My enemy's daughter
Luca's POV
Not the planned, calm, innocent look she was trying to portray, but an actual reaction... She yelled.
I had to struggle to stop myself from smiling when she realized that she was acting like herself again and shut her eyes to calm herself down.
Then she returned to being calm again.
Fine... I've got time to break her.
I insisted that she follow me dressed like that.
Yes, initially it was just to get a reaction from her... But when I thought about it, it was better this way.
Aria was a damsel. She was endowed in every possible way.
If she got all dressed up for where we were headed, the probability of her getting someone to help her... Not for no reason of course, would be higher.
The person would want her for themselves, and would forget about hierarchy to try and steal her from me.
Plus... Aria could also get taken advantage of, the mafia world wasn't a nice place.
We got to the car, and the driver started it.
Aria didn't say a word.
She just kept on staring outside as if she was waiting, her face dull... Almost no emotions.
I couldn't resist the urge to stare at her through the front mirror by her side.
Then suddenly her face changed... An inspired expression appeared on her face. It was dull, but I could see the twinkle in her eyes as she stared into space.
Her eyes then moved towards the road and she stared at something so intensely.
Curiously, I took my gaze off her to check.
It was a tree.
'What was so interesting about a tree?' I wondered, returning to look at her.
Her face had fallen now, and a small pout rested on her lips.
Those lips of hers...
'Stop it, Luca, she's your enemy's child.'
I shouldn't even have designs on someone like her. Only maybe to punish her, to ruin her even more... That might be the push I needed to drive her completely mental as I had hoped, but...
I didn't want to do it now.
This was an experiment. I wanted it to be slow and painful.
That would be my last option.
As soon as we arrived, the driver turned off the engine and got down to open the door for me.
Aria didn't wait... Not as if he was going to open it for her, but the height of her nonchalance was just... Fascinating.
But that changed as soon as she got down.
Her eyes went round, and an emotion of surprise filled her face.
She had no idea where I was taking her.
The mayor's mansion.
She stared around at the huge building, then looked down at her clothes and shook her head.
Again... I found her actions amusing.
A small smile appeared on my lips.
Then I noticed how she took in a deep breath. Her emotions disappeared again. She turned towards me and smiled. "Whenever you're ready,"
My smile transformed into a smirk.
She was doing exactly what I told her I didn't want.
Fine.
I was curious to see how long it would last.
"After you dove,"
She froze.
I walked past her, and a surprised sigh left my lips.
I had let my nickname for her slip.
Dove.
That was what she was like to me.
Without pretense, naturally... Without me, she was innocent.
She had no hand in what her father was doing, she was as innocent and meek as a dove.
She wasn't exactly pure... But in my world, she was stainless.
Some that pure was dragged into a world this bloody, a dove plunged into a world filled with its natural predators.
There were the Hawks, Owls, Raccoons, Foxes, Snakes...
Almost everything in this world would try to taint her.
My dove.
I walked to catch up with her.
She waited for me.
The building was decorated well... As well as I would have imagined a mayor's party to be.
Aria looked around, and emotions had returned to her face again.
There was embarrassment and shame as she walked around.
They whispered about her, pointing fingers as we walked by.
But I didn't bother.
Disgrace was an additional reason for the clothes.
I had to leave her a few minutes after we arrived because I spotted a new business ally we had been scouting for a while.
I contemplated leaving her alone. A dove... My dove is on her own in the midst of all her natural predators.
It would also give her the time she had been waiting for to execute her plans of escape.
But... Duty calls.
Also, if she managed to escape this... In the midst of everyone here unharmed, then maybe she deserved the freedom she was vying for.
Not like I was going to give it to her... But, she would deserve it.
So, after a lot of contemplating, I left.
But not without turning back to see her facial expression.
She was elated.
I shook my head and went my way.
...
Through the entire conversation with my business partners, my mind was clouded with Aria.
What was she doing? Where was she?
Was she being bullied? Had she escaped?
Multiple thoughts... All about her.
I had to struggle to concentrate for most of the night. What worsened my thoughts was that Aria was nowhere to be found.
I scanned the party, looking around to see if I could spot even her shadow.
But I couldn't see anything.
Maybe her plans worked.
Maybe she was already gone.
Then I began to contemplate again whether or not to look for her, and whether to start now... Or to wait until he had gone far.
"Um..." I stuttered, returning my attention to the man in front of me. "We should continue this conversation another time, I..."
Before I could complete my words, I lifted my eyes off the man in front of me, and then I saw her.
She was so close to me.
She wasn't gone?
My heart pounded. Not because she was still here... It was part of the reasons, but it wasn't the main one.
No.
It was because of the way she stared at me. The way she walked towards me, her gaze never leaving my face.
There was disbelief etched on my face. "W...what...?"
Before I could finish my words, I felt her soft warm hands on my face. She stood on her tiptoes, and before I could realize... Her lips landed on mine.