"Yo… you…"
"How dare you try to speak when the Don hasn't said anything yet?"
A cold female voice cut through the room cutting Aria short of words.
Aria's gaze shifted toward the side of the room where the woman stood, leaning casually against a pillar. She wore a tight crop top that barely covered her chest, the fabric stretched so thin it almost exposed her breasts. Only the clear tape holding everything in place kept her from spilling out.
Her shorts were just as tight, hugging her hips and thighs while black leather boots climbed halfway up her calves.
Her hair was dyed blue, cut unevenly around her shoulders. Golden necklaces hung around her neck in layers, gold earrings lined nearly every part of her ear, and even her nose and tongue were pierced.
In her right hand, she lazily held a small pistol, casually twirling it around her finger.
She was dangerous.
Aria swallowed hard, fear tightening around her chest.
Don? Did she just call him Don… or am I imagining things now?
Her eyes slowly drifted back to Damien.
Just when exactly did he get back?
Why the hell is he in my father's mansion?
Where are Father… and my stepsister?
Her heart pounded violently against her ribs as those questions flooded her mind one after another but then she remained silent, unable to speak even if she wanted to.
Tears had already begun sliding down her cheeks, but she didn't bother wiping them away. Her trembling gaze remained locked on Damien who sat comfortably in the large chair before her, the chair that belonged to her father.
A faint smirk curved on his lips.
Beside him stood a burly man whose massive arms were covered in tattoos. Without saying a word, the man stepped forward and carefully placed a neatly wrapped tobacco roll between Damien's lips.
The man then flicked open a silver lighter.
Click.
A small flame appeared as the tobacco caught fire.
Damien leaned back in the chair as he inhaled deeply.
Smoke slowly curled into the air, then je exhaled.
Directly toward Aria.
Aria's lungs immediately reacted.
"Cough!"
She covered her mouth, coughing uncontrollably as the harsh smoke burned her throat.
Her eyes watered even more.
For a moment, it almost felt like Damien was intentionally blowing the smoke straight at her.
As if her discomfort amused him.
However, after noticing her coughing, Damien casually lifted his hand and put out the tobacco against a glass ashtray beside the chair.
He sat upright.
His eyes slowly narrowed.
"You really think you can escape from me, huh?"
Damien finally spoke, his voice cold.
Cold enough to send a violent shiver down Aria's spine.
That voice…
It was the same as that night.
The night everything changed.
The moment he grabbed her neck and that kiss…
Aria's heart skipped painfully.
That kiss she had planted on his lips.
At the time, she hadn't even understood why she did it.
But now, thinking back on it…
That kiss might have been the only reason she survived that night.
Because when Damien's massive hands had tightened around her throat, she had truly believed she was about to die.
"What's going on here?"
Aria finally forced the words out.
Her voice trembled as tears continued rolling down her cheeks. Fear and confusion were written all over her face.
But at least she could speak now.
After all… Damien had spoken first.
"Where's my father?" she asked again, her voice shaking.
"And my stepsister?"
Even though her father had already disowned her…
Even though he had publicly declared that she was no longer his daughter…
She still couldn't stop herself from calling him father.
Especially not now.
Not when he was nowhere to be seen.
Not when Damien was sitting on the very chair where her father used to decide who lived… and who died.
Damien slowly raised an eyebrow.
"You want to know where they are?"
He let out a small scoff as he rose from the chair.
The room fell completely silent as he lean towards her.
"Don't worry," he said calmly.
"They're far away from here."
His lips curved into a darker smile.
"I'm sure that even if they were crawling… they would've reached hell by now."
Hell?
Aria's heart nearly stopped.
She swallowed hard as her entire body began trembling.
What does he mean by that?
Slowly, weakly, she rose onto her knees.
"What do you mean by that, Damien?" she demanded, her voice cracking.
"What the hell are you doing in my father's mansion?"
Her anger finally erupted.
"Where the hell is my father and sister?!"
"And our slaves?!"
She looked around wildly.
"There isn't a single slave here that I recognize!"
Her fists clenched.
"Where the hell did you take everyone?!"
"Shut the fuck up, lady!"
The blue-haired woman snapped, her voice sharp with irritation.
She pushed herself away from the pillar and stepped forward, the gun now pointing lazily in Aria's direction.
"Learn how to speak to your Don," she warned coldly. "Or you'll regret it."
"Leave her alone, Jessica." Damien's voice came smoothly.
A faint smirk appeared on his lips again.
His tall figure cast a massive shadow over Aria small form.
Without warning, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer to himself.
Before Aria could even protest....
He lifted her over his shoulder.
"Put me down!" she shouted immediately.
Her fists slammed uselessly against his back.
"Put me down this instant!!!"