Shattered

Chapter 29

Stunned, Haven stood in disbelief, the words escaping Aerius's lips reverberating through her like a seismic tremor. It was as if she had misheard a haunting melody that shook her to the core.

In the recesses of her mind, she revisited the tragic night that claimed her parents' lives. The memories, like shadowy figures, danced before her, and she recalled her own stubbornness on that fateful birthday, a day now stained with regret. She had pleaded tearfully with her dad and Aerius to let her out, unknowingly sealing a tragic fate.

As the revelation unfolded, her eyes welled up once more, tears threatening to cascade like a torrential downpour. Taking a deep breath, she grappled with the realization that the untimely demise of her parents wasn't a cruel accident but a deliberate act of murder, a malevolent plot that shattered the sanctuary of her family.

The weight of this revelation pressed on her like an unyielding boulder, the knowledge piercing through her like shards of glass. The innocence of her memories tarnished, Haven faced the chilling reality that her parents were victims of a premeditated crime, and the echoes of that revelation resonated in her soul like a haunting melody refusing to fade.

Aerius fixed Haven with a malicious grin. "You see, little snow, it was your beloved Ivan—or should I say Vincent—who orchestrated the demise of our parents," he declared, relishing in her disbelief.

Haven, her world shattering, whispered, "I can't... I can't believe it."

"Tell me that this is once again one of your lies. Tell me that you are lying," Haven demanded, her fingers clenching his collar in a fist. Her eyes, now red with anger, bore into Aerius with a fiery intensity.

( i will be now mentioning Ivan's real name - Vincent)

"Let's not discuss all of this here," Aerius declared, revelling in the success of his manipulation. He took the same hand that was clutching his collar and led Haven to his room. With a firm grip, he revealed a secret chamber. Haven, though skeptical, found herself with no choice but to follow.

In the dimly lit space, Aerius flicked on the lights, revealing walls adorned with damning details. Vincent's family photos were displayed, each carrying a trove of information that left Haven speechless, her eyes absorbing the incriminating evidence surrounding them.

"Why do you think I changed all of our identities?" Aerius questioned, but Haven's eyes remained fixed on the various photos of the Salvatore family.

"You think their goal was just to kill mom and dad?" Aerius turned her towards him, his arms now enclosing her within his grasp.

"They wanted all of us to be gone. It was our luck we got saved," Aerius explained, but Haven, desiring solitude, stood silent. She longed to pour out her feelings but chose to keep them guarded, feeling far from fortunate on a day that had already taken so much from her.

""Why do you think we ran far away from our own house, wandering with no destination? The least you and that mutt brother of mine could do was be grateful to me," he hissed, his hand slowly rising to caress her hair before gripping it painfully and pulling her closer.

The physical pain made her wince, but the emotional pain had already left her shattered.

"But look at you shameless bitch, sleeping around with the murderer of your own parents. Tell me did you like being his whore. Did you please him, did you touch him. SPEAK BITCH" Haven trembled in his painful hold.

What was she supposed to say? She felt betrayed, but now shame engulfed her. She had given her heart to someone who had taken away someone so precious – her dad.

"Don't talk about me like that. I was not his whore. We loved ea—" Her words were abruptly cut off as Aerius raised his hand and delivered a harsh slap, the force throwing her across the hard floor.