LOGINAria sat quietly in her room. The morning light casted little rays on her walls as the breeze made the curtains dance. The events of the day before resurfaced in her mind. It was like a truth she didn’t want to believe. It’s not the fact that she had been suddenly arrested, she knew Margaret could pull such, but the reason behind it and how silly it sounded.“Attempted murder,” Aria repeated to herself. On what grounds? She knew if she wanted to, she would expose Sienna and prove that she hadn’t even seen Sienna that day, but now is not the time…a day for the owner, they say.It came to her attention, a sudden realization, that Margaret never really hated her, it was something deeper, more elaborate…she wanted her destroyed. Or perhaps Margaret had some brain damage and is acting based on stupid thoughts in the name of looking out for her child, a grown up twenty-seven year old who couldn’t make decisions for himself.How did she ever fall Into this kind of relationship, or family?
Margaret arrived back at the Blackstone mansion, her face still cold and pale from Aiden’s threat. She quickly grabbed a cup of water and gulped it down, trying not to appear nervous and shaken by what had happened."You think I won’t uncover everything you did to her in the last three years?"Aiden’s words haunted her mind. No matter how much she tried to think about something else, his words kept repeating loudly. It wasn’t what he said, but how he said it and the uncertainty it brought to her. She hated not knowing what her enemy was thinking, and hated it even more when she didn't know what to do about it. Aiden didn’t act out. He was calm, not emotional and effortlessly precise like a ticking bomb.She sat on the couch, gazing into space. "He must be bluffing," she thought. There is no way he knew anything. He was only able to get Aria out through some dirty ways. He must have tipped the officers or something. Although she tried to convince herself that he was just putting on
“This meeting is adjourned,” Aiden said suddenly. Everyone knew how important this meeting had been for Aiden, how much he was invested in it and how he cancelled every other schedule just to have this executive meeting.Amongst the executives of the meeting, his most important client was present. He’d made sure the client was present for this particular meeting, yet, one phone call and he was out like they were just having dinner.They were all confused but no one dared to question him. As he walked out of the room, his assistant, Mike followed him immediately, packing his files and coffee. He knew Aiden well, something supper urgent must have happened.“Is everything okay, sir?” Mike asked quietly as he tried to keep Aiden’s pace. Aiden kept walking. “Call Collins. I want Sienna Rivers’ medical report in five minutes.”Mike nodded: “Noted, sir.” He was still in the middle of dialing Collins’ number before Aiden gave another order.“Call Gerald. Get me the camera footage from Sienn
Aria sat quietly beside Aiden as they were driven home. She kept her gaze outside the window, her breath misting the glass. She watched them drive past malls and parks, watched the people having fun in their little world and wondered if there was anyone out there with a life as dark as hers. Both Aiden and Aria had a lot to say but neither had the strength to start a conversation about it. Aria was on the bad side of it. She couldn’t look at Aiden, not with her now swollen eyes stung with tears that threatened to fall. Tears were a weakness, she always thought. Over the years, she held it all in, she always did. She swallowed lumps of heavy and silent sobs, trying her best not to sniff back the tears running down her nose.Although the car was air conditioned, Aria was hot and boiling. Her heart pounded against her eardrums. She couldn’t hear or feel anything, anything apart from the wild thoughts in her mind. She hadn’t planned to see Gabriel tonight. Just when things had begun t
Aria’s heart pounded violently against her chest, like her heart was beating in her ears. Seeing Gabriel and Sienna standing together after a long time made her forget how to breathe. Aria’s eyes traveled to the point where Sienna’s hand linked with Gabriel’s arm. She shuddered. She gasped and lost her balance. Her feet failed her, but just as her body began to descend, Aiden’s strong arms reached for her. Aiden saw her reaction and stabled her, , his arm form around Aria’s waist like he would never let go. Aria instinctively tried to pull away but every attempt added strength to Aiden’s grip on her. He squeezed ber a little, just a reminder that she wasn’t alone. Gabriel smirked but the bitterness in his eyes was unmistakable. “Since when?” he asked mockingly, raising his voice. Aria turns to him, confused but steady. Anger flashed through her. “Since when what?”“Since when have you been fucking my brother behind my back!” Gabriel’s voice sharpened, husky and aggressive. Aria
Saturday arrived in a blink of an eye. The wind blew through the curtains, making the room extra chilly. Aria sat at the edge of her bed, reviewing the photographs Mila took of her sketches. Mila edits them carefully on her laptop like a professional who knew what she was doing while Aria sits quietly, staring blankly at mere emptiness.Her father’s rejection resurfaced in her thoughts, the way she was thrown out of the house she grew up in, her whole life with Gabriel in University–the promise of always and forever.How easy it was for promises to dissolve like smoke in the air, like cotton candy in water. How stupidly easy it was for Sienna to lie and everyone believed her. Her lies still didn’t make sense no matter how much Aria thinks about it. They were too logical, too explainable.Aria sighed deeply. Painting didn’t come with all these knotted strings, it was like the continual flow of waterfall–so natural and neutral. Painting was the easiest part of her life, but even that w







