THE MAFIA KING BROKEN ROSE novel Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Aria’s POV

Medications.

Even if it seems I may not need them.

Clothes… was there any use?

I sighed, staring at the small duffel bag on the bed. My hands hovered over it, hesitating. Everything felt surreal, like I was standing outside my own body, watching someone else prepare for a life I never wanted.

The room was dim, lit only by the soft glow of a bedside lamp. My mother’s muffled sobs carried from the living room, each sound slicing into me like a knife. I tightened my grip on the bag, my chest constricting as I tried to block it out.

A knock at the door broke through my thoughts.

“Come in,” I said quietly, my voice barely audible.

The door creaked open, and Lila stepped inside. Her wide, concerned eyes scanned the room before landing on me.

“I heard,” she said softly, closing the door behind her.

I forced a smile, though it felt hollow. “Of course you did. Nothing stays quiet for long around here.”

Lila crossed the room quickly, pulling me into a tight hug. Her arms were warm and steady, a brief anchor in the chaos swirling around me.

“Aria, you don’t have to do this,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “We’ll figure something out. There has to be another way.”

“There isn’t,” I said, pulling back to meet her gaze. “I’ve gone through every option, Lila. This is the only way to keep them alive.”

Tears glistened in her eyes as she shook her head. “But at what cost? You’re—”

“I’ll be fine,” I interrupted, my voice firm despite the crack forming in it. “You don’t need to worry about me.”

She didn’t look convinced, but she nodded reluctantly.

I walked to the nightstand and picked up a small notebook, pressing it into her hands. “These are the instructions for my mom’s medications and appointments. I’ve already called the pharmacy to set up refills, and there’s a list of numbers in case of emergencies.”

Lila stared at the notebook, her lips trembling. “You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you?”

“I have to,” I said, my voice softening. “If I don’t… no one else will.”

A heavy silence filled the room, broken only by the distant sound of my mother’s cries.

“I don’t want to leave her like this,” I whispered, my throat tightening. “But I don’t have a choice.”

“She knows,” Lila said, her voice gentle. “She knows you’re doing this for her. For all of them.”

I nodded, though the weight of guilt remained firmly in place.

Lila stepped back, tucking the notebook under her arm. “I’ll take care of her,” she promised. “You don’t need to worry about that.”

“Thank you,” I said, my voice barely audible.

My gaze shifted to the living room, where my mother sat curled on the couch, her frail body shaking with sobs. I took a step toward her, then stopped, unsure if I could bear to see her like that.

My father was sprawled on the floor nearby, an empty bottle of whiskey clutched in his hand. His face was slack, his body limp, his snores filling the silence between my mother’s cries.

Shame coursed through me as I stared at him. He was supposed to be the strong one, the protector. But now, he was just a shell, drowning in guilt and alcohol.

I turned away, swallowing the lump in my throat as I zipped the duffel bag closed.

“Aria…” Lila began, her voice hesitant.

“It’s fine,” I said quickly, cutting her off. “I’m fine.”

I wasn’t. But that didn’t matter anymore.

Bag in hand, I walked to the front door, my footsteps heavy and deliberate. Lila followed close behind, her presence steady but silent.

The night air hit me like a wave as I stepped outside, the cool breeze stinging my skin. I adjusted the strap of the bag on my shoulder, taking a deep breath to steady myself.

Behind me, Lila lingered in the doorway, her expression unreadable.

“I’ll call,” I said, though we both knew I wouldn’t.

She nodded, her lips pressing into a thin line. “Be careful, Aria.”

I didn’t respond. Instead, I turned and started walking, the sound of my boots echoing softly on the pavement. The street was quiet, the world around me eerily still.

But as I neared the corner, a faint sound caught my attention.

Heaving.

I froze, my pulse quickening as the noise grew louder, more distinct.

My grip on the bag tightened, my eyes scanning the shadows ahead.

Someone was there.

Perkins.

He stumbled out of the shadows, his hair disheveled and his expression wild. For a moment, I thought he might be drunk, but as he drew closer, the gleam in his eyes was as sharp and calculating.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I snapped, my voice trembling.

Seeing him brought out the root of my anger.

Of my pain.

“Aria,” he said, raising his hands in a mock gesture of surrender. “Just hear me out.”

“Leave,” Lila said, stepping in front of me protectively. Her voice was sharp, her posture tense. “You’ve done enough.”

Perkins ignored her, his gaze fixed on me. “I heard,” he said, his tone light, almost casual. “About what’s happening with your family. Tough break.”

I stiffened, my grip on the duffel bag tightening.

Lila didn’t miss a beat. “What the hell do you care?” she spat. “You don’t give a damn about her or her family. Just crawl back to whatever hole you came out of or better still the so called pussy that you can’t seem to get yiur dick out from.”

Perkins scoffed, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Look, I came to apologize.”

“Apologize?” I repeated, my voice dripping with disbelief.

“Yeah,” he said with a shrug, his tone completely devoid of sincerity. “I mean, not for the cheating thing. That’s in the past, right? But for… you know, being a little cold earlier.”

Lila’s jaw dropped. “Are you serious right now?” she hissed.

Perkins ignored her again, stepping closer to me. “Aria, you’ve got connections now, don’t you?” he said, his voice lowering as if we were sharing some kind of secret. “I mean, the guy you’re going to… he’s got power, right? Maybe you could… I don’t know, put in a good word for me. Get me some work or something.”

I blinked, my mind struggling to process the audacity of his words. “You want me to… help you?”

“Yeah,” he said, his lips curling into a smirk. “I mean, we had something, didn’t we? You owe me that much. I mean I had to deal with your mess.”

I scoffed, “My…mess?”

“I didn’t mean it like that Aria…but you know.”

I chuckled, “Okay…I will give you help.”

One that’s long been over due.

I swung the duffel bag before I could think, the heavy weight of it connecting with his smug face with a satisfying thud.

“You arrogant piece of shit!” I shouted, my voice shaking with fury.

He stumbled back, clutching his face. “What the hell, Aria?”

Before he could recover, Lila was on him, shoving him hard toward the curb. “Get out of here!” she screamed, her voice ringing through the quiet street. “You’re pathetic, Perkins! Pathetic!”

He tripped over the curb, landing in an undignified heap on the sidewalk.

“You’re crazy!” he shouted, glaring up at us as he scrambled to his feet.

“Leave!” I screamed, the sound raw and furious, echoing in the still night. “Before I burst your balls with my heels.”

Perkins hesitated for a moment, his face twisting with anger, but he must have realized he wasn’t going to win this. With a muttered curse, he turned and stumbled away, disappearing into the shadows.

I stood there, my chest heaving, the duffel bag still clenched tightly in my hand.

“Are you okay?” Lila asked, her voice softening as she placed a hand on my shoulder.

Before I could answer, a low, smooth voice cut through the night.

“Are you Aria Montel?”

I spun around, my heart leaping into my throat.

An expensive car I hadn’t noticed before was parked at the curb, its dark, sleek frame gleaming under the streetlights. A man in a perfectly tailored suit stood beside it, his posture rigid, his face unreadable.

“I… I am,” I said hesitantly, my voice barely above a whisper.

The man nodded once, stepping forward to open the back door of the car. “The Don awaits you.”

Chapter 6