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

ARIA“Just think how appealing would black ink of the tattoo would look against your skin.”He lifted his hands off my neck and stared down at me. I stared at him, horrified and open-mouthed.“You’ve forced my hand—”I interrupted him, “No, I didn’t and I am—”He slammed his fist against the wall near me and I froze mid-sentence.“Don’t fucking interrupt me.”His harsh voice made me afraid. A rush of blood heated my cheeks as I stared at him and tried not to flinch under his cruel gaze. The hatred on his face reminded me of that night.The one on the boat.My stomach turned with unease and I closed my lips, not speaking anymore.Finally, he took his glare off my eyes and pointed it at my neck. My eyes were on him the entire time, hoping that he would change his mind but my helpless gaze had no effect How could he take joy in my suffering? It was a stupid question to ask myself but it was a real question. He had done everything to me no person should go through. He’d made me his …sex

ARIAHe took out a white bandage and covered my neck with it. He uttered something that I didn't hear but pretended that I did and nodded my head in agreement even though it hurt me to.“Get out." He ordered after several moments, "I'll be the one to remove the bandage."His voice was deep and cold.I hated it.Why was it like this?I hated the part of me that thought he might feel some remorse, but it was missing. Robotically, I turned my body towards the door. Every step I took away from him, I felt his eyes on it. With my hand on the knob, I stopped for a moment, thinking over the fact that kept nudging me.I grimaced when I swallowed, parted my lips and asked him something.The reason I had slapped him.“How can you talk about someone’s daughter like that when you have a daughter of your own, Fabiano?”For a moment, I thought that he might storm towards me and beat me again but he didn’t. His cold voice washed over me like a freezing wave of air in a chilly night, raising goosebu

ARIAThis was just some psychological shit, wasn’t it?My mind was playing tricks on me—maybe it still was— and I had fallen prey to those tricks.His touch was burning me now. I wanted to fight him, I wanted to tell him “no” because I easily recognized the glint in his eyes.He wanted me.But did he think that I would fall so easily to my knees?He had manipulated me so skillfully back then and I was the foolish one, trusted someone even Satan wouldn’t trust.Shame filled me, heating up my skin and I watched in the reflection as my pale cheeks colored.Fabiano’s hands trailed down my sunken stomach, over the vertical scar before he began to pull down the zipper of my jeans, the metallic sound flitted through the air.The color that had filled my cheeks seconds ago drained, leaving me ghastly pale.Without thinking, my hand landed on his, stopping him from pulling down the zipper completely. Chilly dread settled over me when he raised those steely orbs at me, arching an inky brow thro

ARIA(TRIGGER WARNING: The content below contains self-harm, mentions of sex trafficking, severe sexual abuse, death of an infant.)Three.Three.One. Two. Three.Three red vertical lines.Three.Three times I was assaulted.Three times I was broken.Three times parts of me were stolen.Three times I was left alone, a wrecked mess.Drip. Drip. Drip.Three drops.I dragged my gaze from the crimson lines and looked at the dark drops contrasting sharply against the white marble basin.I turned the tap on, watching as water streamed over the drops, fading the dark color into a light pink before it was washed away completely.More drops dripped into the running water, only to be carried away into the drain.Pain spiraled all the way over my arm, but it didn’t hurt me like it should’ve. It was…addicting. It was something I knew I could get used to. The high, the rush, the feeling.I looked down at the scissors covered in blood sitting on the cupboard before running my forefinger over the cu