44. Aria
44
ARIA
W ith a final glance around my room, I head out into the hallway lit by the soft glow of the afternoon sun filtering through the curtains.
I start walking, my footsteps echoing lightly on the wooden floor. The walls are lined with family photos, each one a frozen moment of time that seems to watch me as I pass. We still haven’t taken down the ones with my father in them. We can’t bring ourselves to just yet.
It’s strange how even when people hurt you, when they hide the truth and betray your trust, love still clings on.
I straighten my shoulders, trying to shake off the nerves. “ It’s just Dimo and your half-brother,” I remind myself. “ Just go downstairs and face them.”
When I reach the top of the staircase, I grip the banister tightly, the faint sound of a conversation below reaching my ears.
I force myself to continue, stepping carefully down the remaining stairs. The voices become clearer.
The foyer comes into view. The high ceiling and large windows have always made the space feel open and inviting, yet the butterflies in my stomach now flutter more wildly. I take another deep breath, before stepping into the living room with a smile planted on my face. My eyes immediately lock with the blonde man standing by the fireplace, breath catching in my throat.
Recognition hits me like a tidal wave. I’ve seen him before. He was the boy in the photo from my father’s files on the Sisterhood . How could I forget?
But that’s not the only reason he’s familiar. I’ve seen him somewhere else. Somewhere that feels like a half-forgotten dream. My mind races, sifting through broken memories, until it lands on that night in the forest when I’d first taken drugs.
I had been wandering aimlessly, drunk and high, the world around me a hazy blur. I’d stumbled upon someone I thought was a figment of my imagination.
But now, looking at Atlas , I know it was him. It had to be.
He gives me a knowing look, and I see the confirmation in his gaze. He remembers too. Holy shit .
We look almost identical. His blonde hair mirrors mine, our facial structures are the same, and we even share the same nose and lips, with the bottom one just a tad larger than the top. It’s like staring at a slightly different version of myself.
There’s only one striking difference— his eyes .
He has heterochromia, one eye a deep, stormy blue and the other a warm, golden brown. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
We stand there, staring at each other for what feels like an eternity. My mind races, yet my body feels rooted to the spot. The room falls silent around us, the only sound my own heartbeat pounding in my ears. Finally , I manage to break the silence.
“ Hi .”
He nods at me, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
“ Aria , this is Atlas . Atlas , this is obviously your sister, Aria ,” Dimo says, pointing between us. I’d almost forgotten he was here too.
I extend a hand and Atlas hesitates briefly before grabbing it.
“ Nice to meet you.”
He nods. Hmmm . The silent type. Is he a mute?
“ Our mother will be joining us for dinner soon, but I thought you two would like a moment to chat before we sit at the table. Yeah ?” Dimo says, looking back at me.
“ Yeah . Of course. If that’s okay with you, Atlas .”
He nods. Okay … I wonder how this conversation is going to go if I can’t get a word out of him.
As soon as Dimo has left, I blurt out, “ It was you, wasn’t it? That night in the forest?”
Atlas nods slowly. “ I had snuck in to get some info from your father’s office. I hadn’t expected anyone to be awake.”
“ I saw a picture of you as a little boy,” I begin, my voice trembling slightly. “ In his files. I felt like I knew you, but I didn’t know why, until now.”
His expression grows somber. “ That makes sense. After my mother was killed, I was taken to the Sisterhood . The nuns raised me until I was old enough to be on my own. But I was kept underground, where no one could see me or know of my existence.”
I shudder at the thought, the horror of it making my skin crawl. How could a father treat his child like that?
Atlas looks away, a hint of pain flickering in his eyes. He seems hesitant to say more, and I can sense the rawness of his emotions. I decide not to push further, dropping the subject for now.
“ I’m sorry for what my father did to you, what he put you through all these years. But I’m glad we found each other, even if the circumstances are complicated.”
He offers a faint smile, the weight of our shared history pressing down on both of us. “ Yeah , me too.”
Seated on the large sofa, I avert my gaze to the carpeted floor and fidget with the hem of my shirt. I’m not sure what to say now.
“ Anxious ?”
My eyes fly up to meet his, and I tilt my head to the side, noticing his tight fists against the arm of the chair. “ Yeah . I guess it takes one to know one.”
