ARIA’s POV
Rosaline’s car drove into the compound, and she jumped out, an angry look on her face. She rushed over to me, throwing her arms around me in a tight hug.
“I’m so glad to see you’re not hurt!” she exclaimed, her voice warm and enthusiastic.
I hugged her back, feeling a sense of comfort and familiarity in her embrace. We stood there for a moment, enjoying the warmth of each other’s company.
As we pulled back, I couldn’t help but notice the concerned look in her eyes. “Rose?” I asked, my voice low.
Rosaline hesitated, glancing around nervously before focusing back on me. “Aria, why the fuck are you back here?,” she said, her smile faltering for a moment before she recovered. “You promised never to come back to him, but you’re here again happy with him?”
I looked at Rosaline, my eyes locked onto hers. “Rose, I can explain,” I said, my voice firm but gentle. “Let’s go inside and talk, okay?”
Rosaline’s expression turned from anger to disbelief. “Aria, in there? I’m not going in there, ” she stated.
I felt a surge of frustration, but I remained calm.. “I’ll tell you everything when we go in.”
Rosaline sighed and ran her hand through her hair. “He hurt you, kept you locked up like a prisoner,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “He murdered a person! He’s bad for you!.”
“Rose-“. I asked, and we both laughed
Then, Rosaline’s eyes turned red, her voice barely audible.
“I lost my fucking job because of him! He got me fired!.”
My eyes widened in shock. “What? There’s must be a misunderstanding. ”
Rosaline laughed “Matteo’s a monster, why don’t you get that? You see all the red flags, and you still do nothing? He got me fired, Aria! Fired!”.
Her words stung, and I felt a lump in my throat. “Rose? I swear it, I’ll tell you everything, okay?”
“I lost my fucking job!!”
Rosaline’s words poured out like a torrent, each one a sharp arrow aimed at my heart.
“You’re throwing your life away, Aria! Matteo’s a monster, a manipulator, a user! He’ll never change, never truly love you, never be faithful! He’ll keep hurting you, keep breaking you, until there’s nothing left of you!”
I tried to interrupt, to explain, to make her see reason, but she wouldn’t let me. Her anger and fear for me were too loud, too overwhelming. She kept talking, her voice rising, her words piercing.
“Don’t you remember what he did to you? The bruises, the tears? Don’t you remember how he made you feel? Small, insignificant, worthless? He’s doing it again, Aria, and you’re letting him! You’re letting him destroy you all over again!”
I felt my own anger rising, my own defenses kicking in. “Rosaline, stop! Just stop! You don’t understand, you don’t know what’s going on!”
But she wouldn’t stop. She kept talking, kept yelling, and kept pouring out her anger and fear. “I don’t understand? I don’t know what’s going on? I know exactly what’s going on! You’re being fooled again, Aria! You’re being blinded by your love for him, by your need to be loved, by your fear of being alone!”
Her words stung, they burned, and they cut deep. I felt my eyes welling up with tears, my heart racing with hurt. I tried to speak, to explain, to make her see, but she wouldn’t let me. She kept talking, kept yelling, and kept pouring out her anger and fear.
Finally, she stopped. She ran out of words, out of breath, out of anger. She stood there, her chest heaving, her eyes blazing, her face twisted in a mixture of fear and disgust. And I stood there, looking at her.
“Can we go in?”
She pushed past me and made it for the mansion.
As we entered the mansion, Rosaline’s eyes scanned the room, taking in the decorations and lavish furnishings. But her gaze landed on one person in particular, and her expression turned icy.
Mrs. Fletcher stood by the fireplace, her eyes fixed on us with a stern expression. Rosaline’s eyes narrowed, her lips pursing into a thin line.
“Ah, Mrs. Fletcher,” I said, trying to sound cheerful. “We have a guest. Rosaline, this is… uh… Mrs. Fletcher.”
Rosaline’s greeting was curt, her voice barely above a whisper. “Hello.”
I noticed the way Rosaline’s body language seemed to shut down in Mrs. Fletcher’s presence. It was clear that Rosaline didn’t like her, but I wasn’t sure why. I made a mental note to ask Rosaline about it later.
But in an instant, Mrs. Fletcher’s stern expression transformed into a warm smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners. It was a sudden and drastic change that caught me off guard, and I felt a shiver run down my spine.
“Ah, how lovely to have a guest!” Mrs. Fletcher exclaimed, her voice dripping with sweetness. “Lunch is about to be served, girls. Please, let’s head to the dining room.”
Rosaline’s eyes met mine, and I could see the same wariness reflected back at me. There was something unsettling about Mrs. Fletcher’s sudden change in demeanor, something that didn’t quite add up.
But I pushed the thought aside and followed Mrs. Fletcher to the dining room, Rosaline by my side. As we took our seats at the table, I couldn’t help but wonder what other surprises lay in store for us.
As I plated our food, my eyes landed on the small dish of pickles on the side. Suddenly, a memory flashed in my mind – Gia’s infectious laughter and her quirky obsession with pickles. She would always ask for extra pickles on her plate, and her face would light up with delight.
My thoughts were interrupted by Rosaline’s voice, “Aria?”
I smiled, shaking off the nostalgia. “Just thinking about someone who loves pickles,” I said, trying to sound casual.
Rosaline raised an eyebrow, curiosity evident on her face. “Aria?”
I hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. “It’s Matteo’s sister,” I said finally, hoping to steer the conversation in a different direction.
Rosaline’s face scrunched up in distaste. “You still talk about him? What is wrong with you, Aria?”
I sighed. “Rosaline, you don’t understand this.”
Rosaline scoffed. “You love him!”. She said, and I just stared at her blankly.
She held my hand and asked, “Why?”
Rosaline frowned at the fact that I wasn’t giving her an answer. “He hurt you. I lost my job because of him. He locked you up. Put you in chains like a fucking animal and you care about him?” Her voice was loud and forceful with a sharp tone that could pierce through the air.
Just about when she wanted to open her mouth again to speak, the door swung open, and Matteo walked in, his presence commanding attention. Rosaline’s eyes widened, and she seemed to choke on her saliva, her face turning a shade paler.
I turned to him, my heart skipping a beat. There was something about Matteo that was impossible to ignore, an aura that surrounded him like an invisible cloak. It was a mix of confidence, power, and mystery, a sense that he was hiding secrets behind those piercing eyes.
His gaze swept the room, his eyes locking onto Rosaline for a brief moment before moving to me. I felt a shiver run down my spine as he smiled, his lips curling up in a subtle, enigmatic smile.
“Welcome, Rosaline,” he said, his voice low and smooth. “I see you’re enjoying lunch.”. He had no idea what was being said about him. He had no idea rosaline hated him and what he did to me and to her.
Rosaline’s eyes darted to me, then back to Matteo, her expression unreadable. “You son of a bit-“. I held her hand to stop her from talking, and she took my warning.
He ignored rosaline and pulled me from my chair. He stood in front of me, his chest inches from mine, and his hands reached out to cradle my face.
His fingers wrapped around my jawline, holding me in place with a firm but gentle grip. Then, his lips claimed mine in a kiss that was both fierce and tender.
It was a kiss that spoke of possession, of ownership, of a desire so strong it couldn’t be contained. His mouth devoured mine, his tongue tracing the curves of my lips, his teeth nipping at my skin.
I felt overwhelmed, consumed by the sheer masculinity of his kiss. It was like being swept up in a storm, unable to breathe or think or do anything but surrender to the force of his passion.