[Three days After]

"Mom! No, please, Mom!" Should those have been Aria's words? She should have crumbled down in tears when she received the news that her mother was dead.

A car accident, the news had labeled it as. She watched her mother breathe her last breath in the hospital as the doctors tried their best to save her.

"We are sorry, but we lost her..." Those were the words the doctor had said to Aria while she stood there. Those tears wished to pour. She wanted to yell, but in the end, all she managed was a staggered step as she slowly digested the words.

Even though Sandra was never that good to her, never there for Aria in a single moment, but she could never have wished for her mother's death. She was her mom.

The attachment was never lost, only broken.

Now, Aria stood among some crowds. Her mother's burial was held together with Adrian's father. Yet, she wondered why, with the truth that they never even got to marry.

"My condolences, dear..." One of the women approached Aria, saying she was a relative. Well, that was what the woman claimed, but where were all of them now, after her mother was dead? They came out of the blue, just like when her father died also. But Aria saw the greed behind their eyes, one that she knew was the crave for her parents' properties that were kept behind.

They possibly had the thoughts. A orphanage girl like Aria wasn't suitable to handle that.

Aria took some steps further, standing right in front of her mother's casket after the other relatives had said their words.

"Should I say I forgive you mom? The fact that you never understood me for a single second. But even so... just why, Mom? Why do things keep falling down...?" Aria couldn't hold back the tears that poured out from her eyes. She was crying.

Even though she tried hiding the pains, it was her mother that was dead, the last parent she had. Now gone, just like the rest.

"I... I'm sorry, Mom... I should have never left like... that. We should have never been so apart..." Aria muttered holding herself to blame also. She was furious and burning with rage, now the same woman she hated more than anything was gone, now those tears streamed the more.

"It was never your fault, dear. And I am sure your mother must be happy to know you have forgiven her..." The priest laid a comforting pat on Aria as she broke more into tears, on the priest harms.

The burial ceremony was over after some couple of hours, and her mother and Adrian's father were buried.

They all left except for Aria, who just stood there, her gaze downcast as the thunder roared with little droplets of rain falling. She had hoped to end her life just three days ago, but in the end, one question popped up to her mind—would Mia ever forgive her? The very same friend that risked her life to save hers.

Aria decided on one thing that day—she had to make the killer pay. She needed to find out who he was and make him experience a great hell.

She vowed that very day, "I will go through hell if I have to, Mia. He will pay... they will all pay..." she had said.

Now, she had to keep her words and keep on living.

"Rest in peace, Mom. I hope you get to meet dad.." Those words escaped Aria's mouth in whispers after standing for some few hours. She made her way through the half-lit streets with the rain still pouring heavily, yet she cared less at that moment.

It was little compared to all that was shattering deep inside her.

Aria arrived at a side as she paused her tracks, her eyes darting back.

A weird feeling sinking in... she was just being followed, yet she caught sight of nobody.

Her gaze returned back on her path, and then the same feeling came back. Aria hastened on her footsteps.

Who were they, what did they want with her... she wondered as she took a sudden turn, only to bump into someone holding an umbrella. It was the same woman from the hotel back then.

"Oh my, watch it, brat..." the woman said, which made Aria wonder in her thoughts if that was the same nice woman back then, one of the so-called caring relatives.

The woman took some steps closer toward Aria as the two men arrived from Aria's back, holding a dagger—so she was right. She was being followed.

But then the woman raised her hand in a halt, and the men retreated after leaving a half-bow.

"I wanted you out of the way now that your parents are gone, but I decided to give you a chance..." The woman said, bringing out a pen and a paper from her bag. Opening the paper revealed it to be a will contract. "I give you just two days, my lovely dear. Do the best and leave your father's property in the right hands, his relative, or face the consequences..." The woman threatened, flinging the paper and pen at Aria before making her way as she entered a car which was parked at the side. With the car engine starting and leaving eventually, Aria stood there, gazing at the contract paper that remained on the ground, drenched from the rain.

So this was the real truth of the last people she could call family. But that only proved her right—the fact that they only wanted the property and nothing to do with her. Yet, she never expected they would've gone to such lengths, threatening her life.

Aria hesitated for a while to take further steps, leaving the side.

The rain had stopped when she arrived at her house side, but then she stopped at her tracks when she saw Adrian resting his back against his car, right in front of her house.

"W... what's he doing here...?" She wondered. Should she turn back or just keep on going?

Lost on what to do, Aria decided to take further steps. Her only hope was in paying no glance at Adrian.

She walked past his side, approaching her house door, only to feel a grasp on her wrist.

"Aria..." Adrian said, "We need to talk, Aria..." he insisted.

"Stay away!" Aria jerked her hand off Adrian's grasp.

Her gaze turned back at him. Why so much did he want to talk to her? Just like back then, he had said the same. "Our parents are dead. So please, I... I just want only that..." she said.

"I never came here to just leave, Aria... I am not the same as I was back then... I have changed, Aria; things have. I realized so much after then..." Adrian said, but Aria was never ready to buy any of his words. For what she saw, he was just playing his acts. He wanted more, he was after inflicting more pain on her, right? That was what Aria could only think at that moment as she watched Adrian turn back, making his way to enter his car back seat. A sigh left her mouth, thinking he was planning on leaving, but only for her to watch him step out back, only with a paper.

"This is the reason I came to see you, Aria..." Adrian said, making Aria wonder what that paper was.

She had thought of not asking further, turning away and in haste, making her way inside, but that was never a safe option for her. She was tired of running.

"What's that...?" Aria eventually asked.

"It's a marriage contract. I am here to propose a marriage contract with you, Aria. I want you to be my wife..." Adrian said.

His words brought a pale look on Aria's face. Her legs almost screeched as she hoped she had just heard what came out of Adrian's mouth. The same bully that destroyed her very childhood was now here, wanting her to be his wife. He was supposed to be her stepbrother, right? So why? What was going on? What was he planning?

Why would he bring such a contract to her doorstep?