He laughs, and I’m surprised to have elicited such a big reaction. “ I guess so.”
“ What’s yours?” Referring to the coping mechanism to relieve stress.
He settles deeper into his seat and extends his arms over the headrest, seeming more relaxed. “ Isolation , probably.”
My mouth turns downward. “ That sounds lonely.”
He shrugs his large shoulders. “ It’s all I know.” His gaze seems distant like he’s looking right through me. As if he’s dissociated from reality. What really happened to you, Atlas ? I want to know, but I’d rather not press him on our first meeting.
He furrows his brows. “ Is that all you do to cope?” he asks, gesturing with his head to my fingers, still playing with the fabric of my top.
I shift in my seat, feeling his scrutiny. “ What do you mean?”
“ Your eyes,” he replies, bringing his elbows to his knees to lean in closer.
My gaze wanders. I blink once, twice, and a single tear rolls down my cheek. I just met him and he’s already making me cry.
“ I obviously don’t know you yet, but I can see the hurt in them. And I can tell you try to mask your pain,” he adds, as if he didn’t just read me like a damn book. His gaze is piercing, unwavering.
I try to maintain an air of calmness despite the tight knot forming in my stomach.
I swallow hard. “ I’m not sure what you mean,” I reply, my voice betraying a hint of unease despite my best efforts.
His expression softens. “ I can see the toll it’s taking on you. It’s not healthy, whatever it is you’re doing.”
A lump rises in my throat, and I avert my gaze.
“ Those things that are weighing you down?” Atlas continues. “ You need to let them go. It’s not worth sacrificing your well-being over. You’re stronger than you think, but even the strongest of us need help sometimes.”
Tears start to spill over, so I squeeze my eyes shut.
I wipe my face and chuckle. “ Such a great first impression, huh?”
He waves me off. “ Nah . I recognize your pain because that’s all I feel.” Raw vulnerability comes through his words. It cuts straight through the tension in the room.
“ There’s something deeper than words that tells me you need support. And for what it’s worth, you have it in me.”
There’s a flicker of something in his eyes—understanding, perhaps, or maybe even acceptance—and it’s enough to break through the walls I’ve erected around my heart.
“ Thank you, Atlas ,” I whisper, the words coming out in a shaky breath. “ I ... I think I needed to hear that.”
A silent vow forms in my heart—to be stronger, not only for my family, but for myself, too.
Whatever Atlas has endured, whatever battles he fought, if he can still find the strength to carry on, then so can I .
Atlas and I join the others in the dining room, momentarily pushing aside the weight of our earlier conversation.
When I turn the corner, I freeze, my jaw dropping.
Standing with Dimitri is Dion .
My mind races, trying to process his unexpected presence.
He stands casually, hands in his pockets, a small smile playing on his lips. My stomach tightens into knots. Why is he here? What if Andrew finds out? When he said he would see me today, I didn’t think he meant so soon. Though I can’t stop the euphoria of seeing him again, of being so close.
I swallow hard, and my mouth suddenly dries. I clasp my hands together to steady myself. Dion’s eyes meet mine, and for a moment, everything else fades away.
We take our seats, and I exchange light banter with Dimitri , our usual dynamic flowing effortlessly as we catch up on each other’s day. My mother has also joined us and is chatting away, seemingly in a better mood than she has been in a few weeks.
My attention keeps drifting back to Atlas , seated beside me, his stoic demeanor casting a shadow over the lively atmosphere. He remains withdrawn, lost in his own thoughts.
I steal glances at him throughout the meal, noting the way his eyes linger on his plate, his silence speaking volumes. And then it hits me— Atlas has spoken to me more than anyone else tonight. It’s a small realization, but it makes me feel oddly special, like a connection is forming between us, one that goes beyond mere sibling ties.
I look around the table, surrounded by some of the people I love most in the world, and my eyes land again on a pair that always steals the air from my lungs.
Dion’s stare on me is like a physical touch, making me want to combust into my chair.
Dinner passes in a blur, my attention divided between polite conversation and the magnetic pull I feel toward Dion .
Though as we gather in the living area afterward, I somehow lose sight of him amidst the chatter and movement. Did he leave already, without saying anything? The uncertainty nags at me, fueling my decision to retreat to my room for the night. I murmur my goodbyes to Atlas , promising to keep in touch, before slipping away.
