Third Person POV
It was a tense night for the sisters.
Angel tried sketching something to steer her mind clear of the panic that was just a thought away.
On the other hand, Aria paced around in her room, unable to sleep.
Her aunt's words kept repeating in her brain and that pained smile of her sister kept flashing in her mind.
She knew that no matter what the reason is, she would never come to dislike Angelina.
That was crystal clear to her.
But, to even think for a second that her aunt's emotions and actions felt justified was driving her guilt.
She did feel bad for her aunt, but that didn't mean she disliked Angelina.
Along with the guilt that already sprouted in her heart, another one added to it when she asked Angelina to leave her alone.
Aria halted in her tracks and palmed her face in regret.
She had acted on impulse and she knew she messed up.
Feeling suffocated in her room, she walked out and walked to the garden behind the mansion.
A series of small lamps along the garden pathway lit up the dark night.
She walked towards a bench and sat down facing the endless green garden, her back facing the mansion.
In the past few months of her arrival, she had never faced a situation like this.
No matter what the situation was, she always shared it with her sister and now having to keep the truth from her sister was making it hard.
Aria wanted to tell Angel everything that she got to know and all the emotions she felt and all the thoughts that coursed through her brain.
She also wanted to confess that at one point she felt her aunt's thoughts were justified, but later realized that no matter what she can never dislike her sister.
She wanted to tell everything to Angel even if it meant disappointing her, because she can then also tell her sister how much she loves her and how important she is to her.
But to do all that, she would have to tell the truth about her mother and about what the elders in the family thought about Angelina all these years.
And she couldn't do that for two reasons.
One, because aunt Nina asked her to not tell anything she told to anyone of her siblings or cousins.
Two, she didn't want Angel to get hurt. The moment when she doubted if she herself was the product of her mother's rape, cold chills ran down her spine. She couldn't accept it and her heart clenched painfully.
She knew Angel would feel worse if she told her that the elders thought she was the product of her mother's trauma.
She knew her sister would blame herself and that was the last thing Aria wished for her sister.
So, she couldn't tell the truth and without telling the truth, she wouldn't be able to confess her feelings and without confessing her thoughts and feelings, she would never be able to look Angel in the eyes.
The helplessness was eating her from the inside.
Aria was getting more and more restless, not knowing what she should do.
She couldn't call any of her brothers because again she can't tell them what their aunt told her.
She clenched her eyes tightly and took a deep breath.
"Are you okay, princess?", a sudden voice startled her.
Aria whipped her head to the side and looked at her nonna(grandmother) standing beside the bench.
Aria released a relieved sigh and nodded at her grandmother.
Bianca frowned a little and sat beside her granddaughter.
"Are you sure you're okay?", Bianca asked with a concerned frown.
She could see how agitated Aria looked no matter how much she schooled her expressions.
"Yeah, I'm fine, nonna.", Aria replied with a small smile.
Bianca could see that smile didn't reach her eyes.
The little girl was masking her emotions.
Bianca gently pulled Aria into a hug and patted her head gently.
"You don't have to mask your emotions, princess. You have all of us to solve your worries. You have such a big family and this family will not let you shoulder your worries on your own. So, tell me, child, what's troubling you?", Bianca asked gently.
Aria felt overwhelmed by her nonna's love and hugged her tight.
But, she didn't say anything to answer the question.
Though she liked her nonna, she knew that even she didn't like her sister. So telling her about what she was thinking was of no use and Aria knew it.
"What is it, child?", Bianca asked gently, stroking Aria's hair.
"You don't have to hide anything from us, princess. Just say it and we can handle it for you.", Bianca said.
Aria gently broke the hug and smiled at her grandmother.
"There's really nothing, nonna. I just couldn't sleep.", Aria said with a smile, looking at her nonna.
Bianca sighed, understanding that the girl was as stubborn as her father.
"Fine. But, don't hesitate to tell us if anything is wrong.", Bianca said with a warm smile.
"Sure.", Aria smiled.
"Mama, why are you still awake at this hour of the night?", Rosario's voice came from behind, startling the two of them.
"My goodness! Don't scare us like that, Ros!", Bianca exclaimed, looking at her son.
"I didn't mean to scare you, mama. You should go and sleep. It's not good for your health to stay up late.", Rosario said calmly, looking at his mother.
Bianca shook her head.
She knew her son wouldn't take a no for an answer. He is very stubborn when it concerns her health.
She looked at Aria and kissed her on the forehead gently.
"Goodnight, hon.", Bianca said with a smile.
"Goodnight.", Aria wished with a small smile.
Bianca stood up and walked to her son.
"You should go and get some sleep too, Ros.", Bianca said calmly.
