EPILOGUE
“Did we really have to come back here?”
Aria asked playing with her newly colored raven hair as she sat in the chair of his previous apartment. The one he had bought just to stay beside her.
They had just arrived from their world tour yesterday and Abigor already had a fully furnished, newly bought mansion waiting for them.
She loved the antique yet modern touch in the whole mansion along with the largest piano she had ever seen. It was made of glass with a lining of pure gold.
She had no doubt that it cost a big chunk of money, but he spent it like loose change.
“I just had a few things left here,” he said while packing up his laptop while she ran her gaze around the apartment.
She knew her previous apartment was just a door away but she didn’t have the courage to go look at it. The memories of Kahlil hit her like a truck.
She hadn’t heard from him since the last time but she hoped he was doing okay.
Karl however had fully shut himself down, he had turned into a workaholic rejecting Abigor’s invitation to come over and have dinner with them many times.
She sighed as she looked over at the dining table at the corner.
“You moved the table?” she asked because she distinctly remembered noticing that it was in the middle when-
Oh shit.
“Yeah kept hitting my damn foot in the-” he stopped mid-sentence as she emerged out of the room with a suitcase behind him and a suspicious look in his eyes “How do you know I moved it? I moved it even before you knew I bought the apartment.”
“I. .” she hesitated as she watched him making his way towards her and grasping her chin in his hand, forcing her to look at him “I knew because I forced the previous tenant out before I met you.”
“Because you knew I would like to move closer to you, and it would make your plan easier?” It wasn’t a question on his part but a realization as she nodded sheepishly.
“I cannot believe I got played so bad” he chuckled without humor. No wonder the apartment was easily available beside her in such a posh and high-demand area.
He remembered finding it strange at that time but he had discarded it because he was blind in love at that time.
He went down on his knees and glared at her, now at eye level as she squirmed in embarrassment.
“You are due a lot of punishment, little girl,” he mumbled as he took her lower lip between his teeth and pulled it brutally.
She grasped his shoulder tightly as her phone pinged loudly, shocking the both of them for a second.
“Who is it?” he growled in raged possessiveness as she shook her head and picked up her phone.
Aria’s heart warmed as she stared at the picture Anna had sent her.
She stood with her son, Jacob in her arms, kissing him lovingly while her husband, Ethan Buterin, stood beside her with a newborn baby girl in his arms while smiling widely at the camera.
We named her Anastasia. You and Abigor have a niece now!
Aria showed him the picture and he stared at it for longer than necessary, before a small smile cracked on his face “Sweet” he mumbled kissing the palm of her hand.
“I want one too” his voice was barely above a whisper but his honeyed eyes shining in love spoke volumes.
Her heart thumped and a blush broke out on her face.
“Stop taking the pills from now on” he ordered as he bit her fingers in his hand sensually and slowly.
She blushed harder and looked away.
“I don’t want premarital pregnancy” she mumbled trying to take her hand away, when she felt coldness in her hand.
Her head snapped back at her fingers when she saw a beautiful diamond ring on her ring finger.
“Guess I’ll have to marry you then” he teased as he kissed the ring which fit her ring finger perfectly.
“Abigor” she whispered with emotions making her voice heavy as she jumped on his kneeling figure and kissed him deeply.
He squeezed her small body to his and kissed back as fervently. She hugged him tighter and buried her face on his neck.
“Say something baby” he mumbled in her ear as she nodded continuously.
“I love you” she chanted it over and over again as she kissed all over his face making him smile out wide.
In the same place he had announced his love for the first time to her, they decided to bind their fates forever. Life couldn’t be more beautiful than to love someone and have them love you back.
He hugged her tightly “I love you too” he mumbled “Now and forever.”
Approximately 4 years later
Aria laid on her stomach on the picnic blanket under the cherry blossom tree and watched with a wide smile Abigor chasing their 3-year-old daughter while she laughed maniacally at her Dad.
Penelope Hayes, 3-year-old with shiny raven hair and dark honeyed eyes, inherited from her father. She was born just a few months after their wedding.
She had rocked Abigor’s world as he found his hands full in protecting his 2 girls, his possessiveness has been through the roof since then.
She smiled as she looked down at the two diamond rings on her finger and clutched the sunflower pendant around her neck. The memories of their wedding came flooding back.
She wore a beautiful hand crafted wedding dress that cost millions with her mother’s hairpiece as her something old.
While Abigor looked devilishly handsome in a three piece armani suit and his dark hair slicked back.
It was a small intimate wedding with Sylvia as her bridesmaid and Karl as the best man.
Anna’s daughter, Anastasia was the flower girl, which was really just Anna carrying her since Anastasia was still pretty newborn then. Jacob, Anna’s son was a small shy flower boy.
