Cookies

Aria doesn't know how to react. With Prince's assurance about receiving the cookies and eating them made her feel alive that doesn't have a sense at all. Aria has known that Prince wanted to avoid her after the kiss, and that their interactions wouldn't be as cold as it may seem. She doesn't have enough time to consider her next actions were after that moment.

Now that their wall has broken off once again, Aria must have the time to take care of the things she needed to do the most. Her smile gotten a bit off and Prince was munching off the chocolate chips for a while.

Aria sighed, saying, "If I would do that favor, would you do the same thing to me?"

She rubbed her hands, letting the crumbs fall off from her fingers, and anticipated Prince's words more than the favor he had asked for. Aria waited, letting Prince have a moment to think of his honest answer.

He hitched the pan of cookies before responding, "I know you're insisting to press charges to Bryce Fajardo, but I'll tell you straight that it won't be easy."

Prince swallowed the fifth cookie he's eating before shifting to Aria, giving off those hopeless eyes that no matter how many rituals Aria would do, she'd never win the trial.

"Evidences might have ruined the day you got assaulted, and the fire over the hospital, it was a complete arson. Only the syndicate would know how to burn it down."

Aria sulked. It was enough words to discourage her winning moments over the losing ones. She doesn't know how, but this might be the reason why she gave up the moment Bryce beaten her. Whenever the assault came up on her mind, she wanted to eradicate it.

Unfortunately, she couldn't. Aria just wanted to get the person who has brought nightmares to her convicted. It was the least possible thing she can do for herself and for the baby inside her womb. Aria wouldn't be here, residing temporarily inside the mansion, hiding to the shadows hunting her every night… even if the doctors took care of her inside the hospital.

Aria gripped the counter edge, muttering, "So I don't have the chance even if I file a charge?"

She's looking in another direction. Prince munched in his cheek for a second, then tilted his head to one side, contemplating if he should be straightforward or not. Prince isn't being honest at all. For once, he had to do it.

"Aria, I know you're having a rough time today. I listened to every aspect of your story, and didn't even judge you at all, because I can feel the fear, devastation, and the confusion underneath. But in court, feelings aren't valid as long as you don't show any evidence."

Prince tried to show it to her, but Aria refused to open her mind about how the justice system worked. It was enough to notice she's afraid of facing the fact because it will hurt her heart. It'll leave her with a scar unknowingly paving its way to kill her.

Any emotions showed in front of the judge wouldn't do anything at all. The judge would base his verdict through the empirical evidences, and now that she's trying to persuade their emotional heel, it would take a time before the ruling is out.

Prince wasn't a showy man, too. If he can cover up his face with a mask, he'd gladly do it. What's the use of crying a lot when no one even sympathize you? What's the use of bawling your eyes out when no one even pat your back and say 'it's fine'?

Prince never experienced to have someone lending their shoulder to cry on. For his entire life, he never wished it. Wishes are the gate to meet your desires, and Prince had never said one wish at all. It would just heighten his hopes, and it's not a good sign at all.

"I know you wanted to---"

"Help me in exchange of the cookies," she retorted. It was the only thing that made her escape out of the reverie. Aria had never sought for help, but in order to vent out and satisfy her hunger of justice, she have to plead. Prince was the only one who can help her through this.

"Aria…"

"You asked me for a favor to cook you this cookies every night, so do the same thing for me. I know it's small, and not even close to what you're going to do, but Prince, I want to beg you on my knees," Aria defiantly answered. Her eyes brimmed with despising tears. All of the sadness she piled up before exploding it for real.

Prince doesn't know if Bryce can hear it. Probably, yes. The moment he got the recording device, he listened to it until he climbed inside his car. He didn't even say a single word to Prince after he plugged in those earphones.

"Bryce had done so many things to me. I was at my happiest when I'm with him. He introduced me to the life that I never known before. Prince, I even slept with him, even though we're not wedded," Aria pointed out. She sobbed, covering her mouth, letting the tears flow out continuously. It blocked off all the words she had fire up in a minute.

"We even have a baby living inside my womb, and I so, so, wanted us to be a happy family. But I don't even know the reason why he had to kill me like that. Probably I was just not enough?"

Aria's tears wouldn't back down the fight. It was enough to give Prince the benefit of the doubt. Or at least, it was what he has known. Not entirely to the point where Aria was unknowingly showing her weakness to him.

She is weak, weaker than the links of a chain, or even the tight rope dangling tied on both trees to get played at. Aria wasn't even close to Avery with being soft. She's full of heart, and she let her life take over what it dictates.

All the emotions she had wouldn't be enough to get the people to side with her.

With her insistence to prove that she could win over a prosecutor, several of the people will complain how he mocked Bryce's title in front of the national court. Aria doesn't have enough time to think, because her mind has been occupied by the trauma.

"Look at me, Prince. Was I not enough for his love? Or was I enough to be his punching bag?"

…

Bryce was listening non-stop. He stayed inside the darkness of his condominium unit, and the only source of light he had was his cell phone screen. Aria's sweet exchange with Prince was enough to break his heart.

"How was it? Is it good? Is it much sweeter than the other cookies?"

Aria was well enough to make cookies in her own now after she ran away from the mountain.

She always made cookies, and Bryce liked to go home in her house to drop by and taste it.

Now that she's doing it with Prince, Bryce couldn't contain it anymore.

He had to break out, maybe every now and then. Prince wouldn't allow them to show any emotions. Any devastation would cause enough heartbreak to their fathers and they'll order for them to stop.

Well, Bryce really wanted to stop. The time he fell in love with her, Bryce knew they had to abolish the plan. Prince wasn't at all gambling to it. He wouldn't allow the Cortez-De Leon to walk out of the place and shrug it off… as if it could lessen their father's verdict.

The only one who has to suffer was their own family relatives.

"You asked me for a favor to cook you this cookies every night, so do the same thing for me. I know it's small, and not even close to what you're going to do, but Prince, I want to beg you on my knees."

Bryce closed his eyes and wore off his earphones. He threw it on the counter.

"Why would she even beg?"