Aria’s POV

Dinner with Maureen went well. She had drunk a little too much and was already quite tipsy, so I had Lucian drive her home before returning to the estate.

It had been an exhausting day; I just wanted to soak in a cold bath to relieve the tension and stress.

I was about to head to my room when Lucian called out.

“Boss, someone left a package for you. No threat was found on the scan.”

“Where is it from?” I asked.

“There’s no name or address on it. It only has your name written on the front.”

He handed the package over to me.

“You may take your leave,” I told him.

I went to my room, dropped the package on my bed, and went straight to the bathroom.

An hour later, I was done with my shower. I was drying my hair when my eyes caught the reflection of the package in the mirror.

I set the towel aside and walked over to the bed.

Picking it up, I grabbed a small knife from under my pillow and tore through the wrapping.

The moment I opened the box—

I froze.

The ground seemed to slip from beneath my feet as a rush of past memories flooded in.

The contents of the box—a mere photo—were a devastating reminder of the scars I still bear.

Third Person POV

The photo was a fragment of the past that reopened wounds yet to heal.

Aria took it, her hands shaking violently. Her composure vanished.

Just as she was about to put it away, her eyes caught something else in the box.

A note.

The moment she read the words, she threw the box and its contents away, her composure completely shattered.

Panic set in.

All her years of hard work trying not to look weak became nothing but wasted time.

Her breath became shallow; even in the cold room, beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

Her heart pounded so hard she felt she couldn’t breathe.

Aria’s POV

My chest felt so tight… I was losing control.

Aria… breathe…

I tried to tell myself.

I tried to stay calm—

But I failed miserably.

Tears escaped my eyes like a dam had finally broken loose. Everything I had buried for years came crashing out all at once.

I looked toward the mirror—

And saw her.

A broken, disheveled version of myself.

The teenage Aria.

Third Person POV

Aria folded her legs to her chest and buried her head between her knees, retreating into the corner of the bed as if trying to disappear.

She had lost every ounce of composure.

The only thought running through her mind—

Her past.

With trembling hands, she reached for her phone lying on the bed.

She called the only person she could reach out to in her hardest moment.

Maureen.

Maureen picked up after a few rings.

“Ari, it’s late—”

“Mau… Maureen…” Aria called shakily.

“Ari?” Maureen’s voice sharpened instantly, the drowsiness gone. “Are you okay? What happened? You know what—hold on for me. I’m on my way. Do not hang up, okay?”

Shuffling followed, then the sound of keys and a car speeding off.

“Ari, dear? Can you hear me?”

The only response was the sound of Aria struggling to breathe.

“Baby, calm down. Breathe slowly. I’m at your house right now.”

Maureen stepped out of her car and rushed inside, where she met Lucian.

“Miss Maureen—”

“No time for greetings. I think Aria is having a panic attack!”

She ran upstairs, Lucian close behind.

Maureen’s POV

Hearing my best friend like that—

It was the most heartbreaking sound I had ever heard.

I rushed to her room and pushed the door open.

“Aria!”

The sight in front of me stopped my heart.

She was curled up in the corner of her bed.

Small.

Shaking.

Broken.

The scene reminded me of the first time I met her, eight years ago.

And it broke me all over again.

I ran to her immediately.

“Ari…” I called softly.

She looked up at me—

And I nearly broke down myself.

All I could see was the sixteen-year-old Aria.

“Ari, baby, breathe for me,” I whispered, pulling her into my arms.

She buried her face in my chest, gripping me tightly.

“He’s back, Maureen… he’s back… he’s here… will he hurt me again?” she sobbed.

I shook my head instantly, holding her closer.

“He can’t hurt you, baby. No one can. Do you understand me? I will protect you. No one can touch you.”

I cupped her face gently.

“You are Aria De Luca Nera—the most feared mafia queen. You rule both the underworld and the surface. Empires bow to your name. No one dares to harm you. Not anymore.”

Her breathing was still uneven.

“Now… breathe for me,” I whispered. “Slowly. Follow my voice. Listen to me.”

Slowly, carefully, I guided her through each breath.

In…

Out…

Again.

And again.

Gradually—

Her breathing steadied.

Her grip loosened slightly, but she didn’t let go.

As if letting go meant falling apart again.

I stayed with her, holding her, until exhaustion finally claimed her.

She fell asleep in my arms.

I signaled to Lucian, and together we gently placed her back on the bed.

The room was a mess.

The box lay discarded.

Its contents scattered.

I covered her with a quilt before stepping away.

Then I gestured for Lucian to follow me outside while I had someone come inside to clean up the room in other to prevent Aria from spiraling again the moment she wakes up.

“Did you find anything?” I asked quietly.

“Yes,” he replied. “Earlier, I delivered a package to her.”

He explained everything.

Then he handed me the photo.

And the note.

I looked at the picture.

A younger Aria… thirteen, maybe fourteen.

And a man beside her.

My grip tightened.

I didn’t need to ask.

I already knew.

I unfolded the note slowly.

“Little Aria… did you miss me?” I read aloud.

A chill ran down my spine.

“I think her past is surfacing again,” Lucian said, his expression darkening.

Silence fell between us.

Heavy.

Unsettling.

I glanced back toward the now tidy room.

Then at the note in my hand.

My fingers tightened slightly around it.

“Find out how that package got in,” I said quietly.

Lucian straightened immediately. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Check every camera. Every guard. Every entry point. Do whatever it that you know Aria would have asked you to do.”

He nodded and left without another word.

I stood there for a moment longer.

Then turned and walked back into the room.

Aria was still asleep.

But even in her sleep, her brows were slightly furrowed—like she hadn’t escaped whatever was haunting her.

My chest tightened.

Slowly, I walked over and lay beside her.

Carefully.

Gently.

As if I was afraid she might break.

The moment I settled—

She moved.

Instinctively.

Her hand reached out, gripping my clothes.

Then she shifted closer.

Wrapping herself around me.

Like she was afraid I would disappear.

I froze for a second.

Then softened.

My hand moved to her hair, stroking it gently.

“I’m here,” I whispered, even though she couldn’t hear me.

“You’re safe.”

She didn’t respond.

But her grip tightened slightly.

Outside the room—

The night was quiet.

Too quiet.

And somewhere in the silence…

Danger lingered.

My eyes slowly drifted to the note lying on the bedside table.

The words echoed in my mind.

Little Aria… did you miss me?

My gaze hardened.

This wasn’t just about the past.

It was something more.

Something deliberate.

Something planned.

He didn’t send just a memory.

He sent a message.

And that was the scary part.