Severely Assaulted

Aria froze as her pulse jumped. No matter how strained her relationship with her father had become, the news still shook her. She did not waste a second. She ran straight toward the emergency unit.

Nurses hurried past carrying charts. Aria stopped one of them. “Where is my father? How serious is his condition?”

“He was assaulted, but it is not life-threatening. Dr. Hayes is treating him now.”

Relief loosened something in her chest. His injuries were not as critical as she had feared.

“He is in trauma room three.”

“Thank you.”

Aria walked to the room and pushed the door open. The sight that met her stopped her cold.

Vincent lay on the bed. His face was so swollen she could barely recognize him.

She had expected broken bones, bruised ribs, and cuts. What she saw went far beyond that.

His cheeks were puffed and misshapen. One eye was nearly swollen shut. Dark bruises covered his jaw. His lips were split and stained with dried blood. Someone had used him as a punching bag with deliberate force.

He tried to speak when he saw her, but only a strained groan escaped his throat.

Aria approached the bed in silence. She glanced at the doctor who was finishing a bandage near his temple.

“How bad is it?”

“Nothing critical,” Dr. Hayes answered. “Vitals are stable. Mild concussion. The scan shows no internal bleeding.” He turned toward her after securing the last piece of gauze. “Multiple soft tissue injuries,” he added, his tone growing more serious. “He was struck repeatedly.”

Aria gave a quiet hum and looked back at her father. She wondered who could have beaten him until he was almost unrecognizable.

“Aria…” Vincent called her name. His hand twitched weakly toward her. He wanted to say more, but he could barely open his mouth.

Her throat tightened. He looked fragile and helpless, nothing like the domineering man she had always known.

“You should stay quiet,” she told him.

He grimaced. “Those bastards.” His voice cracked.

Even though the words came out broken and unclear, she understood him.

“They hit me.”

Aria frowned slightly. “Who were they? Why did they attack you?”

She knew he could not speak properly, yet curiosity still pushed the questions out.

“I was on my way to the office,” he explained slowly. “I accidentally hit a car.”

He remembered the other vehicle stopping suddenly in the middle of the road. He had slammed on the brakes to avoid a collision, but it was already too late. The impact had thrown his head against the steering wheel.

“I was already hurt. Then two men dragged me out of the car and started beating me.” He lifted a shaky hand to touch his swollen face. Pain twisted his features. He almost began to cry.

“It was their fault. They stopped without warning.”

Aria watched him in silence. She did not believe him. Why would strangers beat a man this severely over a simple accident? He was not telling the full truth.

In that moment the memory of his slap from the night before rose sharply. Years of buried pain followed it. She remembered the day he brought Vanessa and Sofia into their home. She remembered the long stretch of cold indifference that came after. Countless times Sofia had framed her, and he had punished her without ever questioning the story.

The brief sympathy she had felt drained away. In its place settled a strange, distant calm.

For years she had wondered whether anyone would ever notice the injustice done to her. It seemed fate had finally answered and decided to deliver its own punishment.

She gave a small shrug. “You should file a police report.”

Panic flashed across his face.

“No.” He stopped her before she could reach for her phone. He still remembered the cold barrel of a gun pressed against his head and the warning that followed.

Dare to go to the police and you are dead.

He swallowed hard as the words echoed in his mind.

“It was my fault.”

Aria almost laughed. She had already guessed as much. “Fine.” She straightened. “The emergency team will handle the rest. Your injuries are surface-level. You will recover.”

“Wait…” Vincent tried to reach for her, but his hand fell limply back to the bed.

“I will come later. Rest now.”

She did not look back as she left.

Vincent watched her go, rage simmering in his chest. He wanted to curse her out loud, but the slightest movement of his lips sent sharp pain through his jaw. He was forced to swallow the words.

That ungrateful child, he thought bitterly. She actually walked out.

“Mr. Kane, you need to rest. No more talking,” Dr. Hayes cautioned before leaving as well.

When Aria returned to her office she dialed Vanessa. The call was answered after two rings.

“What is it?” Vanessa’s voice was sharp with irritation.

“Your husband has been admitted to City General,” Aria said, her tone cold. “He was assaulted on the way to his office.”

“What?”

Aria had to pull the phone away from her ear. She exhaled and spoke again. “He is not seriously injured. He will live. Come here. He is in trauma care.”

She ended the call before Vanessa could reply.

Several minutes later Vanessa rushed in, her face pale with alarm. She gasped when she saw him.

“Oh God, Vincent. You look… terrible.”

Rage twisted in his chest. He wanted to shout at her. If he had not been in this state he would have struck her for the comment.

“How did this happen?” Vanessa asked.

“Ca… car…” He tried to explain. “Two men… hit me…” The words came out slurred and broken.

“What?” Vanessa leaned closer. “Can you say it again?”

His frustration grew. Ignoring the pain, he opened his mouth wider to scold her, but the sharp sting in his jaw stole his breath.

Seeing him struggle, Vanessa panicked. “Stop talking. You will only make it worse.”

Vincent’s fingers curled weakly into the bedspread, still seething.

Later that afternoon Sofia arrived at the hospital with red, puffy eyes as if she had been crying. Julian followed close behind.

“Papa.” Sofia hurried to the bedside. “Oh my…” She sobbed as she took in his swollen face.

Vincent slowly pushed himself up. He tried to tell her not to cry, but he could barely form the words.

“I looked into the matter,” Julian said. “Those two men are known criminals. They are involved in serious illegal activity and they are dangerous.”

Vincent’s eyes flickered. He remembered the gun against his head and a chill slid down his spine.

“I suggest you do not report this to the authorities,” Julian continued. “People like that do not hesitate to go after the family.”

Before Vincent could respond, Vanessa spoke. “He will not report it.” Fear already marked her expression. “He is still alive. That is what matters.”

“Yes, Papa,” Sofia added. “You should listen to Julian.”

Vincent would never dare to go against the warning he had received. He nodded slowly.

Julian hesitated, then spoke again. “I know this is not the right moment, but despite everything I am still willing to marry Aria. Once she calms down I believe she will understand.”

Sofia clearly disliked the idea. She started to protest, but her mother tugged her hand and signaled her to stay quiet.

“I will never marry you.”

The voice cut through the room like a blade. Everyone turned. Aria stood in the doorway.

“And that is my final decision.”

Julian felt a flicker of unease as he faced her unyielding expression. Aria has never been like this, he thought.

She used to cling to him, obey him, and love him without question. How could she end things with such cold certainty?

Impossible, he told himself. She loves me completely. She cannot live without me.

A sneer touched his mouth as a new thought formed. This is only a tactic to pull me back.

His arrogance returned. “Aria, this is no longer amusing. My patience has limits. Stop this performance or I will be the one to end things.”

“Then end them. I do not want you either.”

“You…”

Something twisted inside him. For the first time it felt as if she was not pretending, as if she had already moved on.

He had never planned to marry her. Yet watching her dismiss him so easily left a bitter taste.

No matter what, she was still his. She had no right to walk away.

He stepped closer. “If you keep speaking like this I will never marry you.”

“That is exactly what I want,” Aria answered, her voice steady and cold..