Silent Days, Lingering Shadows

Chapter 11

Three days later…

Aria's mind felt like a battlefield—each thought a clash between what was and what could have been. The night Cassian had left her alone in her room, his departure colder than the silence that followed, had broken her in a way she hadn't expected. There was no relief in his absence, only a strange hollow that expanded with every passing hour.

She hadn't left her room since. The staff delivered meals, leaving them outside her door. But the food remained untouched. She couldn't remember the last time she had the energy to even eat.

The only thing she could focus on was the overwhelming emptiness inside her—the crushing weight of being unwanted, of being trapped in a deal that had taken everything from her.

She stared out the window, but there was nothing for her to see. The world beyond the glass felt out of reach, like a life she would never live. The sun rose and set, the days moved forward, but time, for Aria, had stopped. The world outside her window was merely a blur of color and motion she could not connect to.

⸻

One week later…

The once comforting rhythm of her life had long since been lost. Aria sat at the edge of her bed, her fingers tracing the soft fabric of the blanket beneath her. It was the same blanket she had used when she first arrived in the penthouse, the one she had once found cozy and safe. Now, it only reminded her of how much had changed—how far she had fallen from that girl who had dreamed of a future.

Her thoughts often returned to the night Cassian had left. She'd never forget the way he looked at her, as though she was nothing more than an obstacle in his path. She hadn't asked for any of this. She hadn't asked to be a pawn in a game she didn't understand. But the deal had been made, and there was no turning back.

Cassian had given her nothing but cold commands. He hadn't come to check on her since that night. There was nothing now but silence.

And still, despite the way he had treated her, she couldn't deny that part of her longed for him to return—not because she wanted him, but because she feared the abyss of loneliness that had consumed her. She feared that, without him, she would lose even the fragments of herself that still clung to existence.

⸻

One month later…

The quiet was maddening.

Aria had stopped asking about her father. Every time she even thought about him, she felt a sharp pang in her chest—a reminder of the man who had promised her safety, only to have it stripped away by the very people she had trusted. Her father was no longer a source of hope. He was simply another memory, one that she couldn't hold onto.

The only thing that remained was the deal, the cold, heartless arrangement that had turned her life upside down.

Cassian hadn't spoken to her. Jaxon hadn't visited. It was as though they had both disappeared, leaving her to rot in the silence they had created.

She spent her days in the same room, the same space, trying to make sense of the chaos inside her mind. But there was no sense to be found. No clarity.

Her body had become a vessel of exhaustion, of hunger, of emotional depletion. She was a shadow of herself, existing only because she had to, not because she wanted to.

⸻

Two months later…

The days blurred together in a haze of monotony. Aria no longer counted the hours or the days. She simply existed. She had no energy left to fight, no tears left to shed. The only thing that kept her grounded was the distant hope, buried deep inside, that things might change.

But deep down, she knew better. She had already given everything up. The deal had taken her future. It had taken her dignity. And no one had even cared.

Her heart had hardened. The fragile girl who had once believed in the possibility of something more was gone, replaced by someone who knew that survival came only with silence, with hiding.

But then, in the midst of her numbness, the door to her room creaked open.

Her head snapped toward the sound, and her pulse quickened as she recognized the silhouette standing in the doorway.

Cassian.

His expression was unreadable, his cold eyes scanning the room, settling on her with a gaze that felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Aria's breath caught in her throat, but she refused to show any weakness. She had long ago learned that silence was her only defense.

"You've been quiet for too long," Cassian finally spoke, his voice as emotionless as ever.

Aria said nothing. She didn't care to respond. His words were hollow. His presence, a reminder of everything she had lost.

Cassian stepped into the room, his gaze following her every movement, as if calculating something. She stood still, her hands clenched at her sides, her body tense with the weight of his scrutiny. He wasn't there to check on her well-being. He was there because he had nothing else to do. No one else to break.

"You think silence will protect you?" His voice was barely a whisper, but the threat behind it was clear.

Aria's heart raced. There was nothing she could say that would change anything. He had already made his intentions clear.

⸻

Three months later…

The room felt suffocating, the walls pressing in on her from all sides. Aria stood at the window, looking out at the city below. She had no idea what was happening outside, no sense of connection to the world beyond the penthouse. The city was just a blur of lights—empty, distant.

Cassian had come and gone in the past three months, as cold and indifferent as always. His visits were brief, his words sharp and cutting. He hadn't done anything to lessen her captivity; if anything, he had only made it worse with each encounter.

Aria no longer felt the sharp pain of betrayal. Instead, there was a strange numbness that had settled in her chest. She had no more tears, no more hope. Just a quiet resignation to her fate.

But, despite herself, she still couldn't help but wonder if things would ever change. Would there ever be a way out of this?

Cassian was a constant presence in her life now, a shadow that hovered just beyond her reach. She didn't know what he wanted from her, but she had no choice but to endure.