The Decision

Aria's POV

My body is shaking immensely, I can't get a word out. My mind is racing with what is coming. Aiden's eyes burn into me, full of anger and disappointment.

"Aria, I can't believe you did this. I thought you loved me."

"Yes I do. This is a serious misunderstanding."

My body is shaking immensely, I can't get a word out. My mind is racing with what is

"You're stupid."

Those words hit me hard."Hey! I'm not stupid."

"You are. Now who will want to marry you. you're spoilt good". My father adds. I'm not moved by what he says, I've heard worse.

"Is this how you treat your own daughter?". I can see that anger is building up in Massimo's eyes. But why?

He turns to Aiden. "And you. If I was your Fianceé, I'll still go around fucking people."

"Oh so you admit this was intentional?"

"I have no answer to your question". Aiden rushes towards Massimo and pushes him, but he doesn't budge. Massimo pushes Aiden with just as much force, and he stumbles.

"Enough!". Don Viti holds his hand high, his eyes are locked on me.

"Aria, what exactly happened?"

"I....". Words are stuck in my throat. "Don viti, this is a mistake..." Massimo cuts in.

"I asked Aria a question. let her answer herself". My eyes drop to the floor.

"It is in the wine cellar. It is pitch black, I don't know it is him."

"That doesn't make it anymore better. Don Viti, he fucked my financeé."

"It means we aren't trying to betray anyone". My heart stops. Don Viti raises his hand.

“Enough.” He looks at me.

“Aria Revani, step forward.” I obey.

“You understand the seriousness of what happened?”

“Yes, Don.”

“Then pledge your loyalty.”

I take a breath. “I pledge my loyalty to my family.”

“And the Livoti family?”

I hesitate. My eyes move toward Massimo.

“I pledge my loyalty to the Lockwood family.” Don Viti nods.

“Massimo.”

“I pledge mine.”

“Good. Everyone return to the ballroom.”

As we begin walking, I hear my father's footsteps behind me. I turn, then his hand strikes my cheek. The sound echoes through the corridor.

I freeze. Pain spreads across my face.

“You will never embarrass me like this again,” he says. I stare at him, unable to speak.

Aiden doesn't defend me at all. He only looks away. Something inside me breaks.I turn the other way and run. I don't know where I am going, I only know I need somewhere dark.I can't breathe , I can't stop running. Away from what exactly? I couldn't tell.Probably the embarrassment of cheating on my fiancée with the man I despise the most, embarrassing my father and making our entire family look like a joke in front of the Don.I come to a halt in front of a room and slam the door, I barely made it in before breaking down in tears.Mother always said I had a habit of hiding in dark spaces, how am I to explain to her that the darkeness comforts me in a way I can't explain.

In the darkness no one could see my flaws. They couldn't see the tears running down my cheeks, the tremors running through my body, or the fear that seems it might swallow me whole.

How long had I spent in this room. An hour? A minute? I couldn't tell. Clips of what happened this night seem to replay over and over in my mind ."What have I done?" I whisper into the darkness."I need to find Aiden and explain everything to him. He needs to understand , he needs to forgive me . He must".

I push myself up from the floor, not bothering to wipe away the tears that clung to my cheek. I rush to the door."I need to find Aiden."

I open the door only to freeze at who was standing right in front of it.

Massimo!

Fury rakes through my body like thorns barely contained, tearing through the mirage of calmness I barely manage to gather.

It surge from somewhere deep within me , igniting all the cells in my body. It's cruel and merciless.I want to hurt him. I want him to feel pain, exactly as I felt.

I ball my hands into fist by my sides. And speak with all the venom I could muster.

"What the hell are you doing here."

He looks at me like I am nothing more than an insect in his path, an insignificant thing unworthy of his attention.He stares down at me with eyes that spoke of arrogance. One thing I prided myself on was my ability to read people, their tone of voice, gestures, body signals and most of all their eyes.But with Massimo, I just can't figure out what he is thinking.His eyes are cold and unfeeling.