Once inside my bedroom, I remove my clothes and collapse onto the bed, relief flooding through me. But the solitude doesn’t bring the calm I crave. I close my eyes briefly, mustering the energy to remove my makeup and shower.
The creak of my door opening jolts me from my thoughts, my heart leaping into my throat. Dion’s sudden appearance catches me off guard, and I scramble to my feet.
His gaze travels over me, slowly, deliberately, making my skin tingle everywhere his eyes land. I can feel my heart pounding, each beat echoing in my ears. I instinctively wrap my arms around myself, but it does little to hide the fact that I’m practically naked in front of him.
“ Dion !” I manage to gasp. “ What are you doing here?” I blurt out, my voice shaky.
Dion steps further into the room, his large figure filling the doorway.
His breath comes in ragged bursts, his chest rising and falling with each inhale.
The air crackles with tension, his presence overwhelming, yet intoxicating. My body reacts, heat rising beneath my skin as I back up, the edge of the bed now pressed against my legs.
He blinks, as if snapping out of a trance, and finally averts his eyes. But not before I see a flicker of something in them—something raw and powerful that makes my heart skip a beat.
His gaze then locks onto the bruise marring my arm. “ What is that?”
I swallow hard. Fuck . I didn’t conceal the mark as I decided to wear a long-sleeved top to dinner.
I still have proof of Andrew’s aggression when he visited me in the hospital before I got discharged. I figured it would be barely visible by now, but nothing gets past Dion .
“ It’s nothing,” I mumble, attempting to brush off his concern. But his proximity is suffocating, and I sink onto the edge of the bed.
Dion closes the door behind him. His eyes never leave mine, and I feel a shiver race down my spine.
“ It doesn’t look like nothing ,” he seethes, his voice low and husky. “ Did Andrew do this to you?” he asks, his tone tight with suppressed fury.
I hesitate.
“ Tell me,” he demands, his words coming out shaky with anger.
I shrink under his intense gaze. As he hovers above me, I struggle to find the words to explain, my pulse thundering in my ears. Instead of responding, my eyes dart away, the silent pause giving it away, and Dion loses it.
“ I fucking knew it. I’m going to kill him with my bare hands!” he shouts, his fists clenching at his sides. “ He’s dead. He’s fucking dead.”
“ Dion , please,” I beg, grabbing his arm. “ Don’t do anything. It’s complicated,” I stammer. But Dion’s gaze remains unwavering.
“ Complicated ? The only thing complicated here is deciding how I’m going to make him pay for every bruise, every moment of fear he’s caused you. I had a feeling he’d been hurting you and now he’s going to pay tenfold.”
“ No !” I shout. “ He’ll hurt us.”
Dion’s eyes widen in shock. “ What the fuck do you mean?”
Summoning all my courage, I reveal Andrew’s ultimatum. The air in the room grows thick with tension as I recount the threat he’s been hanging over me all this time.
The look of disbelief on Dion’s face is heart-wrenching. “ Why didn’t you tell me?”
Then , understanding dawns in his eyes.
“ Is that why you rejected me at the engagement party?”
“ Yes ,” I respond, my voice tinged with sorrow as I watch him connect the dots.
“ Has he been hurting you since then?”
I nod silently, but I’m sure my eyes betray the pain I’ve been hiding.
“ I just didn’t want to take the chance of him hurting them. I was terrified that he’d see his promise through, and that he’d potentially hurt you, too. And he almost did. I wouldn’t have been able to survive it.”
“ Aria ,” Dion begins. “ Fuck .” He starts pacing around my room.
“ I almost told you once,” I admit.
“ When ?” he asks, his face snapping toward me.
“ A few months ago, before Angelica and Evander’s wedding. I had reached out to you. I texted you, but you never replied.”
Dion’s brow furrows. “ Is it the day you texted me ‘hey’?”
I nod. His face drops. “ What happened?”
Taking a deep breath, I recount the horrifying memory. “ We were alone at his house for the first time. He ...he tried to come onto me. When I refused, he got aggressive and choked me, then threw me to the floor.”