"I can't.", Rosario said calmly, looking at her.
Bianca released an annoyed huff and walked away.
Aria didn't know if she should stay or leave.
She hadn't talked to her uncle apart from formal greetings, so she had no idea what to do or say.
To make matters more awkward, her uncle walked towards the bench she was sitting on and stood a few feet away, staring at the sky.
Aria sat there awkwardly staring at the garden.
"Are you fond of your sister?", Rosario asked calmly.
Aria jumped a little startled at the sudden interruption in the silence.
"Huh?", Aria asked, confused.
"Are you fond of your sister?", Rosario repeated his question calmly, still staring ahead at the dark sky.
"I am.", Aria said with a frown.
She wondered why he was asking that all of a sudden.
"Do you love her?", Rosario asked.
"Yes.", Aria said.
It was an unnecessary question.
Of course, she loved her sister!
"To what extent do you love her?", Rosario asked.
Aria's frown deepened.
What kind of question was that?
"How can I answer that question? How can there be a measurement for love and affection?", Aria questioned.
Rosario chuckled slightly.
"Of course, you can't measure love.", he said calmly.
"Why are you asking me all this, uncle Ros?", Aria questioned.
She doubted if he too disliked her sister.
More than that, she wondered what kind of person he is.
Both Aurelio and aunt Nina described Aurelio's mother differently.
Somehow, Aria believed Aurelio more.
That left her with a question as to what kind of person her uncle is.
"I just want to give you advice, Arianna.", Rosario said calmly.
Aria looked at her uncle who still didn't look at her.
"Trust your own instincts and judgment more than anyone else's. It will leave you with little to no regrets.", he continued.
"I didn't understand.", Aria confessed with a frown.
"When you do things according to your own decisions and judgment, you'll have lesser regrets. When you get affected my someone else's words or judgement, you'll end up making wrong decisions.", Rosario said.
He paused and looked at his niece.
"Life is too short to be acting according to someone else's wishes. You might understand a person's feelings and actions, but that doesn't mean you have to change yourself like them. You may show them a little empathy and compassion, but you don't have to change your way of viewing people around you.", he said calmly.
Aria's frown cleared and she looked at her uncle with a troubled gaze.
"You know whom to trust. Trust those people who you know will never lead you astray. Seek advice from those who would always think of your benefit and follow those people who will lead you to happiness. But, it is your decision to choose whom to trust more.", he said, looking straight in her eyes.
"There may be different people you'll trust, but when you have to choose, you should have a clear line between whom you'll trust more.", he said firmly.
Aria looked at him with a slightly puzzled look.
She understood that he was hinting at something that's happening, but she still needed time to completely figure out his advice.
Rosario's gaze slightly softened looking at his niece.
"You really do look like your mother.", he said calmly with a gentle edge to his tone.
Aria looked at him with a small smile.
"I can see your way of thinking is also similar to her.", he said, chuckling.
"Though I already heard about my mom from my brothers and also aunt Nina, I still want to know what kind of person she was according to you.", Aria asked with a smile and eyes shining with excitement and specks of pride.
Rosario walked to her and sat beside her.
"Well, she was kind and had a huge heart. But-", he said and paused.
"But?", Aria probed.
"She was a little stubborn when it comes to arguing with me.", he said, chuckling lightly.
"What kind of bond did you share with her?", Aria asked excitedly.
"A weird one. We used to argue about everything and anything. It was funny, but we enjoyed arguing. Ric used to get annoyed at our constant bickering.", he said laughing.
Aria giggled at that.
"I was really excited to introduce Cia to her, but- ", he was saying, but suddenly stopped and his gentle expression turned stoic in a split second.
Aria frowned at the sudden change in the atmosphere.
"Cia?", she asked with a frown.
As far as she knew, there was no one in the family with that name.
Rosario cleared his throat.
"It's really late in the night, Aria. We should go and sleep now.", he said calmly, standing up.
Aria wanted to say something, but kept quiet realizing something had changed her uncle's mood.
He looked at her gently.
"Just remember one thing, Aria. Always trust your own judgment, learn to stand for your own feelings and take a stand for those whom you love.", he said, looking straight in her eyes.
Aria didn't say anything, but nodded anyway.
He gave her a small smile and gently ruffled her hair.
"Goodnight, princess.", he wished gently and walked away.
Aria sighed and decided to go back to her room.
She had a lot on her mind and she knew she needed rest to think clearly later on.
A few minutes earlier,
Angel kept aside her sketch book and walked towards the window in her room.
She sat at the windowsill and stared at the sky.
She looked down at the garden and frowned seeing her sister sitting in the garden with their nonna.
