Authors Pro__
Just as Aria stood there—lost, overthinking, drowning in all the nonsense running through her head—a sudden horn blared from behind her, right outside Cafe Corner.
Every eye in the place snapped toward the road.
Lily (junior girl) rushed out of the kitchen, eyebrows raising as she peeked outside.
"First customer?" she whispered.
Aria slowly turned around.
And her heart dropped.
A Rolls-Royce.
That Rolls-Royce.
She shut her eyes for a second.
"Shit…" she whispered under her breath.
Because she already knew exactly who was sitting inside that car.
The door of the car swung open.
A young man stepped out—eighteen, maybe nineteen—but nothing about him looked like a teenager.
He dressed like someone far older, far more powerful.
An elegant, perfectly tailored blue suit, polished shoes, and the cold confidence of a businessman.
Behind him, his bodyguard climbed out as well, dressed head-to-toe in black, dark sunglasses hiding his eyes.
Both of them walked forward, stopping right in front of Aria.
The young man spoke first, his voice deep and commanding.
"There's a family gathering today. You have to come."
Aria didn't meet his eyes.
She looked anywhere else—at the road, the wall, the sky—just not at him.
"I don't belong to that family anymore," she said quietly.
His jaw tightened. He held back his anger, teeth grinding before he spoke again.
"Aria… you've already done enough to our family.
You should listen to me now.
Or I'll drag you in front of your friends.
Do you want that?"
Aria finally looked into his eyes.
And she knew—he would do exactly what he said.
So she had no choice.
Slowly, silently, she walked with him.
But the moment she moved beside him… she wasn't the playful Aria anymore.
Her entire presence shifted.
Her posture, her walk, even the way she held her breath—
everything transformed into something elegant, composed, almost noble.
She stepped into the car without a single word.
The bodyguard closed the door, and she thanked him softly—polite, formal.
Inside the car, Aria sat straight, looking only forward.
Not once did she glance toward Café Corner.
Not once toward her friends.
And especially…
not toward him.
She couldn't face any of them—not today.
The car sped past trees, buildings, empty stretches of road, and finally turned toward a massive mansion.
The entire area around it—almost a full kilometer—was silent, secluded, guarded.
Black-suited security men stood everywhere, watching every direction.
No houses nearby.
Nothing but the mansion… towering, cold, and familiar.
Aria's chest tightened.
She knew this place.
The car rolled through the gates and slipped into the front courtyard.
When it stopped, Aria hesitated for a moment, fingers tightening on her dress.
The guard opened her door.
She had no choice now.
Slowly, she stepped out.
Yedu—the boy who brought her—walked beside her as they entered the house.
Inside, three men were already seated around a round table, waiting.
The moment Aria and Yedu appeared, all three of them stood up.
Aria froze for a heartbeat.
Her eyes moved to the eldest among them—
not too old, maybe twenty-eight or twenty-nine.
The others were younger.
Yedu, who brought her here.
Anandhu, the eldest.
Anurag, the second eldest.
And Athul, the middle one.
All of them looked at her with unreadable expressions.
Anandhu opened his mouth, about to say something—
—but footsteps echoed from the staircase.
A woman descended gracefully, each step careful and elegant.
Samantha.
Aria's mother.
She smiled brightly—as if nothing in the world had ever gone wrong.
"My dear… you're back," she whispered, her voice warm, almost loving.
Aria didn't even look at her.
She stared somewhere—anywhere—else.
Trying to hold her tears.
Trying to keep her face steady.
But the tears escaped anyway, slipping silently down her cheeks.
Samantha stepped closer, her voice trembling with emotion.
"Aria, my daughter… you were truly miss.."
"Stop it."
Aria's voice cut through the hall like ice.
She glared at Samantha, her tone cold and unwavering.
"Call me Aria, young lady. I'm not your daughter anymore."
The last sentence almost slipped out, but she didn't hold it back.
Anandhu shot to his feet, his palm slamming against the table.
"Aria, behave. This is your mother."
