“She was cheating on you?” Aria asked with widened eyes before she could stop herself.
“Kinda hard to believe right?” he said with a cocky smirk, glancing at her “But yeah, every day with someone new. But I was happy to find out actually”
“What the fuck?” she thought, confused.
“Because I didn’t like her. She got on my nerves and when I found out that she was cheating, I had the opportunity of the lifetime to break it up” he said with a smirk as Aria shook her head and sighed out.
“Cheaters and liars are the people I cannot tolerate” he said seriously and glanced at Aria, who just gulped a little “loyalty is the first thing we learn in the Mafia”
He sighed and shook his head a bit.
“Now tell me” he continued “What did my sister really tell you? Did she tell you her sob story again?”
“Yeah, she told me how her opportunities were snatched from her” she said, her apartment building now coming in the view “about how she didn’t like you for taking it away”
“And?” he questioned, her statement didn’t seem to phase him because he had heard it plenty of times “She should have hated me more remembering all that. What did you say to her?”
She sighed, he wouldn’t just give up before knowing the whole truth “I told her that it wasn’t your fault” the car stopped in front of her building as he turned off the engine and snapped to look at her.
“About how you didn’t have a choice either” she said softly as he stared at her in shock, his raven hair falling over his forehead. It was the first time anyone had ever tried to understand his point of view.
Aria turned in her sat to fully look at him “About how your father forced his wishes on the both of you. You both were victims”
“I was a victim?” he asked as she shrugged and nodded.
“Maybe”
A moment of silence followed as they both stared at each other. Aria suddenly sighed “Well Mr Hayes, I must take my leave now. It’s 12 am now and the Cinderella must return”
She tried to joke with the little humour she’d got but got no expression in return. No word, nothing.
“Well I hope you remember our deal and never bother me again” she said and turned to open the car door but a harsh tug on her left hand made her look at him again.
And before she knew, his lips met her’s in a passionate and slow kiss. Her eyes widened in shock as her heart rate kick-started when he tilted her face to the side to kiss her harder.
His eyes closed as he moaned lowly into the kiss, kissing her roughly. She slowly found herself melting as her hands clutched his suit’s sleeves in a tight grip.
“So good” he mumbled as he nibbled on her lower lip and slowly his eyes fluttered open. His intense honey glazed eyes rooted her to her spot as she struggled to breathe.
Her breath came out rough and ragged against his mouth as he memorized her sharp features and tried to ignore the fake blue in her eyes, imagining the beautiful almond colours of her eyes.
“This is surely not the last time we see each other, Miss Leighton”
Abigor hummed a low tune as he shaved his beard. The hair gels, creams, perfumes, face wash, face scrubs along with millions of other products scattered near the sink.
He was planning on accidentally running into Aria again today and he had to make sure that he looked his best. He knew that she had a performance at a prestigious college today around noon, after which she’ll be free.
He still remembered the mad look she gave him after he had kissed her again two days ago. Her eyes glazed as it bored in his, along with her flushed skin and swollen lips.
His heart speeded up as he remembered her innocent face, trying her best to look mad at him.
“Fuck” he hissed as the blade cut against his rough cheek and a trail of blood flowed down. She was just a silly distraction now but he knew that he had to keep his feelings at check. He cannot go around making another weakness when he already had a huge family to look after.
But he couldn’t stop. No matter how hard he tried. Her face would always surface at the worst possible times and he would always find himself wondering:
“What would Aria do if she was in my position?”
That thought didn’t do him any good though. He found himself sparing the pathetic lives he was meant to take, everyone around him was confused at his sudden change of attitude.
Some would say, he had a change of heart. Others would say he got bored of seeing people dying. Only a few would say that he was in love, because everyone knew it was the least possible one.
His phone ringed, startling him from his chain of thoughts as he looked down to see Karl calling. He looked at the time and noted that it was only 7 am.
It was too early for his shit.
