Page 81 of Arianna

Can a broken heart still love? She wonders.

Then the image of Kadra transforms into their little sister, Mila, looking at her with teary eyes as if she holds the key to their salvation.

The feeling of hopelessness takes over Arianna, wrapping her like chains that burn her skin.

The loud cries of her sister sound all around them, torturing and breaking her little by little.

Where are you, Anna?

Why did you leave us?

One day?

You are just like everyone else who has hurt me.

You will thank me one day, mia cara.

Her father’s voice taunts.

Their voices are loud and relentless.

Every haunting memory morphs into something ugly, robbing Arianna of breath and leaving her defenseless.

Then complete silence takes over her senses before chaos breaks loose.

Cries of pain.

The sharp snap of a whip.

Blood.

So much blood.

And laughter.

Evil laughter of all the men that laid their hands on the eldest Parisi girl and found it amusing.

Then nothing.

Her sisters are gone, and only her father’s ghost remains.

“It should’ve been him.” Her father hissed it into her ear as she wept. As the man forced her from her knees onto her feet. He pressed the gun into her hands. “Prove your worth, child. You or them.”

Shots rang out.

Echoed in her ears for eternity.

A cry of pain.

Her soul shattered, and not for the first time.

After that night, nothing mattered.

No right or wrong.

It was her or them.

No other choice.

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