ARIA’s POV
I burst into tears, my body shaking with sobs. I rushed to Carter, begging him to explain why was he doing this to me. Why he was siding with Anthonio, the man who had kidnapped me and was determined to destroy my life.
But Carter just stared at me, his eyes cold and unyielding. He didn’t say a word and didn’t offer any explanation or comfort. He just stood there, his silence deafening.
I felt a wave of despair wash over me, my heart heavy with grief. I had trusted Carter, had thought he was my friend. But now, I realized he was just like all the others – willing to use me for his own gain.
I sank to my knees, my tears falling like rain. I felt like I was drowning, suffocating under the weight of Carter’s betrayal. I didn’t know how much more I could take, how much more I could survive.
“Why did you do this?”. I asked.
“Aria, I love you,” he whispered, his voice trembling with emotion. “I know this isn’t the right time, but I can’t keep it inside anymore. I love you, and I want to be here for you to support you through this.”
I looked up at him, my eyes blurry with tears. His gaze was filled with sincerity, with a deep affection that I couldn’t deny. But my heart didn’t skip a beat. I didn’t feel the same way.
“Carter, I…” I hesitated, not wanting to hurt him. “I care about you deeply, but not in the same way. I do not love you”. I said, but he smiled and nodded.
“I know”. He said. “I’ve always known you loved him, but you never said it.”
“Let me go, Carter”. I whispered.
Carter grabbed my arm as he lowered himself to my height.
I lay on the cold, hard floor, my body shaking with sobs. Carter’s grip on my wrists increased, refusing to relent. I pleaded with him, my voice hoarse from crying.
“Carter, please, you have to listen to me. Let me go. ”
I struggled to free myself, but Carter’s hold only tightened. I looked up at him, my eyes streaming with tears.
“You once said you care about me, Carter. You said you love me. But now, you’re just like him keeping me captive, controlling me. Is that what you want? To be just like Matteo?”
My voice cracked as I continued, desperation pouring out of me.
“I want to be free, Carter. I want to make my own choices and live my own life. I want to feel the sun on my face without permission, to breathe without fear. Is that too much to ask?” I paused, gasping for air, my chest heaving.
“If you truly care about me, Carter, you’ll let me go. You’ll give me the freedom I so desperately crave. Don’t keep me trapped in here with that crazy man. Please, have mercy on me.”
Carter’s laughter sent shivers down my spine. It was a cold laugh that made my skin crawl. He wet his lips, his eyes glinting with a sinister light that made my heart race with fear. I tried to squirm away, but his grip only tightened.
“Aria, Aria, Aria,” he whispered, his voice dripping with condescension. “You really think you have a choice? Do you think you can just leave and start a new life? You’re so naive.”
His laughter grew louder, more maniacal, and I felt a chill run down my spine again. Something was wrong. Carter’s behavior was unsettling and unpredictable. I tried to reason with him, but my words were lost in his cackling.
“Carter, stop it! What’s wrong with you?” I demanded, trying to keep my voice steady.
But he just laughed some more, his eyes gleaming with a madness that terrified me. I realized, with a jolt of horror, that I was trapped at the mercy of a man who seemed to have lost his grip on reality.
“Carter, please,” I whispered, trying to appeal to whatever humanity was left in him. “You’re scaring me. Just let me go.”
But my words fell on deaf ears. He just kept laughing, his eyes fixed on me with an unnerving intensity that made my heart race with fear. I knew, in that moment, that I was in grave danger.
Then, he stopped laughing abruptly as he leaned on the wall opposite me. His gaze drank my entire frame.
“I hate him. He ruined me. He would hurt me every time I made a mistake! He hurt me!”. He yelled. “The furnace wasn’t the only time. My body is filled with scars he gave me!”. He ripped his shirt apart, and I saw the scars. Ugly scars littered all over his chest. He threw his shirt to the ground and smiled at me. “But when I saw you for the first time, I knew you’d break him. Make him soft, but I didn’t know you’d do the same thing to me”. He said as he pushed his hair out of his face.
“He told me to hurt myself because I wronged him!”. He was shaking, and I saw streams of tears on his face. “He broke me!”. I coughed and wiped his tears away. Then, he paced up and down the room.
“I loved you right from the moment I saw you, Aria. You looked so innocent. Perfect and innocent that I was afraid Matteo would ruin you, but he was careful. I guess he loves you way more than he loved Daya”.
“No-”
“Yes! He does, but I promise you, Aria. I love you more than that animal ever would. He took me away from my family cause my father couldn’t repay his debt. He bought me off my father’s hands. He ruined my life so I could serve him and his mafia family! He’s killed children! Men! Women! He’s a fucking monster, Aria. He doesn’t deserve you”
The sound of the gunshot echoed through the room, making my heart skip a beat. Carter’s eyes widened in terror as he jerked in fear, his eyes wide open. He whispered the name, “Matteo,” with a mix of fear and reverence. Panic set in as he frantically patted himself down, searching for a weapon. Finding none, he turned and ran out of the room, leaving me stunned and shaken.
I took advantage of the distraction to make my escape, dashing out of the room just as Carter had. But what I saw made my blood run cold. A group of men, dressed in black and armed to the teeth, were gearing up in the hallway. They moved with a precision that suggested they were preparing for battle.
My heart racing, I ducked behind a large flower pot, holding my breath as the men began to file out of the house. Their footsteps echoed through the hallway, growing fainter as they disappeared out of my sight. I waited, frozen, until the silence was absolute.
But as soon as I was about to make my escape, a hand closed around my hair, yanking me out of my hiding spot. I cried out in pain as I was dragged backward, my scalp burning. I stumbled, my feet tangling in the pot’s base, as I was pulled into the merciless grip of Antonio Rossi. His eyes blazed with a mad intensity, his smile twisted and cruel. “Aria, my dear, you’re coming with me,” he hissed, his breath hot against my ear. I struggled, but his hold was so strong that I believed I would have a bruise. I was trapped, at the mercy of a man who seemed to delight in my terror.
Rossi’s grip only tightened as he dragged me through the darkened hallways, the silence broken only by my own ragged breathing. I knew I had to think, to come up with a plan, but my mind was a jumble of fear and panic. I was at the mercy of a monster, and I had no idea what laid in store for me.