So naturally, Abigor cut his call and pressed tissue over the nick on his cheek. He watched the blood seep through the tissue as his phone started ringing. He frowned and sighed disapprovingly.
“What?” he roared in the phone after picking it up and putting it on speaker, so that he could apply gel in his hair.
“Boss we got a word from the Spanish Mafia” Karl’s unnerved voice came as Abigor continued running his hands through his hair and setting his hair to the perfection.
“And?” he asked.
“Silverio Paulo denied…”
Abigor’s movements stopped as anger flared in his eyes.
“…the missile that you asked for in exchange of your help that is” Karl continued.
“I get that!” Abigor retorted back angrily “Do they know who they are making an enemy?”
Silverio Paulo, the current head of the Spanish Mafia. The man who couldn’t even protect his brother, Salvador Paulo. The younger brother who was found dead in his own bedroom.
“They are taking the Hayes-Paulo pact for granted now. They are overconfident that I wouldn’t attack them because of the crap my father spilled” Abigor snarled while aggressively running his hand through his hair.
“Peace” he scoffed “there’s no such thing as peace”
Karl was quiet all this time, he knew anything he said now would only aggravate his boss further.
“Then” Karl trailed off “What’s the plan now, boss?”
Abigor’s fingers gripped the edge of the sink, his biceps ripped through the thin white shirt and his abs tightened. If the sink was made of glass it would’ve been shattered by now “We investigate”
A confused hum resonated from the other side as Abigor huffed.
“We investigate and find the killer before them and then. . .” Abigor smirked as he took off the blood soaked tissue and stared at it.
“. . . we trade”
“Thank you very much” Aria smiled at the younger audience who just wouldn’t stop clapping and cheering.
“And that was Ms Aria Leighton” the Dean announced while climbing up the stairs which led up to the stage where Aria was standing.
“She’s only a few years older than you all so you should learn and take inspiration from her” Abraham, the Dean, further said as Aria let out a small laugh.
“You flatter me, Mr Abraham”
“Oh but it is true Ms Leighton” he said as all the students started chattering among themselves “anyways, we thank you for your precious time you took out perform at our fest. We’ll be forever grateful”
“You are very much welcome” she bowed in a curtsy manner and walked down the stage and towards the backstage, her new bodyguards following closely behind.
“That was awesome” Kahlil said as Aria walked in the dressing room while taking off her heavy earrings.
She smiled at him “Haven’t seen you much recently, where have you been?”
Aria asked, remembering that Kahlil came home late at night for the last two days and would immediately run off somewhere after her performances. She missed her brother.
Kahlil scratched the back of his neck as he looked down “I’ve been busy” he answered hesitantly as Aria frowned and sighed, knowing exactly where he has been.
“Still after that dog, I see” she commented recklessly as she took out her change of clothes, a simple hoodie and skinny jeans, “I guess my warnings to not get tangled up in the Mafia didn’t work”
His head shot up “Sis you know it’s not like that-”
“Then tell me what it’s like Khalil” she snapped walking towards him, her eyes watered as Khalil gasped in shock. It had been a while since he last saw his sister cry.
“Don’t you remember what happened last time?”
Silence followed as Khalil sighed out defeatedly, his arms going around her shoulders as he pushed her body to his “I’m sorry sis but I just can’t stop”
His words pulled her out of his embrace as she stared at him in disbelief, the first time he had ever disobeyed her “I-I really like Karl” he whispered “maybe you’ll understand when you like someone too”
“Someone who will make you feel alive again, someone who will make your heart race, someone who will make you fall in love” he said in a daze as Aria gulped audibly.
Abigor’s face flashed in front of her eyes unexpectedly as her eyes widened in realization.
No way.
Never.
She stomped inside the washroom without another word, ignoring Kahlil calling her name continuously and slammed the door behind her.
She leaned against the closed washroom door while breathing heavily and her heart hammering against her chest. She clutched her clothes in a tight grip and squeezed her eyes shut.
“Shit”