A shade of blue that seems to pierce through your soul and drag out your dirty secrets.He cocks his head to the side staring at me with the same bored expression, it's infuriating.

"Get out of my way". I step sideways trying to move around around him.

"I need to see Aiden now."

He steps to the side purposely blocking my path.

"What the hell is wrong with you".I all but scream at him.

He doesn't seem to take that well as his jaw tightens.

I open my mouth to tell him off, but he speaks first.

"You are crying", I stiffen.

What is wrong with him and why does he care. I roll my eyes at him and move a step back .

"Thank you for stating the obvious, would you move now, after the incident that happened I don't want us seen together again, especially not like this".

He smirks, and moves closer. I place my hands on his chest trying to stop him from getting close to me.

"What incident are you talking about sweetheart", he whispers in my ear.

Sweetheart? Did he just calm me sweetheart, sweet..fucking....heart. God, haven't I been punished enough.

"Get out of my way Massimo, I have to fix the mess you made", I say with false calmness.

I'm considering pushing him when the rumble of his chest stops me. Is he laughing?

"Do you find this funny?" I ask , my body trembling with anger.

He laughs again, this time louder. Without thinking better of it I grab the gun at my side and aim it at his head.

His laughter stops, I expect to find anger in his eyes but I'm met with amusement, which is angering me more.

I press the gun to his skull, my finger hovering over the trigger.

"You think I wouldn't shoot",

"On the contrary sweetheart, I think you would. Pray tell, why exactly are you mad at me", he says with a teasing tone in his voice.

His behaviour suddenly turns serious and and his eyes roams over my left cheek.

"I wasn't the one that hit you".

Embarrassment washes over me and I can feel my cheeks flush, I hate looking weak especially in front in front of other members of the underworld.

I clear my throat and lower the gun. "Why are you here?"

"I came here for wine". He says it in that same teasing tone. Only then do I realise I ran into the wine cellar.

I narrow my eyes at him and gesture towards the bottles of aged wine.

"Well don't stop on my account."

"Unfortunately I don't want wine anymore, you have soured my mood". He says with that same smirk.

"Then why are you still here"

"You are amusing"

"I am what?"

"You heard me sweetheart, you amuse me. Not only did you trick me to have sex with you, but you come here to cry like you knew nothing."

He squints his eye at me , his smirk growing. "You are a devious little thing aren't you".

His words leave me baffled and completely unguarded.

My mouth parted as I struggle to find a retort.

"Wait, you think I did all that purposely" , I finally manage say.

He really thinks I slept with him on purpose that I planned all that . Is he delusional or just crazy.

"Yes I do", he says with that infuriating smirk.

"I do not believe in coincidence, neither do I believe you mistook me for your fiancée of God knows how many years. I was angry , but now I'm not . It's just you and me here. You can tell me".

The audacity of this man!

"Believe it or not, I didn't plan or stage to sleep with you. I'm shocked by the idea that you even think that, how stupid can you be to come up with that".

He narrows his eyes at me and steps closer.

"Don't lie to me sweetheart."

"Don't call me that, I didn't plan any damn thing."

"Okay", he says and steps away.

I walk past him towards the door, onIy to stop with my hand on the knob when he says "The truth always comes out sweetheart."

I roll my eyes and leave.

I don't have time to waste arguing with him. I need to find Aiden and explain to him. I rush back into the hall where the party is still going on. All eyes one me as I search for Aiden.

I finally spot him in a corner of the room and try to push through bodies to get to him, when a sharp clink of a glass echoes through the room, getting everyones attention.

It's Don Viti. He stood there with my father at his side, a glass cup in hand and repeatedly hitting a spoon against it .

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have an announcement to make", he says with a smile tugging on his lips.

Raising his glass towards everyone in the room , he says something that fills my entire body with dread.

“I have made my decision. Massimo Lockwood will marry Aria Revani.”

My eyes snap toward Massimo who was standing 8 feets away.

He looks just as shocked.