Book One
Aria Rossi grows up is in a family war between her family and the Violante's. This story follows her journey as a young sheltered child through the challenges that arise ahead.
Lies, loyalty, deceit, ambition, pain, trust, love, and fami...
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I wake to hands around my throat, squeezing. I scream but nothing comes out. My nails dig and scratch at Djordje's forearms, trying to drag in breaths. He knelt over me, sweat covering dripping off his bare body. His eyes were open but not seeing. I reach blindly to the nightstand, managing to grab his lamp. My vision begins to darken, my lungs screaming for oxygen. With a last ditch effort, I yank the lamp with my remaining strength, hitting him in the side of the head with it. He falls to the side, jerking awake. I drag in two ragged breaths then roll off the bed, stumbling to the corner. I double over, my body is wracked with coughs as I attempt to breathe.
"Aria! Aria- what did I do?" Djordje freaks out from the bed, scrambling to climb over to me. He gets caught in the sheet, falling as he had one foot on the floor.
I whimper, hyperventilating to get my brain the oxygen it demands. "S-stay back!" I manage to rasp out, shaking. I stagger against the wall, letting its force hold me up.
He extracts himself from the sheets, asking his AI to turn the lights on. I slide down the wall, hands around my throat as I breathe shallowly. Djordje kneels before me, holding his hands up. "Holy shit, I'm so sorry, Aria! I'm sorry!"
"It's ok," I whisper, noticing how disoriented he was in the light. He was naked, his sweat glistening in the overhead light, blood dripping down the side of his head from the blow I delivered. "I'm ok, you just-" I swallow, dragging in another sweet breath of air.
He swallows, putting his face in his hands. "What did I do?" He moans, kneeling back on his heels. "I'm sorry!"
I crawl to my knees, pulling his hands from his face. "I'm ok," I whisper, replacing my hands, lifting his chin. "I'm ok!" He reaches up with a shaking hand, touching my neck. I hiss at the sting, as I realize that I was already bruised. "It doesn't hurt," I lie. "What happened in your dream?"
Djordje shakes, looking down at the floor. "H-he killed her and I couldn't stop him so I had to..."
"Who is he?" I ask quietly, fighting the urge to cough again.
"It was Xander. I just- with everything you've been going through and her... I know he doesn't have her but he had her so I had to kill him for both of you!" His voice still shook, staring at his hands.
Without a word, I lean forward and pull him against me. He tried to push me off, afraid to touch me but I clung to him. "You're going to be ok," I murmured. "I'm ok. I'm not hurt and tomorrow we will begin to track her down, alright?" He nods, letting a small sob escape him. I cough lightly but my heart rate is already calming down. Djordje's heart rate jackhammers against my chest, frightened by his actions tonight.
I thrived best when I took care of others. At Xander's home, there was a guard who just had a baby with a heart defect. His wife and him were unable to afford treatment so I begged Xander to fund it for them. He was so surprised by my plea that he had done it without question. My main servant at his house, Vera, struggled with addiction so I worked with her and a specialist to help her overcome it. Now, it seemed that Djordje also needed my help.