As the words spill from my lips, Dion’s expression shifts from shock to anger, then to gut-wrenching guilt.
“ FUCK !” he shouts.
He sits next to me, on the edge of my bed, his shoulders slumping. He clutches his head, fingers tangling in his hair as if he’s physically trying to grasp onto the gravity of the situation.
“ I’m so sorry, Aria ,” Dion murmurs. “ I didn’t know.”
Tears well in his eyes, and my heart clenches at the sight. “ Dion , please.” I reach out to touch his arm. “ I didn’t tell you this to make you feel guilty.”
But Dion continues to apologize, his voice cracking with emotion.
“ I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“ Dion ,” I say, grabbing his face. “ It’s not your fault.”
“ I could’ve replied, Aria . I fucked up. You reached out to me, and because of my pride, I left you with him. How can I ever forgive myself?”
“ It’s my mistake for keeping the truth from you. I was just so scared. I still am,” I admit.
I wrap my arms around him and straddle his lap. We hold each other tightly for a long while.
His apologies, whispered in my ear, gradually transform into gentle kisses trailing down my throat and along my shoulders.
His lips ignite a fire within me, and I can’t help but respond, my body reacting to his touch.
I tilt my head, offering him better access, emitting the smallest of mewls as he continues to explore my skin. Dion’s groan against my neck gives me goosebumps; he bites me, marking me as his own.
My breath hitches when his lips find the scar along my chest, the reminder of the incident that almost claimed me.
Dion pauses, his mouth hovering over the raised skin. His fingers trace the outline, tender and reverent. “ You’re so beautiful,” he whispers, his breath warm against my scar. “ So strong.”
His words seep into me, filling spaces I didn't know were empty. As he grazes the mark with his lips, a tear slips down my cheek. I close my eyes, leaning into his touch.
I feel his arms wrap around me, pulling me closer, his kisses turning into slow, deliberate caresses. My skin tingles where his lips have been, my body melting into his embrace. “ Thank you,” I manage to whisper.
With a swift movement, he twists us around, laying me down on the bed. His expression morphs from sadness and regret to frenzied urgency and desperation. Within a fraction of a second, he pulls me toward the edge of the bed, gets on his knees and spreads my legs open. Holy fuck .
My entire body trembles as I prepare to feel his mouth on my center.
I gasp for air when Dion pushes my panties aside and dives in.
“ Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck.” Somehow , I’m so fucking close already. “ Please don’t stop, baby,” I beg. He doesn’t come up for air once.
Pressure builds in my abdomen as Dion flicks his tongue side to side at a fast pace. “ I’m right there,” I moan. A powerful surge of pleasure releases deep in my core, washing over me in intense waves. My entire body is consumed. “ My perfect little liar. You taste better every time,” he praises. “ Now , I’m going to stick my cock so far up your mouth, you’ll feel it down your throat. A warning to never keep anything from me again unless my dick is choking you, preventing you from taking a full breath. Then , I’m going to fuck you and fill you with my cum as a reminder of who owns you. Understood ?”
I nod.
His palm wraps around my throat. “ Say it out loud.”
“ Yes ,” I mutter, tingles rising up my spine.
Using his hand, he pulls me by the neck into a seated position, unbuckling his trousers. “ Get on your knees, astéri mou .”
I scramble to the floor.
“ Open wide,” he instructs.
I’m not able to take a full breath before Dion shoves his length between my lips, and I choke.
With no mercy, he starts fucking my mouth until saliva runs over my chin and tears travel down my cheeks.
“ Fuck , baby. Your tears are going to be my ruin,” he grunts, his hand reaching out, fingers gently brushing my skin. “ Look at me,” he orders.
When my gaze reaches his, he pulls out his phone from his back pocket and takes a picture. My eyes widen; I try to speak, but Dion holds my head in place, giving me a strong thrust that causes me to gag. “ Don’t worry, Riri baby. It’s for my eyes only. I just want a memory of you crying for me.”
Then , he suddenly pulls out.
“ Get back on the bed on all fours,” he demands.
Once I’m bent over in front of him, he whips out his belt and ties it around my ankles. Soft fabric grazes my face as he blindfolds and gags me. My heart threatens to jump out of my chest. What is he planning ? “ Dion , what are you doing?” I ask, my voice muffled.