They were hugging each other and the old lady was saying something with a gentle gaze.
Angel wondered what they were doing late in the night.
A moment later she saw Aria saying something to her grandmother with a smile.
Angel felt a strange pang in her heart.
She was genuinely happy for Aria for bonding well with the elders in the family.
But at that moment, Angel felt a strange emotion in her heart that made her heart race.
She was yet to discover that it was fear.
Until today, she didn't feel it, but today after the small rupture with Aria, a strange fear gripped her heart.
She was scared to lose her sister.
Aria was still talking to the old lady with a small smile.
Angel felt her heart clenched tightly and walked away from the window.
She sat on the bed and breathed heavily.
She looked at the sketch book on the bedside table and threw it on the ground in anxiousness.
She always felt bad and hurt when the elders in this family ignored her and taunted her.
She used to cry a little, but with time she came to live with that pain.
Despite all that, she was still happy that they at least love Aria genuinely.
But, she knew she wouldn't be able to handle it if Aria turned away from her.
Over the months, she had come to love her sister dearly and she knew she wouldn't be able to bear it if Aria starts to dislike her.
Did Aria really start disliking her?
Was she being annoying?
Did she intrude too much into her sister's private space?
Was she being clingy, always hanging around Aria?
Does she need to give some space to her sister?
All such thoughts started plaguing her mind, making her more and more restless.
She wanted assurances and it was only Aria who could give her that.
Angel curled up on her bed and closed her eyes tightly.
The more she kept thinking, the worse her thoughts were getting.
Eventually, all the tiresome thinking lulled her to sleep.
The next day.
A new morning always brought pleasant beginnings.
But unfortunately, this new day was only going to bring more trouble to the sisters.
Aria completed her morning routine and waited in her room, hoping Angel would barge into her room like always.
Angel completed dressing up and sat on her bed, anxiously waiting and hoping Aria would knock at her door.
Both of them waited for each other expectantly.
A few minutes later, Aria heard a knock at her door and rushed to open it thinking it would be Angel.
But she was disappointed to see a maid.
"Mam, you are being called down for breakfast.", the maid informed.
"Uh yeah.", Aria answered calmly and walked out of her room.
She glanced at Angel's room whose door was closed.
"Is everyone present in the dining room?", she asked the maid.
"Yes, mam. Everyone's waiting for you.", the maid answered.
Aria nodded, but her lips wobbled in disappointment.
Did Angel leave without calling her?
She took a deep breath to control her emotions.
She walked into the dining room and sat in her usual seat, beside her aunt.
Unlike everyday, she didn't greet anyone and just sat calmly.
She didn't look up at Angel's spot as she knew she might cry if she did.
Nina greeted her gently and she greeted her aunt back even though she was not in the mood to talk.
Aurelio looked at his sister calmly.
"Ms. Mary, call Angel down for breakfast.", Aurelio ordered calmly.
Aria looked up immediately at her cousin and then looked at her sister's usual spot which was empty.
She frowned.
Angel didn't come down yet?
Why did the maid say that then?
She felt her heart grow heavy and clenched her fists.
The guilt in her heart just kept growing.
Dylan's worry grew.
The fight was extending beyond a day?
That was alarming.
He knew his sisters were not the type to prolong a fight.
Why were they still distant then?
He didn't know the answer and he didn't have a clue as to what to be done to solve it.
The maid, Mary, walked to Angel's room and knocked at the door.
Angel smiled thinking it was her sister and opened the door with a bang, startling the maid.
Her smile dropped when she saw Mary instead.
"Mam, sir is calling you down to the dining room.", Mary informed, composing herself.
"Y-Yeah okay.", Angel replied with a forced smile.
She glanced at Aria's room and back at the maid.
"Is Anna down in the dining room?", she asked softly.
"Yes, mam.", the maid answered.
Angel bit her lower lip to control her tears.
Arianna never did that. She would always come to drag her to the dining room when something is wrong.
Why did she walk away without calling her today?
Was she that angry?
Angel didn't know and her fears started growing.
The maid, Mary, understood that something was wrong between the sisters.
She had noticed how close they were in the past few days.
Nina had asked her to call Aria down, so she had initially called only her.
And when Aria asked if everyone was at the dining table, she said yes, forgetting about Angelina.
Now, she felt the urge to tell Angelina that even Aria had asked about her.
But she stopped herself, fearing she might overstep her boundaries and offend the Marinos.
Angel walked to the dining room and sat in her seat.
Everyday, she would greet everyone despite their lack of response, but today she just kept quiet.
She sat in her seat and didn't look up at anyone, especially Aria.
