9ARIAThe mouth-watering aroma of food woke me up. My stomach growled in approval as I lifted myself up, blinking away the sleep from my eyes.The woman whose name I still didn’t know was pushing a trolly on my side of bed. She left it there and left before I could ask her what her name was.“Serve yourself.” She uttered when she stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her.My eyes went back to the trolly that was filled with all the food that would’ve made me drool. But when my eyes fell on a bowl of hot soup from which steam was rising, my mind flashed back to the past.The mansion was on fire, my friend was burning inside it. The chunks of flesh and blood painting the floor.My appetite evaporated, my mind spun and I looked away from the bowl of soup. I ignored the way my stomach begged for food and laid down, turning my back to the dinner that was sitting on the trolly.Gideon became the dinner of vicious dogs.My stomach churned, my heart ached as I closed my eyes and

11ARIA“You haven’t been eating properly.” He jerked his chin at my body. I hid my surprise because I was preparing myself for his attack. I had thought that he was going to lunge at me and then…well!I blinked rapidly, shooing away the thoughts and focused on him.“Why haven’t you been eating?” I didn’t flinch when his hands landed on my waist as he held me.Because every time I looked at meat, all I could remember was my friend’s pained screams as the dogs ripped his flesh.Every time I saw the steam rising from a dish, my mind took me back to the night when he had burnt down the mansion and my friend.I couldn’t swallow more than a few bites without the food coming back up in my throat.“Where did you go?” I asked, ignoring his question. He didn’t appreciate it, his eyes flashed mercilessly as he bared his teeth at me.Feeling brave, I stood there, water rolling down my body as I stared up at him with a brow raised.His lips twitched; my eyes followed the little movement of his li

13ARIATHE PASTMATURE CONTENT AHEAD. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.It was a dark night.The moon shone, playing hide-and-seek with the lone clouds that wandered across the dark sky dotted with the twinkling stars.It was getting late.Footsteps echoed as the soles of sneakers hit the asphalt footpath. The loud cracking sound made Aria halt in her steps, her face twisting as her body tensed, a shiver rolling through her spine.With stiff movements, she craned her neck, looking over her shoulder, praying to the God to let her make it to her home peacefully.When she saw the empty road and still things behind her, a sigh of relief pushed past her lips. Shaking her head at the dangerous thoughts that kept assaulting her mind, she resumed her steps, adjusting her bag on her shoulder.It had got late.Aria had gone to a classmate’s house, to help in the group project that was assigned to her and her groupmates by the teacher two days ago.It wasn’t her intention to be late but things had gotten mes

15FABIANOTHE PRESENTThree weeks laterSoft footsteps sounded in the silent room as the door opened before it was slammed closed.“Big Master.”Fabiano didn’t reply, he stared out of the window in his room, eyeing the stars and the trees. The weather was good. The mild breeze swept past the trees making the branches and leaves rustle.“Did she eat?” He asked without looking back at the maid.“Just a few bites, Big Master.” Came the reply.Big Master.Fabiano scoffed internally. He was the Big Master now. With his father was alive, he was ‘Little Sir’ and now that his father was dead, he became ‘Big Master’. It wasn’t like he was sad that his father was dead. He was happy. His father was a piece of ass who deserved to die the minute he took his first breath but damn! Life’s cruel. His father lived. He lived and ruined others’ life before he finally died.“Big Master?” The maid called out; her voice was robotic.Fabiano wasn’t surprised. He knew that the maid had been working for his

17ARIAHumiliation.Mortification.Embarrassment.Heat travelled up my neck and my face, coloring my cheeks as I stared at the man sitting in the head chair.I had no doubt that my face was as red as the sauce that was lying on the table. Inside, I was seething. I was enraged and mortified.When Lina came to my room and told me that the Big Master had demanded my presence, I had nearly told her to tell her Big Master to fuck the hell off.But luckily my mind was working.My actions were met with consequences.I had hesitated but my mind was stubborn. The moments of agony I had spent in that ugly cage were in front of my eyes, I had cursed myself to hell for being weak.After the breakdown I had, I vowed not to bow to his feet.And now I was here, burning and seething with dark anger, hoping that he’d just leave me the fuck alone. But I wasn’t lucky.“Come on, doll.” He snapped his fingers and pointed to the floor where his feet rested, “Sit.”He made it sound like he was talking to s