"Not anymore!" Aria yelled, her voice breaking, raw and filled with pain.
"I've said it again and again—I don't belong here! I don't want your power, or your money.
Just leave me alone!"
Tears streamed down her cheeks uncontrollably, her voice shaking as she spoke.
Anurag stood up slowly, his expression firm but sorrowful.
"You can't run from this, my dear. Your blood is Varma blood… and you are the lady of ZD.
You can't change that."
Aria's strength dissolved.
Her knees gave out, and she collapsed onto the floor, crying loudly—her sobs echoing through the massive hall.
Samantha took a step forward, reaching out her hand to help.
But Aria pushed it away harshly, forcing herself to stand.
She wiped her tears with trembling fingers and looked at all of them—
her eyes red, swollen, exhausted… burning like embers.
"What do you want now?" she whispered, her voice tired and broken.
Yedu let out a long breath and glanced at Athul.
Athul stepped forward wordlessly, placing an envelope on the table.
"You know the day… right?" he said quietly.
Samantha, holding back her own tears, pulled out a chair for Aria.
"Come… sit," she said softly.
She gestured to the seat beside her.
Aria didn't want to.
Every part of her rebelled.
But she sat down anyway, her movements stiff and slow.
With shaking hands, she picked up the invitation Athul had given her…
and stared at it, her heart trembling.
Aria took a slow breath and looked at the invitation.
"Don't expect me there," she said sharply.
Samantha's eyes widened.
"Why, Aria? It's a party we all should attend. It's very important."
"We?" Aria let out a short, bitter laugh.
"No. You and your family should attend. Why should I?
I already said—I'm done."
"Please stop that, Aria," Samantha pleaded softly.
"You can't run away from reality. This is your reality.
You're the lady of ZG, and you have to be there.
This party… it's all about you."
Anurag stepped forward.
"And at the next party, your face will be revealed to the world.
This is the last event you'll be allowed to wear the mask.
The world is waiting, Aria.
You can't miss it.
We can't miss it.
There are business opportunities, alliances—everything depends on this."
Yedu added quietly, "You know how big this is."
Aria exhaled, exhausted.
"I don't care," she said.
"My face is hidden, right?
Then adopt someone else with blue eyes."
Anurag frowned.
"Do you think it's that simple?...what about you, Aria?
We all love you."
"Don't lie." Aria's voice broke.
"It's always about the training. The skills. The perfection.
There are plenty of people who'll work hard for money—pick one of them.
Don't expect me to play with emotions. I won't.
This is my final decision.
I won't be there."
There was a long silence.
Anandhu leaned forward, voice dangerously calm.
"So… you won't be there?"
"No," Aria repeated. "I won't."
Anandhu smiled.
A cold, terrifying smile.
"Then tomorrow morning, when you wake up…
you'll see your dear school—KHSS—burning to ashes.
Your friends still inside it.
Do you want to see that?"
Aria froze.
Her breath caught.
Her eyes filled instantly, tears spilling over as she stared at him—
hurt, horrified, helpless.
She didn't speak.
She simply stood, picked up the invitation with trembling hands, and walked away.
"Yedu," Anandhu commanded, "drop her."
"There's no need," Aria said without turning.
"He will drop you," Anandhu said firmly,
"and you will get inside his car."
Aria tightened her grip on the invitation.
She wanted to scream.
She wanted to tell him everything she had held inside for years.
But she stayed silent.
She kept walking.
"Aria!" Anandhu called.
She stopped, but didn't turn.
Footsteps approached slowly.
Anandhu came closer, his voice softer—almost fragile.
"Aria… it's not about the training.
It's not about the pledge.
It's about you. Only you."
She closed her eyes.
"I know you won't believe it," he said, his voice shaking,
"And I know your situation is bad.
But I swear on everything—I swear—
we love you as our life.
If not for you… why would we even live?"
He took another step, lowering his voice.
"I'm your big brother.
You're our little sister.
You can't change that."
Aria didn't say a word.
She just walked away, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face.
She didn't look back.
Not once.