You are dead, Aria.

You are dead, Aria.
Aria woke up because her phone alarm rang loudly beside her bed. She groaned and buried herself deeper inside her thick blanket. Even though the weather outside was bright, the air conditioner in her room made it cold enough that she refused to sleep without a cover. She did not want to wake up feeling sick just because she got careless.

Still wrapped tightly, she turned her head toward the window. The curtains were closed, but thin light slipped through the fabric. The sun was already high. She must have slept well. Her body felt light and refreshed. No heaviness. No headache.

She stretched slowly, extending her arms and legs, enjoying the pull of her muscles as she woke up fully.

It was Saturday. No classes. No plans. Nothing urgent. She planned to waste the entire day at home doing absolutely nothing. Breakfast slipped her mind. She reached for the wall clock and stared at it. The short hand pointed at ten.

Ten.

That meant breakfast was long gone. Aria threw the blanket aside and climbed out of bed, heading straight to the bathroom. Her eyes landed on the bathtub. Empty. Dry. She walked toward it and turned on the water, deciding to soak for a while before doing anything else. The sound of water filling the tub echoed softly around the tiled room.

While waiting, she walked toward the mirror. Slowly, she began removing her clothes one piece at a time, watching herself in the reflection. Shirt first. Then shorts. She was left in her underwear, fabric barely covering what mattered.

She studied her own body. And just like that, her mind traveled back to two nights ago.

The image burned into her memory. Her mother. Dominic. Their bodies moving together. The sound of them. The way Dominic handled her mother like he owned her.

Aria removed her bra and reached for the small bottle of olive oil she kept on the bathroom shelf. She poured some into her palm and rubbed her hands together. Then she touched her breasts.

She massaged them slowly, almost clinically at first. She had always taken care of her body properly. She was proud of her shape. Full. Round. Symmetrical. But today it was different.

As her fingers moved, her thoughts dropped lower. To the way Dominic had taken her mother from behind. To how strong he looked. To how powerful he seemed. Her grip tightened without her realizing it.

She rolled her nipples between her fingers. Heat gathered between her thighs. The same place that pulsed when she remembered the way Dominic moved. She did this often. Almost every day. Before she walked in on them, it was simply self care. Physical release. Nothing more. But since that night, everything had changed.

Now when she looked at her own body, she did not imagine faceless pleasure. She imagined Dominic. The way he would touch her. The way those hands felt against her skin in the car. The way his body looked when he took her mother. Call her insane if you want. But she loved touching herself. Even if she was still a virgin. Her fingers began drifting downward, ready to slide between her thighs.

Knock.

The sudden sound made her heart jump. She grabbed the towel hanging nearby and quickly wrapped it around her naked body before opening the bathroom door. Her mother stood there.

“Aria,” Helena said. “Mom is going to Bali for a few days. A close friend is sick. I will probably stay overnight and come back tomorrow. You will be fine alone, right?”

Aria forced a smile. “I will be fine, Mom. Do not worry.”

Helena nodded. “But do not worry. Dominic will stay and keep an eye on you while I am gone. I am not going alone. I am with friends.”

The moment she heard Dominic’s name, Aria went silent for a second. She looked at her mother, then smiled again.

“I am fine, Mom. I can take care of myself. I do not need to be guarded by Uncle Dominic.”

Helena shook her head. “No. You will still be with Dominic. I have already told him.”

Aria saw the stubborn look in her mother’s eyes and gave up. Arguing would not change anything.

“All right,” she said finally.

Helena turned to leave, then paused. “Oh, Dominic is still asleep. After gym this morning he went back to bed. If you need anything, just wake him up. I already told him to watch you.”

Aria nodded.

“Yes, Mom. If anything happens, I will report to your foreign man,” she said lightly, trying to joke.

Helena smiled and left. Aria closed the bathroom door and returned to her bath.

Half an hour later, Aria was ready. She did not use much make up. Just moisturizer and baby powder to keep her face light. She owned plenty of cosmetics, but she only used them for parties. At home she preferred something simple. When she felt satisfied with her appearance, she stepped out of her room.

The house was quiet. Dominic must still be asleep. Her feet moved toward the stairs almost automatically. Step by step she climbed up until she stood in front of her mother’s bedroom. Without knocking, she grabbed the handle and turned it slowly. The door was not locked.

She opened it a little and peeked inside. Dominic lay on the bed, completely asleep. The blanket covered his lower body, but his upper body was exposed. Bare chest. Defined muscles. Strong shoulders. The lines of his torso were clear even in the dim light. Her pulse quickened. She stepped inside quietly.

Closer.

On the bed she saw clothes scattered. A pair of underwear among them. Which meant he was naked under that blanket. Her throat felt dry. She wanted to see him again. She wanted to confirm what she had glimpsed two nights ago. The size of him. The way he filled her mother.

Why did she want to see it again. Her body reacted before she could stop it. Blood rushed through her veins. Curiosity mixed with something darker. This is crazy, she told herself. She knelt beside the bed slowly and reached for the edge of the blanket. Her heart pounded so loudly she was afraid he might hear it. Her fingers lifted the fabric inch by inch.

Almost there.

Just a little more.

Then Dominic moved.

He shifted slightly on the bed. Aria went still, panic spreading through her body. Holy sht.

You are dead, Aria.