ARIA “No woman should go through this. I am sorry for your loss. The responsible man should be punished.” My eyes snapped open, my ears ringing with the deadly whisper. Sleep disappeared from me in a second when I realized that there was someone behind me. I was about to scream when I realized that my son was in this room. My eyes flicked to his crib beside the bed, before they flicked to him in the dark. I swallowed the scream, not wanting to wake Saint up. It wasn’t Fabiano. It was someone else. It was her. Rosa. A shiver creped up my spine, my hair stood erect on the back of my neck when I heard her whisper again. “No woman should go through this. I am sorry for your loss. The responsible man should be punished.” I went rigid when I heard her words. Those were the words she had said to me, nine months ago. I had thought she was threatening my sister but she was threatening me. She knew exactly what was going to happen to me. I closed my eyes, forcing myself to relax. W
ARIA “Fabiano.” A purr resonated in the air. I saw Fabiano’s face hardening, his eyes darkening with the message of incoming storm before he blinked and smiled, slowly and viciously. “Mother.” He crooned, a mocking note in his voice. My head snapped, shock penetrating through me at his word. Mother. My gaze danced between the two, my mind registered the similarities between them that I had failed to notice before. Those eyes. They both had the same eyes. Grey like dark clouds filling the sky before a storm. “How nice of you to come here.” Fabiano widened his smile, “It must have been difficult, huh, mother? To come back from the Land of the Dead to haunt my ass?” “Fabiano!” It was a hiss this time, speaking of the anger that was growing in this room. Shivering at the tense atmosphere in the room, I backed myself away from the sick woman. As soon as my feet touched the floor, I went for my son. I bent over the crib, holding Saint in my arms, careful not to wake him up. I pr
FABIANO“Fucking bitch.”Fabiano hissed as pain curled over his shoulder, making him wish he had killed that whore of his mother.He cursed himself inwardly for not paying attention to the fact that the sick woman could have a weapon.He let his emotions control him and that’s where they got him.Massimo’s cry filled his ears, he growled in pain before looking over his shoulder. Something he didn’t like hit him square in the chest as his eyes fell on a horror-stricken Aria.“I am your mother.” Rosa screeched and it did nothing but increase the irritation and pain Fabiano was feeling.Groaning and growling, he lifted his head, throwing daggers and baring his teeth at the sick excuse of woman who gave birth to him.“You’ll beg for fucking death.” He hissed, watching as Rosa’s face paled and her eyes hesitated.Fabiano smirked inwardly.The woman wasn’t foolish. She knew what Fabiano was. A monster. A beast. She had a hand in creating him ad now, she was going to get a taste of the beast
ARIA THREE WEEKS LATER; I had heard her screams. They were painful, ringing in my ears but as I heard them, I felt nothing. No pity. No horror. No sadness. It was like I was an empty vessel. Her screams echoed in me and returned back. That’s it. I didn’t know what Fabiano did to her but it was nothing pleasant judging by the shrilling screams of her. The kept echoing inside me for some unknown reason. I wanted to forget them, the screams and cries that somehow wanted to harm me, hurt me but I wouldn’t let them. I wouldn’t. I promised myself. Slowly, the days started to pass. I listened to what he wanted. I obeyed him like a good wife. I realized that I should just stop talking. Me fighting him brought me nowhere. It was much easier to do as he said. When I did as he said, he would leave me alone sooner. I started to even write a diary. The psychiatrist my husband brought here had told me to do so. It was nine months ago. When I had harmed myself. Lina had treated me but sh
ARIA Sometimes, I wished I was dead. My son was the only one holding me back. He didn’t know but he had saved me. He still did. Every day, I fought the shadows for him. The dark shadows. They were so dark that whenever they came, they dragged me into darkness with them. Sometimes, it was so difficult to come out. Sometimes, I wanted to give up. It took too much. The struggle was paining. It hurt. A sense of emptiness filled me. I stared out in the garden. There was a portion where trees were thickly grown, sunlight barely touching the ground and that’s where I moved to. I wanted to be in shadows. The old me was gone. I just lived in her shadows. Once in the shadows, I sat down with my back against a tree. I made myself comfortable on the green grass, plucking some blades and twirling them in my fingers. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. A familiar scene played before me. The evening when I saw Gideon for the second time. The first time was during that horrible night
ARIA There was something familiar about him. But I knew I hadn’t seen his face here before. Who was he? Was he a bodyguard? Just like I was studying him, he seemed to be looking at me too. His gaze lingered a little too long on me, tracing me features before they landed on the tattoo on my neck. His green eyes seemed to lose their warmth for a second before they gained their softness. He looked past me, and I knew he was looking at the mansion. He looked at me, more precisely, he stared into my eyes before his lips tipped, “So, will you, Aria?” That voice…I blinked my eyes, trying to force myself to think but I heard myself saying; “Will I what?” His green eyes sparkled, his smile widened like he had won some prize. And that smile made dimples appear. “Smile for me?” I frowned, wary of his weird behavior but didn’t move away from my spot. My eyes were stuck to the dimples. “I don’t smile for creeps.” He grinned, showing me his perfectly white teeth. That movement made his
