"Loving you had consequences, consequences I didn't even know existed until I met you."
Aria DeLuca, a powerful, confident young woman, is the daughter of the wealthiest man in Italy. When her dad told her she was going to spend a month in Dubai, s...
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6 years old
My father called me into his office. We're currently sitting in silence while he smokes his cigarette. He has a disgusting habit of smoking, and it repulses me. He repulses me. After a few minutes, he finally started to speak. "I'm assuming you don't know why you're here?" He speaks in a monotone voice, betraying no emotion at all. It's been like this since I was 5. "No, sir." I reply with the same tone he used with me. Ever since my mama died when I was five, our relationship hasn't been the same. I'd be lying if I said it didn't affect me. He scoffs, "Of course you don't; you're really clueless, aren't you?" He takes another long drag of his smoke. God, he couldn't stop while his own daughter was in his office. I don't reply to his question; instead, I gaze at the view behind him, which overlooks the city of Florence. I wasn't actually from Florence; I was born in Tuscany, my mother's home region. But we moved to the capital once my father's business had a major breakthrough, and we moved just before my first birthday. We went at least once a year to visit my mother's side of the family, but once she passed, my father never made any efforts to take us back. Since my mama died, everyone has told me I've grown up a lot for someone my age, and I can't seem to disagree. There's no source of happiness anymore. What's there to be happy about when your father acts like a stranger to you? Not a lot, I'll tell you that. I think Enzo is more of a dad to me than he is, and he's only 12. I was quickly snapped out of my daydream as soon as my father's voice struck up. "Am I boring you, Aria? Can you not focus on what I'm saying for a few minutes?" The tone of his voice suggests he's getting infuriated. This certainly won't end very well. "No, sir. Sorry," I lower my voice, along with my head, and keep my expression neutral. God forbid I show any emotion to this man. He sighs bitterly and pushes the leather office chair backwards, the wheels squeaking as they roll against the laminate floor. He lifts up, and the leather groans, clearly not used to his weight underneath him. Watching him move around his desk, my heart betrays me. It kicks off, the beats pounding against my ribcage, attempting to break free. I hate how much he intimidates me. By allowing my eyes to roam up, our eyes meet, and our faces are inches apart. But before I can move or do anything for that matter, my father snatches my hand and plunges his smoke into my skin. "This is what you get for disobeying your father; do you understand?" He angrily spat, his accent more palpable than ever. Impulsively, tears in my eye began to swell, picking the whites of my eyes as he purposefully held the stick in the same place for multiple seconds before chucking it to the side. Taking a quick glance at the injury, the area was red and inflamed. It was most definitely going to scare. How could a man do that to his daughter? His only daughter? The few attempts I made to pull my hand away were all overlooked. His grip was like iron bars around my wrist. After a few moments, I yanked my hand back and quickly neutralised my face. Bitterly, I nod once before hopping off my seat and making a dash towards the exit of his office. I wish I never had to see him again. He is an awful, awful man. With a groan, I creaked the door open and slipped out before I shut it behind me. When I was about to turn to leave, something stopped me in my tracks. It was my father talking to himself. The walls to his office were relatively thick, and I couldn't make out exactly what was being said, but if I strained my ears enough, I probably could. "É una tale delusione." I heard him rasp, and my heart was completely frozen. I think the remnants of my broken heart are writhing on the floor, trying to stitch itself back together. That's all it took. 4 words. 19 letters. That's all it took to break my heart. She's such a disappointment. I allowed the tears to come streaming down the apples of my cheeks as I ran back to my room, the sound of my feet pounding against the cool stone floor. Eventually, I ended up running past my two older brothers, Enzo and Romeo, but I couldn't seem to hear them over my fluttering heart. As bad as I felt, I ignored them and locked myself in my room. Their protests were cancelled out by my sobs, and eventually they quietened down when they realised I wouldn't be opening the door anytime soon. After what felt like hours of silent crying, Enzo managed to unlock my door, and I didn't question him; I really needed someone right now. I watched him as he climbed up onto my bed next to me and simply hugged me. He held me close as another wave of heartache rolled over me.
⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧
That night, Aria cried herself to sleep. Sobs racking her small frame. She vowed to herself that she would never allow her father to treat her like that again, even if it meant shutting him out completely and becoming a cold, heartless girl who only cherish her brothers and her best friend, Isa. She would never ever allow any man to treat her like that, even if it meant she had to shut them all out. For years to come, she will follow this vow and succeed. That's until she met a young man..
