Chapter 5 The Handcuffs

Aria's POV

I woke up with my heart pounding so hard it felt like it would break out of my chest. My hands were tied behind me, and the room was white and bright like a hospital. My head felt heavy, like I had been hit by a truck.

I tried to sit up, but my body was too weak.

A door opened.

A man in a dark uniform walked in. He looked serious, like he had never laughed in his life. His eyes scanned the room, then landed on me.

"Aria Belmont," he said, his voice low. "You are awake."

I stared at him, trying to remember where I was. The last thing I remembered was the camera flash, then Rhys shouting, then the police officer saying my name.

I swallowed hard. "Where am I?"

The man's lips tightened. "A holding room." I felt my throat close.

"Why am I here?" I asked.

He looked at me like I was a problem. "You are under investigation for assault."

I blinked. "I did not assault anyone."

He raised an eyebrow. "You were seen fighting with Rhys Granger."

I closed my eyes. That night replayed in my head, like a bad movie. Rhys's face, the knife, Dante tackling him, the police sirens, the camera flash.

I opened my eyes again. "I was defending myself."

The man sighed. "We will ask questions later."

He left the room, the door clicking shut.

I sat there, heart racing, trying to breathe. The walls felt like they were closing in. I could not stop thinking about Dante. He had been with me, He had been strong, He had been my shield. But now I was alone.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, but I could not reach it. The handcuffs were tight and the chain pulled my arms behind me.

Then the door opened again. This time, it was not a police officer.

It was Dante. My heart jumped so hard I thought it might fly out of my body.

He walked in like he owned the room. His hair was messy, his suit rumpled. His eyes were dark and burning. He looked angry.

He stopped in front of me. I stared at him, my mouth open.

He leaned down and whispered, "They cannot keep you here."

I swallowed. "How did you get in?"

He smiled, but it was not a kind smile. It was a dangerous one. "I have my ways."

My eyes filled with tears. "They think I attacked Rhys."

Dante's jaw tightened. "They will say anything to protect him."

I looked at him, my heart aching. "Why are you helping me?"

His gaze softened for a moment. "Because you are not a toy."

I stared at him. "You do not even know me."

He shook his head. "I know more than you think."

He turned to the door and looked back at me. "Do not talk to anyone until I say so."

Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small tool.

My eyes widened. "What is that?" He smiled. "A key."

He placed the tool near the handcuffs and began working on the lock. The sound of metal clicking made my stomach twist.

I watched him, unable to move. The lock clicked open, My hands fell free.

I rubbed my wrists, feeling the red marks.

Dante stood up and walked toward me."Come," he said. I hesitated. "Where?"

He looked at me with a hard expression. "Anywhere but here."

We walked down the hall. The building felt like a maze. Lights flickered, and the air smelled like cleaning products. My heart kept beating fast.

We reached a stairwell.

Dante opened the door and we went down. The stairs were cold under my feet, The sound of our shoes echoed.

Then we heard voices. A man's voice.

My father's voice, I stopped. Dante looked at me. "Stay quiet."

We moved closer to the door.

My father was talking to someone. "I told you she would cause trouble," he said. "We need to control this."

I held my breath.

I heard my mother's voice, weak and scared. "Robert, please. She is our daughter."

My father's voice turned cold. "She is a mistake." My chest hurt.

Dante grabbed my hand and pulled me away from the door.

"Do not listen," he whispered. But I could not stop myself.

I heard my father say, "We will make her pay. We will make her disappear." My blood ran cold.

I pulled away from Dante, my eyes wide. "Did you hear that?"

He nodded, his face hard. "Yes."

I stared at him. "They want to disappear me." Dante's jaw tightened. "We are not going to let that happen."

I wanted to believe him. But fear rose inside me like a wave.

We continued down the hall. We reached another door. Dante opened it and we stepped inside.

The room was dark. A single lamp lit the corner. There was a chair, a table, and a file folder on the table.

Dante walked over and opened the folder. My eyes widened as I saw my name on the cover.

"Those are my files," I whispered.

He looked at me. "They have been collecting information on you for years."

My heart beat faster. "Why?"

Dante's voice was low. "Because you are useful."

I stared at him. "Useful for what?" He closed the folder and turned to me. "For control."

My hands shook. "Control of what?" I asked.

Dante looked at me, his eyes dark and intense. "Control of your family's power."

I stared at him, confused. "My family?"

He nodded. "Your father and Rhys are not the only ones involved."

My stomach dropped. "You are saying this is bigger than just Rhys?"

Dante nodded again. "Much bigger." My mouth went dry.

The sound of footsteps echoed in the hall. I held my breath.

Someone was coming. The footsteps grew louder. Dante grabbed my hand and pulled me behind the table.

The door opened. A woman stepped inside.

She was tall, dressed in a sharp suit, and her eyes were cold. Her hair was pulled back tight. She looked like someone who did not smile often.

Her eyes landed on me.

"Aria Belmont," she said, her voice calm. "You are a lot braver than I expected."

I swallowed hard. "Who are you?"

She smiled, but it did not reach her eyes. "I am someone who knows your family very well."

Dante stepped in front of me. "Who are you?"

The woman looked at him. "That is not your concern." Dante's eyes narrowed. "She is my concern."

The woman turned back to me. "You are in trouble, Miss Belmont."

My heart pounded. "Why?"

She walked closer. "Because you have been seen with Mr. Blackwood."

I felt Dante tense.

The woman's smile widened. "And because he is not the kind of man you want to be seen with."

Dante's voice was cold. "Do not talk about her like that."

The woman raised her eyebrows. "You think you can protect her? You think you can stop what is coming?"

I looked at Dante, scared and angry. "What is coming?"

The woman leaned closer, her voice barely above a whisper. "A trial."

My stomach dropped. "A trial?" I whispered.

She nodded. "For assault. For breaking into the Granger property, For lying to the police."

My eyes widened. "I did not do any of that."

The woman's eyes flicked to Dante. "That is what you think."

Dante's face hardened. "You are lying." The woman laughed softly. "I am not the one lying, Mr. Blackwood."

She reached into her bag and pulled out a folder.

She opened it and slid a photo onto the table. My eyes widened.

It was a photo of me.

In the photo, I was standing near the Granger garden. The camera flash had caught me with my hand near Rhys's face. But I was not alone.

In the background, there was a shadowy figure.

A figure that looked like me. A figure wearing the same dress, A figure smiling.

I stared at the photo, confused and scared.

"That is not me," I whispered. The woman smiled. "It is."

My throat tightened. "How is that possible?"

The woman leaned closer. "Because someone is using you."

My heart hammered. Dante's voice was sharp. "Who is using her?"

The woman looked at him, her eyes cold. "That is not for you to know."

I felt tears burn my eyes. The woman slid the photo back into the folder.

She stood up and walked toward the door.

"Enjoy your night, Miss Belmont," she said. "You will need your strength." Then she left.

The door clicked shut. Dante turned to me, his face hard.

"What was that?" I asked. He looked at me, his eyes serious. "That was your first warning."

My heart felt like it would burst. I stared at him. "Warning for what?"

Dante's voice dropped. "For the moment you realize you are not safe anywhere." My hands shook.

I looked at the door, the empty room, the dark hall.

And then I heard a sound. A voice coming from the hallway, A voice that made my blood turn cold.

"Miss Belmont," the voice said. "We are here to take you to the station."

I turned slowly, A group of officers stood in the doorway.

But one of them was not an officer. It was Rhys.

His face was bruised, his lip split, but his eyes were wild. He looked at me and smiled.

And then he said words that made my world fall apart.

"You are coming with me."