pablo but I know what I saw," My heart raced with the possibility of finding her.

This time Pablo didn't say a word, deciding to watch me with a blank expression which made me continue, " I don't know how this is possible but once I find her, I'll-"

"Niklaus, Maya is dead!" Pablo boomed so loud that every head turned to our table.

"She is dead and it's time you get over that. It's been seven fucking years, Niklaus" He spoke the rest with a low voice having brought unwarranted attention.

I shook my head stubbornly, " I know what I saw"

Pedro leaned over the table between us, saying "Listen to yourself Niklaus. Maya's alive? If she's alive, what hasn't she contacted you all this while? Did you even think about that?"

"Maybe she's In some kind of situation or something, where she's isn't supposed to seek people from the past or reveal her identity?"

"Seriously, are you sick in the head or something?" Pablo's chest heaved,

"You were the one who confirmed her body and now, you're telling me she's alive? You've lost it," He stood to his feet with a Frown, straightening the rumbled edges on his clothes.

I sighed, "Come on, Pablo…"

"The first time you thought of getting married to Maya when she was still alive, you developed cold feet and now you're planning to spend the rest of your miserable life with Jennifer, you're bringing up a ghost from the past?" He shook his head in disbelief, "Call me when you're back to your senses," Pablo said and strode out of the club angrily.

Great, you ruined the once great evening Niklaus.

"Here, catch," one of his men passed a cold pack to me which I pressed against my swollen face. It was comforting to know he still cared about me.

At that moment, my phone rang and I glance at the screen to discover it was Jennifer - probably to check up on me.

The reason why I didn't pick up was not that I was annoyed - maybe, I was a tad bit irritated at her keeping tabs on me. The real reason was that I was too tired and not in the mood to start explaining what happened to my face.

What was I going to say to her? That I got into a fight because I pushed down someone in the name of searching for Maya or her look alike. That was I desperately searching for my ex's ghost when we already had talks of getting married.

I let the phone ring on till the call ended two times in a row. Resting against the chair, I threw my head back with a great sigh. When was I ever going to get peace?

After the pain on my face subsided a bit, I left the club and drove straight home. I had done enough damages for the night already.

However, I was surprised to see rows of expensive cars parked at my place when I returned home. This could only mean one thing, my family members were here - so was my father.

With anger, I strode into my house to discover that my living room had been redecorated into some sort of venue for their evening parties.

Though they weren't wearing champagne dresses nor the men in a tuxedo;they dressed formally, and most had champagne flutes in hand.

What were they thinking? They barged into my house and used it to host a party without my permission, wasn't that a huge slap across my consent? Whoever organized this party was purposely mocking me. Amanda wasn't here, she was probably serving those arrogant relatives of mine.

"What the hell is going on here?! " I shouted, finally attracting the much-needed attention.

The small band at the corner of the room stopped playing the number, prompting them all to look in my direction. There were about twenty guests in here and they're about to receive my wrath.

"Who did this! Who's responsible for this!" I roared.

"I did,"

I had expected Eden to claim responsibility. As the new Spencer head, he'd like to throw his weight around considering I was once his rival. But who I saw emerge from the crowd made my blood run cold and my eyes to shoot lasers.