Their Princess

Ch. 27- Almost Safe

Aria's POV:

I stood over the trembling man, blood pooling beneath him as he choked on his own life. Staring down at my blood-stained hands, the adrenaline faded, and the weight of reality crashed over me like a cold wave.

What was wrong with me?

"Aria?" A breathy voice broke through the fog behind me. It took me a moment to realize it was Lawrence, who had approached cautiously, his eyes fixed on the monster at our feet.

"What...did you do to him?" His question hung in the air, laced with an uncertainty that felt almost accusatory.

My words had failed me as my breaths slowly became shallow and it became hard to breathe. The spacious underground parking lot felt darker, as if the shadows were closing around me.

Lawrence knelt beside the man that I had just killed, gripping his chin roughly to inspect the damage I had wrought.

"Did you do this?" He waited for my answer, but I staggered backward, my legs giving way beneath me. I collapsed to the ground, my mind replaying the horrific moments leading up to this. My eyes widened as tears filled them.

Lawrence turned to me, his expression shifting from one of intensity to something softer—worry mixed with an unexpected tenderness. His grey eyes which usually pierced through everything, became almost... fatherly.

He makes his way over to me and heaves me up from the ground before gently turning my back to the body. Lawrence lets his hands sit on my shoulders before pulling me into a deep hug.

Lawrence reached for me, pulling me into a deep hug, and I let go of everything I had against him. His hand gently patted my back, a calming gesture amid the chaos. I clung to his blood-splattered dress shirt, feeling the world spin around me.

I didn't understand why I was crying after avenging my mother. Was this what revenge felt like? A slow death of whatever innocence I had left?

There was nothing left in me.

"Shhh," He hushed softly. "It's okay, Aria. You're going to be okay?"

Gunshots rang out, sharp and frantic, but I was still too dazed to process them. Lawrence held me tighter, rushing toward the van. Adela and Albert reached out with open arms as Lawrence lifted me off the ground and they took me in.

The van door wasn't even closed yet and Adrian had already slammed onto the gas pedal, speeding out through the opening of the underground garage, and away from the bloody scene. Gunshots rained on the van but Adrian was quick to get us out and away from the mansion's gates.

I was no longer sobbing, but tears continued to stream down my face as shock enveloped me. My hands and clothes were drenched in red, a gruesome reminder of what I had done, and the tears only fell harder.

Lawrence's gaze remained steady on me, but I felt like I was in that same blur I used to love. But this time, instead of being disconnected from everything, the pain in my heart was still there and it felt physically deadly.

But I couldn't shut down now—not when the last two were still out there, living their lives after what they did to Mama. I needed answers.

I needed to know why the hell he was there. The monster I had killed the second I saw him. And why the fuck the men with the same tattoo of the snake were at the Hart's mansion.

What if the Harts have something to do with Mama's death?

Words began spilling out faster than I could think.