Traumatic

She's crying. It was one of the emotions Prince never saw in Avery's eyes. It was part of his observation with her. Avery never shed a tear while they're in a relationship.

A lot of differences inside the twins, could it be they're really similar on one aspect? Or is it because the two of them didn't grow up in the same environment, and it leads Aria to be that soft unlike Avery?

Prince sighed, freezing his hand in midair, knowing that if he touched Aria, she would writhe out like a wild animal in a cage. He watched as she sob, halting from slapping her chest repeatedly, and just merely cry.

Her weeping filled the noise inside the room. Prince defined the cries as a noise, and he hated that sound at all. But today, as Aria cried, Prince couldn't help but to pity her.

She must have gone through a lot, dealing with countless of problems while working as a florist, smiling every day, even though she's suffering inside.

In just 2 weeks of meeting her, he saw a lot of emotions unraveling. The things he hadn't known with Avery, probably because they're similar and not being open at each other because they had been hiding a knife behind their backs in the first place.

Avery just had to say she loathed Prince's existence, but she never did that.

Aria, on the other hand, was Prince despised these past few days for still living.

She buried her eyes in her palms, and continued to bawl it out. All of the pain she had gone through for a while, she vented it. Those eyes in the hospital prevented her from saying something. Today, she wouldn't be able to control it anymore.

Prince waited for a few moments until Aria calmed down. As she did so, he stayed by her side, listening to every ragged breath she exhaled, trying to pent out the sobs coming, and it might affect the child she's carrying.

Aria uncovered her face, sighing, looking everywhere, and saw Prince. Her eyes were all puffy, her cheeks reddened, and her mouth trembled. But the sight of the one who saved her gave too much comfort. Aria pursed her lips.

Prince rubbed his palms together as he met her sad eyes.

Aria sniffed, asking, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I had to trouble you this time. I couldn't help but to…"

"It's alright, Aria. You don't have to explain," Prince reassured.

As Aria trailed off, the tears resurfaced, but she fought back the tears. Prince didn't bother to raise a hand and pat her on the back. She needed space, or time to think alone, but Aria had something different in mind.

She felt humiliated asking for it, but she knew she had to breathe in away from this place.

This time, Prince had to stay silent and let Aria offer it.

"Can you take me with you for a while? I believe… I can stay here for a moment. It gives me nightmares."

It was one of the things he's been waiting for. Prince's insides were screaming.

This is it: the second step of the plan.

"Will you be okay in my house?"

Aria hissed, nodding. Even though she's frightened of sleeping on a stranger that saved her with goodwill, Aria has a lot of plans to plot in if she ever needed to escape. Prince waited for her answer, but she gladly say yes.

…

Before Prince even knew it, Aria, once again, sat on the passenger seat of his car.

He had to make a call to Bryce, but he forgotten Aria was still on her side, and that Bryce was the reason she had a trauma.

Aria laid her head on the window, soothing her bare arms. Prince drove carefully, stopped at the middle of the highway as the red light showed up. He turned to Aria, asking, "Do you want anything?"

She perked up, turning to him, as Prince waited for her answer.

Aria shook her head. "I don't want anything."

Prince nodded. Sometimes, she's lying, too. But Prince has known what she wanted in the first place. The nurse has talked to him a few times, and Prince has got to remember what she liked the most while she's still on the hospital.

"Alright," Prince muttered.

Aria turned back to her peace in the window, and watched the cars zooming past.

…

Prince parked at the cabin mansion he bought a few days ago. It's now filled with maids, and the ones he contracted to shut their mouths if ever they saw Aria De Leon.

No one knew about this address, and as a businessman, he had done a lot of things to conceal this place from the directory.

No one would know about this for a while.

The lights filled the glow, and Aria's jaw dropped.

Prince unbuckled his seatbelt, and turned to her. Aria's too shocked to say anything.

"This is… your house?" Aria stated.

"Yeah, is it that surprising?" Prince was showing off. One way of comfort was to make her at ease around him.

"I don't…"

Before she can even finish, Prince went out of the sedan, and rushed to the side, opening hers. Aria removed the seatbelt, and hastily climbed down, while Prince guided her to the hood before closing the door.

Aria scrutinized every part of the mansion while she's up front. She couldn't help but to be in awe.

Prince pressed the remote button and signaled to the chauffeur to place his car on the lot down to the basement.

Aria was saved by no other than a billionaire prosecutor who owned a mansion! How can this be…

She thought of pressing charges to Bryce, but she doesn't want to do that in an early state. Bryce might come to her and kneel down, pleading for forgiveness. Aria just had to be forgiving the moment it come, but turns out, the one who saved her.

… can give her a lifeline she never knew from the past.

Prince stood beside Aria, asking, "Should we come inside? The maids have prepared a meal for you. Something you like, of course."

Right at that moment, his words slow down. That moment came once again, saying hello to her. Aria experienced it a lot of times to Prince, maybe more than what she had with Bryce. In any case, this must be the feeling of overwhelm, of being fulfilled because someone is taking care of you.

Prince held out a hand. He smiled widely, pressed, "Should we?"

Aria turned to his palm, anticipating holding it. After a few seconds of debating with her subconscious, she gave in.

In just a single touch, it sent electricity down her spine. Aria held onto it while Prince turned to the front staircase, and walked, hand-by-hand.