Aria's POV
I run to my room as fast as I can. I am leaving tonight. I grab a small backpack from the wardrobe and stuff it with a few items of clothing and essentials. This forest spans over miles of wild and unclaimed land. I need to be prepared. Hopefully no one will come looking for me until morning. That gives me enough time to find a main road and hitchhike to the nearest town from there. This is a really stupid idea but staying here is worse.
I make my way downstairs and rush to the back door of the kitchen. On my way out, I grab a handful of fruit and stuff that in my backpack.
“Aria!” Stefano’s voice echoes through the house. That was quick. Why is he looking for me? I have come too far to turn back now. The servants in the kitchen look at me, either too afraid or too shocked to react. I make a run for the door before one of them decides to stop me. I run across the grass lawn that surrounds the house, straight into the cover of the forest. When I am out of sight, I crouch b