Cold metal lands on my ass cheek, and I flinch. Oh , my fucking God . “ Dion …” I mumble.
Deciding to ignore me, he caresses my skin with the object, letting it sweep over my pussy, and I shudder.
He breaks the silence. “ No one has the right to hurt you. No one,” he growls. “ Except me .” His low, menacing voice makes my hair stand on end.
His words chill my bones, but it’s mixed with excitement. He teases my entrance, and I’m paralyzed, frantic thoughts now consuming my brain. What is he touching me with?
Dion notices the way my body goes rigid, and chuckles, a devious sound. “ Don’t worry, little liar. It’ll feel good. And if it doesn’t, I want your pain to become mine.” Right before he inserts the object, he adds, “ I’m the only one allowed to cause you anguish because I’m the only one who truly understands it. Who truly understands you .”
He pushes the tip inside, and I cry out.
“ It’s about marking your soul in a way that makes you irrevocably mine,” he adds, finally pushing the metal all the way in, and I sob against the gag.
Dion slowly inches the object in and out of my opening, sending butterflies all the way down to my toes. Is he going to make me come like this?
“ This is the most beautiful sight,” he says. “ My gun slipping in and out of your tight cunt. You’re so fucking wet for me, little liar.”
I’m rooted to the spot. There’s a loaded gun inside my vagina, and it’s turning me on. Very much so . And I don’t understand it. I don’t understand me .
My legs try to wriggle against the belt around my ankles, but I can’t move. I also can’t see, all my other senses enhanced.
“ Please , fuck me. I need your cock,” I urge. I need more.
“ Your wish is my command,” he replies, pulling out the gun.
But before he proceeds to do so, he wraps my hair around his palm and jerks my head back. My breath gets trapped in my throat.
He tugs off the fabric around my mouth, and something cold and wet presses against my it. “ Open up.”
I hesitantly do as Dion says, and he nudges the gun into my mouth, my lips quivering around it.
“ Look at how turned on you got by me fucking you with my gun. My perfect little poutána . How do you taste against the bitter metal, baby?” he taunts.
I moan around the iron, slurping my wetness. I feel so fucking dirty .
When he’s satisfied with my compliance, he takes the weapon out of my mouth and throws it onto the bed.
Not wasting another moment, he positions his hard dick at my entrance, and pushes himself inside in one go.
“ Fuuuck ,” he whimpers.
The feeling of him filling me up causes electric currents to pulsate through my veins.
The sounds of our bodies connecting echoes throughout my bedroom. I struggle to control my volume— I wouldn’t want Mama or Dimo to hear us.
Dion thrusts in and out of me until I’m a withering mess. He leans over me, putting some of his weight on my back, and pushes my face into the mattress, stunting my breathing again. “ Stay with me, baby,” he says. “ You’re about to get really loud.”
That said, he increases his speed, his movement becoming frantic. And he’s everywhere. Deep in my guts, in every nerve ending, in all my thoughts.
Keeping one hand on my head, he uses the other to grab my hip, digging his fingers into my skin, and I hiss against the sheet. Fuck . This . Feels . So . Good .
Smack . Smack . Smack . The sound of his crotch connecting with my ass is rhythmic.
His grunts and growls turn into desperate whimpers.
He’s close, and so am I .
“ Come for me, little liar,” he encourages.
“ Oh , God ,” I repeat over and over, until I’m devoured by my orgasm.
I close my eyes, fireworks exploding behind my lids.
My climax is powerful—overwhelming.
Dion releases inside me after a few more plunges.
And I cry. I wail. Tears stream down my cheeks uncontrollably. The intensity of the moment, the connection between us, it’s all too much.
I can’t help but let it all out, my heart laid bare before him.
I love him, I love him, I love him.
I’m in love with Dion . Irrevocably , deeply in love.
It’s a truth that settles over me like a warm embrace, comforting yet terrifying.
I’ve been foolish to think I could just push these feelings away; pretend they didn’t exist.
I love him, and nothing can change that. Not the distance, not the silence, not even the fear that Andrew might be watching.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath, my body shaking with sobs.
Dion pulls out and his strong arms wrap around me.
“ It’s okay, astéri mou ,” he murmurs softly. “ I’ve got you.”