ARIAThat night, I didn’t go to sleep.Or that’s what I had planned but sometime during the night, I drifted to sleep.When I felt the weight of a stare; the prickles on my skin and the feeling of ants crawling over me, I bolted upright on my bed.She was here. Again.I blinked the sleep out of my eyes and turned my head, meeting her eyes more quickly than I had thought I would, making my heart jump.She was sitting at the edge of the bed, her eyes on her lap and legs dangling down from the bed.“How did you come in?” I questioned without any delay.She had done enough with me taking advantage of the fact that I was weak and stuck in my own mind.Not now. Not again.She wanted to mess with me. Fuck her! I would mess wither right back. People often targeted the weak. The only way to get rid of them was to become strong.And that’s what I was going to do.She played with her fingers but raised her head, staring into my eyes and smiling widely;“Men are foolish.”I prepared myself for an
ARIAHer body collided with mine, sending us both to the ground. My back arched at the impact, my mouth opened on a silent cry of pain that exploded inside me.My arm was not completely healed and the fact that I landed on my wounded arm did nothing to soothe my fumbled nerves.I jerked beneath the nameless woman, kicking my legs up in hopes of hitting her but she dodged it efficiently.Getting angry and frustrated at her, I let out a sound akin to growl before slamming my hands into her chest with all my might.The shock on her face told me that she wasn’t expecting me to do something like this.She wasn’t expecting me to fight back.Air whooshed out of her lungs at the impact, she jerked back and at the same time, I bucked my knees and kicked my legs, sending her off of me.She was on the floor, bent awkwardly and in a position that made it seem that she was injured and in need of help.But I didn’t help her.The woman was sick. Manipulative.I already made a mistake by paying atten
ARIA“Secret tunnels.” I thought out loud.A chuckle filled my ears, bringing me out of my trance.“You’re smart.” I looked at her to find to grinning at me.“You’ve been using them.” My tone was accusing.Oh, dear Lord!That’s how she had been going in and out.A flash went before my eyes.When she had told me that my friend was alive, and harmed me, I had seen her disappearing into Fabiano’s closet.It meant…“I have to say.” She pursed her lips, “I wasn’t expecting you. I was expecting a dumb bitch but was shocked to find that Fabiano found someone like you.”Fabiano’s closet led to the secret tunnel. That’s how she had come in his room at night and disappeared without anyone knowing.“You’re smart. But then, that’s why you’re a prisoner.” She leaned forward and my eyes snapped to her neck where the blade was digging in her skin. “Maybe that’s why you’re still alive. If it were some dumbo skank, she would’ve killed herself knowing what Fabiano can do. Why are you alive, Aria?”The
ARIAThe knife I had been holding fell to the floor with a clink.No woman should go through this.Terror choked my windpipe. I couldn’t breathe properly. I fought a rising panic, telling myself to stay calm when my legs shook with fear.No woman should go through this.I understood what she was talking about.The answer circulated in my mind. An image flashed on my mind slate.My hands were clammy as I rubbed my face, breathing heavily as terror rained down on me.Without waiting another second, I fled to the door. Opening it, I rushed outside and raced to the large steel doors that had lion head handles and slammed myself into them.“Open the door.” I screamed, pounding my fists on the heavy steel.“Open it.”No woman should go through it.My eyes watered from fear.Why was no one opening the door?“Please.” I shouted, “Open it. Open the door.” My fists started to get red. I could feel the pain swelling in them but I paid no mind to the pain.My face had gotten wet with tears but I
ARIA“Hello?” A soft sound filled my ears.I fisted the phone and buried I in my chest as the sob echoed around me. I closed my hand over my mouth to stop myself from crying out loud.Gasping behind my hand, I brought the phone back to my ear.“Hello?” The voice filled my ears, “Is someone there?”My knees gave up on me. I fell down on the floor, rocking myself back and forth as I listened to her voice.One year.It had been more than a year.How I had yearned to hear her voice? How my eyes had cried for one glimpse of her?“Hello?” There was a tone of impatience in her voice and it made me smile shakily.I wiped my tears and lifted my hand off my mouth before gathering every ounce of courage.“I am cutting—”I spoke up, my voice shaky;“Hey.”I heard a sharp intake of breath on the other side before silence filled the line.A silent tear rolled down my cheek and I didn’t bother to wipe it away.“A-Aria?” I closed my eyes, relishing the sound of my name coming from her lips.“Is that
ARIA“How’re you, little fairy?”Silence was the only answer I received before I heard a deep intake from the other side.“How am I?” My sister’s voice was a hiss that made me close my eyes in despair. “HOW. AM. I?”My lips trembled apart but not a single word poured out of them.“WHERE ARE YOU?” Alara shouted into the phone, “A year. A FUCKING YEAR.” A grimace twisted my features. My sister didn’t curse but when she did, it was something rare.“Listen…” I rubbed my face, wiping away any signs of wetness left.“No.” I heard her bark, “You listen. Where are you? Do you know how worried I was? I searched for you. My sister. My sister, who had been the responsible one, disappears without a sign. For a year. No call. No message. WHY?”Her last words were a tangled scream.I breathed deeply, understanding her anger.Her reaction was justified.It wasn’t like that your sister vanishing without a word and barging back into your life after a year was normal.I wanted to open my heart to her b
ARIABut most of all…She was a free human.And I was a caged animal.How could it be so different? How could fate play this game with us? Why was I always on the receiving end of everything harsh and cruel?Why? Why? Why?I had no answer.“Aria?”I blinked my eyes, breathing through my nose and brushing away the horrible thoughts.I needed to change the topic before she did more damage to me than it was already done.“How is your golden boy?” I asked with fake cheerfulness.She was silent for a moment before she spoke again. I wanted to smile. My little sister had grown. She understood what I was doing and I was proud of her.“Golden boy, huh?” She murmured, “Matteo.”Matteo. That was his name. The little boy with golden mane.“His name’s Matteo.” Alara’s words made desperation claw at my heart. Despite my attempt, she knew that I didn’t know what her son’s name was.That fact filled me with shame and hurt.“He’s—”“Let me talk to her.” I stopped when I heard that deep, dark voice. M
ARIAI was in my room when the knock made me sit up on the bed.I frowned, eyeing the door as if I could see past the solid wall of steel separating the person on the other side and me.I had returned the phone to the maid knowing that it was a foolish decision to make but what else could I do?The maids belonged to Fabiano and I knew they would’ve told them everything even if I hid the phone.There was no way out for me.I stood up when another knock sounded this one more impatient and walked to the door. The door opened without my permission and in stepped the guard I had encountered before. I smoothened my expressions before studying him. He was big, tall and full of hard muscles. He could pass for a wrestler.“Don wants you.”I couldn’t keep the frown off my face at his words.Don?Then it clicked. He was talking about Fabiano.But Fabiano had never sent a man to my room. It was always Lina.I shook my head at myself before nodding at him. I stepped past him and out of the confin