She was afraid that she might see indifference in her sister's face and she knew she would break down if she did.
Aria, on the other hand, was looking at her sister, hoping she would look up, but she was disappointed when Angel just stared at her plate.
She was afraid that Angel was upset that she didn't call her.
The breakfast went on in silence.
Rosario hoped his niece would act fast and prevent his wife from meddling with their bond.
Riccardo felt uneasy seeing his daughter sad.
He might not like Angelina, but if she made his daughter happy, he was not against the idea of having her in the family.
He was also a little angry at Angelina, thinking that she might have hurt his daughter and she was the one who started the fight.
Nina and Bianca were a little relieved seeing the changing atmosphere between the sisters.
The boys felt low looking at their little sisters upset.
All of them wanted to solve the fight some or the other way.
Aurelio knew it was time they interfered.
"I have an important meeting today, but I want to speak to you about something. Meet me outside the mansion after breakfast, Fio.", Aurelio whispered to his brother calmly.
Fio looked at his elder brother and nodded.
He was already angry at his mother and the anger was just growing.
After breakfast, the girls dispersed in different directions, worrying the boys.
Aurelio talked to Fio and instructed him about something.
Fio called all his brothers to instruct them.
They decided to implement their investigation after a few hours so that the girls will calm down a little.
Meanwhile, Nina and Bianca were sitting in the living room talking.
Angel was passing by the living room and Bianca noticed her.
"Angelina", she called out.
Nina frowned and looked in the direction her mother-in-law was looking.
She wondered why she was calling Angelina.
Angel stooped in her tracks and looked at the old lady startled.
"I want to ask you something. Come in.", Bianca said calmly with a stoic face.
Nina turned her face away in annoyance.
Angel gulped and walked into the living room.
"I haven't asked you since the day you came here after so many years. How are you?", Bianca asked calmly with a sharp gaze.
Angel stiffened.
"F-Fine.", she stuttered in anxiety.
"Good to know that you're no longer mute.", Bianca said with a condescending smile.
Angel looked down and swallowed the hurt.
"So, what do you think about your birth parents? Your mother?", Bianca asked.
Angel frowned and looked up.
"Huh?", Angel looked at her, confused.
"I asked you about your mother. Do you at least know who she is? Did you at least care to find out?", Bianca asked.
"Since I was little, I have always considered and accepted Claire Marino as my mother. Since I was young, Vince used to tell me-", Angel was saying softly, but Nina cut her off.
"Claire is your mother?", Nina scoffed and looked at Angel with a sharp gaze.
"Are you even listening to yourself, girl?", she asked in disdain.
"Do you not want to know about your real identity?", Bianca asked with a raised brow.
Before Angel could answer, Nina cut her off.
"Maybe she wants to stick around in the family. Maybe she is afraid that she is born to some dirty people and might end up losing the luxurious life that she's having. Isn't that right?", Nina asked, looking at Angel with disgust.
Angel looked at her hurt.
Bianca snickered.
"Don't ever call yourself Claire's daughter. It's so disgusting to even hear you saying it. She has only one daughter and there is only one princess in this family.", Nina said coldly.
Angel looked away to hide her brimming eyes.
"Okay, Theo, I got it-", Aria's distant voice was heard.
Nina and Bianca stiffened.
They shared a look and schooled their expressions.
Aria cut the call and was passing by the living room, but stopped seeing Angel there with her aunt and nonna.
She frowned and walked in.
Before she could question what's going on, Bianca beat her to it.
"You've come at the right time, princess.", Bianca said gently.
Aria, who was looking at Angel all this while, averted her eyes towards her nonna.
Angel was looking away from Aria as she didn't want her sister to see her teary eyes.
She bit her lip hard to control her tears.
"Why?", was all Aria asked.
"We were just discussing about giving this pendant of your mother to you.", Bianca said, gesturing to the pendant in Nina's hand.
Aria looked at it blankly.
"But, Angelina was arguing saying Claire is her mother too and she is also the daughter of Marino family and hence she should get the pendant and not you.", Bianca said calmly.
Angel gasped and whipped her head towards the old lady shocked.
What was she saying?
When did she say that?
She would never snatch Aria's right from her!
Her heart rate increased and her breathing grew shallow.
She was afraid Aria would misunderstand.
She looked at Aria in panic and found her sister already looking at her.
The sisters' gaze met for the first time since the small rupture the previous day.
"Anna"
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Phew! That was a very long chapter!
How was the chapter?
The tension between the sisters is growing! 😬
What do you think Aria's reaction would be?
Do you think they are going to resolve this soon?
What's the villain brewing behind their back?
Precap : Growing tension!
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Yours lovingly,
Author.