The Forgotten Lineage

Chapter 5

Zach stared at the road ahead with a weary gaze. He was currently on his way to Bar Refaeli. It wasn't much, he just wanted to reminisce about the times when he could still live a normal life as the owner of a small bar at the edge of New York City. In his mind, he imagined how rundown and neglected the place must have become after being left unattended for so long.

It had probably been a month since Zach officially became part of the Bennett family, and during that time, he had lived his life like a living doll that could eat, sleep, and use the bathroom.

Zach asked the driver to stop across the main street and chose to walk to the bar. When he arrived in front of it, Zach was utterly amazed. The condition of the place wasn't as bad as he had imagined.

There were many visitors coming and going, with various expressions on their faces—just like people who had spent their leisure time having fun. It was the image Zach had always wanted for his successful business.

"Who owns it now?" was the first question that popped into his mind.

Zach walked with a sense of doubt that he fought against. For some reason, it felt both painful and touching to see the changes in the place. The sign that once read "Refaeli Bar" had been replaced with "B'orn Bar." The exterior decorations were also different, modern with a trendy slogan. At that moment, Zach didn't just admire the striking differences but also noted what had caused his old bar to fail to attract many visitors.

"Damn, I remember that jerk's words." About how Zach was dreaming too high, hoping his business would succeed and he would become a renowned entrepreneur.

He continued his steps until he entered the bar. It was true; the bar was bustling with a diverse crowd of patrons. Waiters were busy taking orders. There were a few people stationed at the pantry. Zach chose to sit there.

"Even this table looks shinier and more attractive than before," he muttered.

"Can I help you?" asked a female bartender. She had a name tag that read "Hannah M."

"The strongest wine here," Zach replied without looking at the bartender. His attention was still focused on the dance floor, then shifted to the menu, which looked luxurious just by the names of the dishes.

He remembered the times when he argued with Sam and some of his employees to decide on the main menu names. There were laughs and enjoyable small fights. But who would have thought his friend's laughter was fake?

"Bastard! I'll kill you if we ever meet again." Just as Zach said that, the bartender served a bottle of wine and a glass in front of him. Realizing the woman's shock, Zach quickly apologized. "That wasn't directed at you. Sorry."

Hannah chuckled lightly and nodded slightly. "Enjoy your drink, and would you like to order some food?"

Zach wasn't interested at all. "I'm not hungry."

She seemed like she wanted to offer something else, but seeing her customer's sour expression, she chose to step back.

"Do you know who owns this bar now?"

Hannah turned back to face the customer. She smiled in the usual way a waitress does—friendly with a hint of force. "The current owner?" she repeated to be sure.

"Yeah. You heard me right." Zach was reluctant to repeat the question. His mood was very bad now. He poured the wine into the glass, slightly more than usual.

"Ah, sorry. I mean, your question implies that you know the previous owner is different from the current one. Are you an old customer?"

Zach placed the wine bottle down with a slight thump. "Are you interrogating me? Is my question wrong and breaking the bar rules?" He lifted his glass and downed the wine in one go.

Hannah was amazed for a moment. The wine he ordered was a type with very strong alcohol content. One glass could be as strong as three bottles of regular wine. Seeing that, Hannah felt bad. Her customer's condition must be awful to want to get drunk that fast.

"All I know is that this bar used to belong to a man who got into debt and faced imprisonment. Maybe he had a criminal record—"

"Don't speak carelessly!" Zach snapped, his gaze now unfocused. His cheeks were flushed, and his eyes were unsteady. "He was a good and hardworking man! He was betrayed by his friend and cheated on by his own lover! Trash news—"

Hannah sighed deeply. She wiped the smile off her face, as if this was the moment she could be herself. "Don't get too drunk. Call someone close to you when you're ready to go home." Her flat gaze showed great weariness and disinterest.

"But I am really a good person," Zach continued to babble. He occasionally wiped his nose, which felt sour. "I worked hard my whole life. I didn't know how to have fun, and I dedicated my time and attention to the people I loved. But she betrayed me. She cheated on me with that bastard!"

If it weren't for the CCTV cameras, she would have chosen to leave this drunk customer. Hannah exhaled heavily. She pulled a chair beside him to sit so she could face the man directly. "So, you are the previous owner of this bar?" Her tone sounded reluctant.

Zach nodded quickly. His body swayed, and his forehead occasionally almost hit the table. "Me!" He pounded his chest. "I was the boss of this place! That—was! Yes, long ago! Before the fire nation attacked."

Hannah rolled her eyes. A drunk person is still a drunk person. What could she expect from this man's words? Her gaze was skeptical. To her, this man was probably wealthier than being the boss of a small bar at the end of the street. This place was busy because it had just opened two days ago.

Hannah's gaze was drawn to the Rolex watch, the suit from a famous designer, and the diamond pin on his tie. What a disgusting joke, Hannah thought to herself.

Zach wasn't entirely drunk, just slightly light-headed. The words he uttered were because he wanted to share them with a stranger. At least, he wanted to release a bit of his burden.

Since his meeting with Mrs. Grace, Zach's new life had truly begun. His memory returned to when he was in the room with that cold-aura woman.

"You are my daughter's husband from now on, but that doesn't mean you need to perform the usual duties of a husband," Mrs. Grace's voice sounded calm and authoritative, but to Zach, it was nothing more than the tone of a rich, arrogant person. Especially with Mrs. Grace's gaze that intimidated every second.

"You just need to stay in this mansion without doing anything. Yeah, that's better. Don't cause any trouble," the old woman added. "Remember that you have a huge debt that you won't be able to pay off even by selling your internal organs."

"Damn it!" Zach cursed now. "That old hag and the stupid loan shark are the same!"

Zach straightened his back, then his gaze accidentally landed on a familiar figure. Sarah, his wife, was seen with a man. She looked drunk and had her arm around the man's neck. "Out of all the bars in this city, why does she have to be here?"

Sarah was hanging onto the man flirtatiously, kissing him. She looked like she was thoroughly enjoying the moment. They kissed long and deeply.

Zach, seeing that, only smiled bitterly. There was no heartache, just self-pity for his always miserable fate. In the place where he thought he could enjoy his evening, why did he have to see his own wife making out with another man?