She still remembered Sylvia’s gift to her. Silverio’s chopped-up hand preserved in some shiny liquid holding a sunflower.
“I knew you’ll love it”
Were Sylvia’s words as Aria and Abigor had shared an awkward glance and thanked her. That atrocious gift still laid in an abandoned room in their mansion, away from everyone’s sight.
They put it on display whenever she came to visit of course.
Sylvia and Jorje had gotten married 2 years later and were now the Don and Donna of the Spanish mafia.
Kahlil had also made his presence at their wedding. He sent her a collection of different colored pebbles along with a book of “How to Throw Pebbles” referencing their past.
She had laughed loudly and unlady-likely on her own wedding as Abigor had glared down at the gift. It was good for Kahlil that he didn’t show his face to either of them.
Or Abigor would have turned their wedding day, bloody.
Meanwhile, Karl sat outside the view of everyone, drinking beer. His heart was still in pain after all the time that had passed.
He felt movement and instantly pulled out his gun, pointing at the figure standing in a dark 3 piece suit with a small smile.
The gun in his hand shook as he stood up in a start. His gun lowered as Kahlil made his way towards him and tears filled their eyes.
Aria didn’t know what had happened after that but she did know that Karl and Kahlil were back together. Though Karl was careful about mentioning him in front of Abigor because he knew how he felt.
She was just happy to have the old Karl back, seeing him depressed and sad had made her feel bad for him.
Aria would sometimes smile and ask Kahlil how he was doing when they met, all the bitter memories forgiven. He would smile back and say he was okay now that he had seen her.
The bond that they once shared was shattered but they still held on to the broken pieces and used Karl as a bridge to communicate.
Aria liked the way things were as long as she had her husband by her side.
Abigor’s parents were neither happy nor angry at their decision to get married. They had quietly attended the wedding and gifted Aria a mansion in Hawaii.
She sighed as her thoughts were broken by the shrill cry of a baby beside her.
She turned to look at her 6-month-old son in a portable travel bassinet looking up at her with teary honeyed eyes.
He was his father all over which sometimes annoyed her because she was the one carrying both of her kids for 9 months, yet, they looked like true copies of him.
“You hungry little Atlas?” She sat up and pulled him out from the bassinet and freed her breast from her maternity dress.
She chuckled as the kid latched onto it like his life depended on it.
“Why don’t you ask your father for milk, huh?” she taunted the little kid as he sucked the milk without a care “No reply. Who cares about mom anyway as long as she feeds you, am I right little monster?”
She watched amusingly as Atlas unlatched from her breast for a moment and blinked up at her.
Her heart melted as she helped him drink “Drink more, baby. Drink as much as you like-”
“Aria” she heard her husband’s clipped voice as she looked up at him.
“Where is Penny?” she looked for her daughter as Abigor sat in front of her, his sharp gaze sweeping the area carefully.
“Making a flower crown” his hard voice mumbled as she frowned at him but looked over his shoulder to watch her daughter in a sunflower dress collecting flowers.
A small smile graced her face “Tell her to be careful, the last time she did that, she cut her finger with a leaf and cried for 2 weeks when she couldn’t play the piano”
Penelope had picked up her mother’s love for piano and was a master in making. Her love for piano matched that of her mother’s.
She still remembered Penelope’s little eyes wide in wonder when Aria had finally played the glass piano after years of struggle. Now music flowed through her veins once again and she had learned to forgive herself.
She still flinched when she heard the name Mia from Abigor’s mouth sometimes but the feeling of captiveness and immense sadness had disappeared.
No more colored contact lenses, no more fake hair color. She accepted herself and the way she was.
Abigor’s love for her was enough to bring her out of her shell and see the future which was always blurry for her before.
Now she could see it, clear and beautiful.
“I remember, I was there” he gritted out as he glared at her.
She finally frowned “What’s wrong honey?”
She brought out the endearment when she sensed danger, as she smirked internally.
Some of Abigor’s anger melted away, even after all these years, he was helpless from her charms.
“I told you to stop bringing your tit out in public, you don’t know what kind of creeps are out here” he grumbled “That’s why I don’t like bringing you three out, always sending my blood pressure even higher than Mount Everest.”
She laughed as she cupped his jaw with her free hand “Your son was hungry, did you expect me to leave him starving?”
She tucked herself away as Atlas finished his meal and dozed off again. He picked their son from her arm and kissed his cheek, putting him down on the bassinet.
“Little monster” he grunted making her chuckle “Use the bottle next time.”
Aria shrugged and kissed him playfully while giving him a wide smile “You make me so happy Mr. Hayes” she mumbled out of nowhere.
Both his hands grabbed the side of her head and pulled her in for a deeper kiss “You make me the happiest, Mrs. Hayes.”
The end