ARIA I didn’t know how long I sat in the garden. The evening sun had darkened, the night slowly fell over. I had stayed past the time I was allowed outside but I made to move to leave. I sat on the ground, picking at the grass now.I felt like my mind was no longer working.“You should go inside now,” a voice said from behind.My back stiffened, my head turned in the direction but I didn’t look up.The voice was familiar, deep, timber.It must’ve been him.No one else was here.Footsteps moved towards me.“Come on.”His voice rumbled in the dark.I didn’t answer.“Ocean eyes.”I closed my eyes shut.I waited for him to lose patience and have his way with me.“Aria Whitlock.”My eyes popped open.It was the first time I had heard my name being said in such a long time.My eyes slowly turned in his direction and I glanced up.I didn’t even know his name.“It’s getting dark. You should go inside.”He looked at the mansion—that castle—that looked haunted in the fading light of sun.“I li
ARIAI was going to the garden for him.The unknown man. The one who made me smile.The one who smiled at me as if telling me that everyone was going to be alright.I passed the plants and went straight for the shadows. The place where I saw him for the first time. When there, I folded myself on the grass, against the tree and closed my eyes.“There it is.”My eyes fluttered open and I straightened, looking up at the source of the voice.“What?” I asked, staring at his eyes in awe.They were stunning. Beautiful. Enchanting.He smiled, showing me the dimples, “Ocean eyes.”My heart galloped for unknown reason, making me frown, and then started to thump against the walls of my chest like a heavy fist.He stared at me, the name whose name I still didn’t know, and sat down beside me.It felt weird.“Are you real?” I whispered out, keeping my eyes on him so he wouldn’t disappear.Because every time I took my eyes off him, he would vanish.“As real as the one residing in there.” He pointed
THE LETTER FROM FABIANO;This is where I first met you; in this very room and this is where it will all end.I couldn’t say it to your face so I wrote it down to give it to you.There is a question that we both asked ourselves many times but only I knew the answer to it.‘Why you? Why this woman?’Because you were the lone rose standing fall in the field full of wilted flowers.Injured yet strong, broken yet standing, failing yet surviving.Beautiful and different.Maybe that was your curse.I saw you. I saw your photo in Adriano’s office and I was obsessed with you from the very first moment. You were like a lioness, protecting your sister when you could have lost your life. Like a Queen.I knew that I’d go mad without you so I did what I wanted to.Stole you. Broke you. Tainted you.I gave you pain but you gave me something else.A home. A family.Venus. Massimo. You.You gave me something the little boy in me desired to have. The little boy whose dreams were shattered long ago, bef
ARIA My heart ached for us. “You can’t imagine how much I missed you.” I whispered. My sister whose side I had never left after she was born, was seeing me after two years. “There’s someone we want you to meet.” Adriano spoke up from behind, making us pull apart from each other. I turned and looked at him. My brother-in-law was the definition of tall, dark and handsome. He stepped towards me and patted my head, almost affectionately, making my eyebrows shoot up. We didn’t have the best relationship. “I almost missed you.” He smirked, making me crack a smile, “He’s waiting for you.” My lips dipped at his words. I frowned as he gave me a slow, small, smile. He nodded in my direction and then took a step aside. He jerked his head in the direction. I followed his gaze until I saw a tall figure, standing a few feet away from us. I saw color. Green. My lips formed a trembling smile when the figure’s face came into my view. Damon. “Go on. He is waiting for you.” He urged. I
FABIANO “Venus is alive.” Why did he say that? To punish her? To hurt her for betraying him? To hurt himself? He didn’t know but he saw the disbelief on her face as he continued to speak, “She was never dead. I took her away from here.” Aria’s lips against someone else’s. He changed what he was going to say and swallowed, his demons rattling their cages, wanting to break free and they did. “This is your punishment, Aria.” He sneered at her shock-striken features, “You wanted freedom? You’ll have it but you’ll never see your children again. You’ll die without seeing their faces. Venus is alive but you’ll never see how she grows up. Saint will know that her mother is a whore you left her son for another man. Enjoy your freedom you always begged for.” “I’ll stay. Please.” He didn’t pay her any attention. “I’ll do anything. Fabiano? Don’t do this.” She was in his feet, holding her legs, begging him, “Don’t…Hit me, whip me, do whatever you want but not this punishment. I’ll do wh
