Chapter 1
Aria Bellini woke up to the usual buzz of her alarm. It was early, but mornings were always like that in her house.
She groaned and rolled over, hitting the snooze button. The room was quiet except for the faint hum of the city outside. She liked that about the early hours, when the world still felt like it belonged to her, if only for a little while.
Her room was neat, just the way she liked it. Her long brown hair touched her shoulders and her green eyes blinked against the morning light. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stretched, listening to the quiet sounds of her house waking up. Somewhere down the hall she could hear footsteps, probably Matteo heading to the kitchen. He was always early, always ready, and always serious.
Aria liked that about him sometimes, but other times it made her feel trapped. Matteo's stare could cut through walls. He had been her protector, her shadow, for as long as she could remember. She knew he loved her, but the way he loved made her feel like she was fragile, like the world outside the Bellini estate would eat her alive. And maybe in some ways it would.
Her mother, Sofia, appeared in the doorway, holding a tray with two cups of coffee. She smiled softly, her brown eyes warm but tired. "Good morning, Aria," she said. Her voice had a calmness that made Aria feel safe, even if only for a moment.
"Morning," Aria mumbled, not really moving. She didn't need the coffee. She liked mornings to be quiet and slow.
Sofia set the tray down on her desk anyway. "You look tired," her mother said. "Did you stay up too late again?"
"Homework," Aria replied. She meant it, mostly. College was not easy, but she hated lying to her mom. Sofia gave her a small nod as she understood and left her alone.
The Bellini estate was huge, but it always felt smaller when she was awake early. The walls were thick, the guards silent but always there, the doors heavy. Nothing moved without someone noticing. She had grown up with it, and she knew how to navigate it without anyone realising she was testing limits.
Breakfast was quiet. Lorenzo, her father, sat at the head of the table, eyes scanning a laptop screen. He barely looked up as she walked past. Aria had learned early not to take it personally. Lorenzo ruled the Bellinis with power and caution. Everything in the house was about control. Security, business, reputation. Aria understood that now, even if she hadn't when she was younger.
Matteo, as usual, was done with his breakfast and, dressed in dark clothes that made him look more like a soldier than a brother. He barely acknowledged Elena, their middle sibling, who was scrolling on her phone, lost in her own world. Aria sat down quietly, picking at her food.
The quiet was normal. Words were not really needed in their house. They were safe in silence.
"I need to talk to you about today," Matteo said suddenly, breaking the silence. Aria looked up at him. His green eyes were sharp. He always looked like he was calculating every word, every move.
"What about?" she asked casually, trying not to show any worry.
"Nothing," he said quickly. But Aria had grown up knowing that when Matteo said nothing, it meant something. She kept eating quietly, pretending she didn't care, but she did.
Their father's phone rang loudly, interrupting them. Lorenzo picked it up, spoke briefly, and hung up. No one asked who it was. In the Bellini household, asking questions was dangerous unless you were invited.
After breakfast, Aria went to feed the cats in the small garden. It was the favourite part of the morning. Stray cats had a way of trusting her instantly, unlike humans. They didn't care about her family, her name, or her reputation.
They only cared about her soft voice and gentle hands.
She knelt down to stroke a small black kitten, feeling the fur between her fingers. It purred and rubbed against her hand. She closed her eyes for a second, imagining life beyond the estate. Streets where she could walk alone, cafes where no one knew her name, the freedom to just be Aria without anyone watching.
But she knew that was a dream. Real life in the Bellini family came with rules. Guards, security cameras, curfews, threats from rival families. The DeLucas. Matteo hated them more than anyone else. He had grown up on stories of their betrayal, their attacks, their blood. And Aria had learned to fear them too, even if she had never seen them in person.
"Aria," Sofia called from the doorway. "Breakfast is over. Make sure you get ready for classes."
Aria nodded. She didn't rush. She liked moving slowly in the mornings, enjoying the few moments she could control. She glanced at the street outside the estate. Cars rolled by, people moved fast, and a few kids waved to each other on their way to school. It looked normal.
Peaceful. But she knew better.
Her room was upstairs, and she climbed the stairs slowly, listening to the sounds of the house. Elena was laughing quietly at something on her phone. Matteo's steps were heavy, as always, on the floor below. Lorenzo's voice murmured on the phone. Sofia's soft humming drifted up from the kitchen.
She sat at her desk and opened her laptop. Classes start in an hour. She had a paper to finish, but her mind wandered. She thought about Matteo, about her parents, about the way life had been since she could remember. The Bellini family was powerful, respected, and feared. But that came at a cost. Every action had to be measured, every word watched, every move calculated.
Aria sighed. She wanted to live like a normal person, just for a little while. But she knew normal was impossible.
She remembered a time when she was younger, sneaking out to a small café with Elena. They laughed, talked, and felt free. But even then, Matteo had known. He had appeared at the café like a shadow, warning them without speaking much. That memory always made her stomach twist. She hated the protection and needed it all at once.
Her phone buzzed with a message from Elena. "Hurry up or you're late for class."
Aria smiled faintly and shut her laptop. She packed her bag, checking quickly that she had everything. Books, notes, pens. Phone. Wallet. Keys. Everything.
She stopped for a moment, looking out the window again.
The city moved fast, alive and unaware of the quiet tension in her home. She wondered if she would ever be able to walk those streets freely. She doubted it.
Downstairs, the guards were already in position. They nodded at her as she passed, and she gave a small wave. Matteo watched from the kitchen doorway. He didn't say anything, but she felt his eyes on her back, like always.
The drive to campus was quiet. She stared out the window, the city blurring past. People went about their mornings, thinking about coffee, classes, work, and life. She envied them a little. They didn't know what it meant to be watched, to be protected in ways that felt both safe and suffocating.
When she arrived on campus, she thanked the driver and walked through the gates. Students passed her by, laughing, talking, living. She felt a tiny pang of longing. Maybe one day she could be like them. Maybe one day she could be free.
But for now, she was Aria Bellini. Youngest of the Bellini family. Daughter of Lorenzo and Sofia. Sister to Matteo and Elena. Protected, watched, and trapped in a world that demanded respect and obedience.
She took a deep breath, pushed the thoughts aside, and walked into class.
Someone outside, across the street, moved just slightly, leaning against a lamppost. She did not notice. She was not meant to yet.