ARIA “It’s fine.” He sobered up, “I’ll take you there one day.” I stilled at his words as he smiled at me before I turned my back on him and walked the path that would lead me back to the garden. It took us several minutes to reach the garden. Once we were out, he closed the door and set the hinges before covering it with vines, arranging them in a way that didn’t look suspicious. When we walked a little more, he started to speak. I wanted to cover my ears with my hands. “You are caged here. I never see you with a phone. Do you even have one? When was the last time you talked to your sister?” He paused, staring at the ink on my neck, he glanced up and continued, “Your husband doesn’t love you. He has an unhealthy obsession with you.” My eyes were wild as I stared at him. he was right. I was caged. I didn't know what happened so suddenly but I exploded. The feelings I had bottled up inside me had burst out, overflowed. They trailed over my cheeks in the form of tears and then
ARIA I want you beside me. “There.” I stepped back moments later, thrusting the knife towards him with my shaky hands. “We look good side by side, ocean eyes.” He commented, taking in the names we had just carved and winked at me, making me feel all those things inside me again. “Don’t do it.” He paused, his brows dipping, “What?” “Don’t do this to me.” I whispered, my emotions overflowing as I stared into his eyes. “What are you talking about?” He leaned over, gripping my face in his palms. And I knew it, I was leaning to his touch. His eyes were filled with concern and disbelief as he searched my eyes. “This.” I pointed around, my eyes watering, “You’re making me get used to you. To this light you bring with you. To this freedom you introduce me to.” A tear rolled down. I didn’t know why I was feeling so emotional suddenly. “Did I hurt you, ocean eyes?” He asked, eyes brimming with concern. Concern for me. A woman he barely knew about. A woman who was married to another.
ARIA “Come on, ocean eyes.” I scoffed, “I am not going inside. God knows where it leads to.” He rolled his eyes, “You said it yourself before. I’ve been using it. There’s nothing wrong.” “How did you even know this thing,” I pointed to the door, “was here?” I arched my brow. He smirked, playfulness swimming in his eyes before he stepped out and came close to me. Really, really close. And he leaned down, his face a few inches away from me. I licked my lips, nervously. Playfulness vanished from his eyes as he glanced down at my lips, his eyes darkened before he glanced into my eyes, his lips brushing against my ears, sending shivers of unknown feelings over my skin. “Nothing will harm you, my goddess.” With that, he pulled my arm and pushed me into the darkness, his laugh following my scream. “I thought you were different than other men.” He let out a laugh behind me. I looked over my shoulder, glaring at him but he only poked out his tongue at me. Despite all my attempts, my l
ARIA He didn’t move. One minute passed. Then two… Then three… Hesitantly, I threaded my fingers through his black locks, feeling their softness on my palm and enjoying it. It felt foreign. Fabiano never let me touch him except…on some certain occasions. But with him…this man I knew nothing about, with Damon Xanthos whatever-his-last-name-might-be everything felt new, light and…good. After a few moments, my moves were more confident. My strokes firmer as I ran my fingers through his head, tugging lightly. I felt so…normal. I didn’t know my lips had moved because it was him who informed me about that when he murmured without looking at me; “You have a beautiful smile, my goddess.” **** One night, Fabiano came into my room, covered in blood. His steel eyes were darkened with a maniac energy that made my skin pop with goosebumps. His body, his eyes, everything about him was screaming danger, different than his usual kind. He placed his hands on my face and I flinched when I
FABIANO She was his. She might have jumped from the cliff to escape him but that wouldn’t happen in this life. His wife. The mother of his children. His lioness. His Queen. Fucking his. And he’d fight the fucking Gods to keep her with him. They might be Gods, but he was the one who fucking ruled over Hell. *** The doctor said Aria's condition was critical; he fucking knew that but his lioness hadn't opened her eyes in three days. He stared at her pale figure, silently questioning her. Why? But he knew why. Because of him. He had driven her to a point where she chased death; begged for it and was ready to jump into its arms even if it meant being away from him. Why? To escape the cage he kept her in. To fly even though he had cut her wings. He tortured her. He did. It wasn’t her fault. It was his. He couldn’t rein his demons. He couldn’t control himself. He always gave into their demands. He always let hem control him. They were worse. And they wanted to destro
FABIANOThe rain had slowed down, turned to drizzle but still, the clouds were rumbling and lightening was illuminating the sky when he rushed with an unconscious and bleeding Aria. He and his men had pulled her body out luckily but she was as close to death as one could be.He swore he could feel the Gods above there, partying and laughing down at her, celebrating their victory.But fuck Gods!Fuck them and fuck their plans!He wouldn’t let them take her away.She wasn’t theirs.She was his.She might have jumped from the cliff to escape him but that wouldn’t happen in this life.His wife.The mother of his children.His lioness.His Queen.Fucking his.And he’d fight the fucking Gods to keep her with him.They might be Gods, but he was the one who fucking ruled over Hell.***The doctor said Aria's condition was critical; he fucking knew that but his lioness hadn't opened her eyes in three days. He stared at her pale figure, silently questioning her. Why?But he knew why.Because