Aveline sat at the head of her bed, knees pulled tightly to her chest, her head resting against the cold windowpane. Her stomach twisted in fear.
Elias.
The very name sent shivers down her spine. Just hearing it had shattered her fragile mental walls, releasing a flood of memories she had tried so desperately to bury. His face, his voice, the twisted way he looked at her like she was something precious, yet disposable.
Her fingers trembled as she hugged her legs tighter. She didn't want to remember. Not him. Not the past. Even when she saw him at that party and he told her he was coming for her, she had tried to pretend it was nothing. Pretend she was safe. She convinced herself that as long as she stayed locked in this mansion, she would be unreachable.
But she knew deep down that wasn't true.
No one had ever cared for her. Not her parents' so-called friends, who had turned their backs on her when her family fell apart. Elias had been the only one who stepped in. The only one who helped. And for that, she thought he was kind. She thought he was her savior. She was so, so wrong.
---
Flashback - 12 Years Ago
She was thirteen when everything fell apart. Her father's company crumbled into dust. Bankruptcy followed. Everything they once had was taken from them. Someone had accused her father of murder, and suddenly, they were pariahs.
"Dad, I'm scared. They're going to take you away. I know you didn't kill anyone, so why are they lying?" Aveline asked through sobs, her small hands pressed against the glass of the visiting room. Her father sat on the other side, handcuffed, the lines around his eyes deeper than she'd ever seen.
"They're not taking me anywhere, princess," he said softly into the phone, his smile tired but reassuring. "I'll be back as soon as this is all over. And it makes me so proud to know that you believe in me."
"But why would someone lie like that? You're the kindest person in the world. I miss you so much, Dad."
"I miss you too, sweetheart. I promise I'll come home, okay?"
"Okay," she nodded, tears running down her cheeks.
"Now wipe those tears. You're an ugly crier," he teased with a chuckle.
"No, I'm not!" she huffed, rubbing at her face.
"There's my pretty girl. That's better. No more crying, it doesn't suit you."
Aveline smiled faintly. Her mother, sitting beside her, hadn't said much. Her face was pale and drawn.
"Please take care of each other while I'm gone," her father added, turning to her mother. "I'll do my best to get out of here."
"I... I will," her mother whispered, barely holding herself together.
The visit ended, and they returned home, to a home that wouldn't be theirs for much longer.
The day of the trial came, Torres vs Cross. Aveline wasn't allowed to go. Her father insisted she stay home. The court case dragged on with overwhelming evidence. In the end, her father was found guilty.
But strangely, he wasn't sent to prison. He was released... with nothing.
Everything had been stripped away. Their house. Their money. Their reputation. They were left with only the clothes on their backs and a handful of cash. It was as if all this was orchestrated by someone
They lived under bridges, in abandoned buildings, shunned by everyone they once called friends. Her parents tried to find jobs, but no one would hire them.
"Why are we suffering like this? We didn't do anything wrong. We can't even eat properly," her mother sobbed one night. "I asked my friends for help and they threw me out like garbage. I never imagined they'd turn on us like this."
"Please don't cry," her father murmured, holding her tightly. "We'll get through this. Somehow."
"Get through this?! We're sleeping under a bridge! We can't even take care of our daughter. Look at her, she's too young for this kind of life!"
Aveline watched them, her small frame wrapped in a threadbare blanket.
"Mom..." she whispered, grabbing their attention.
"Yes, princess?" her father asked gently.
"If it's this hard, maybe I can look for a job too. It'll help, right?"
"No! Absolutely not," her mother snapped, moving to hug her. "It's not your burden to carry. We'll work as hard as we can."
"That's right," her father added with a weary smile. "You're our little princess. You don't have to worry about anything."
"Okay... I won't work. Yet," Aveline mumbled with a sly grin.
"What do you mean by 'yet,' huh?" her mom said playfully.
"What?" she giggled.
"You little brat," her mom laughed, tickling her.
Her father watched them with a bittersweet smile.
A year passed. Things didn't get better. They were now living in an abandoned building. One afternoon, when Aveline and her father were alone, a sleek black car pulled up.
"Dad, there's a strange man outside," Aveline said nervously.
"Stay inside. I'll handle it," he said and walked out.
Curiosity got the better of her, and she peeked. Her father was talking with the man. Then, the man handed him a thick bundle of money.
"Who was that, Dad? Why did he give you money?"
"Oh... he's an old friend," her dad replied quickly.
"Friend?"
"Yeah. Listen, can you do me a favor? Don't tell your mom about him."
"Why?"
"It's... complicated. She'll worry too much. So promise me, okay?"
"Okay," Aveline nodded, though confusion lingered.
From then on, her father would occasionally return with more money. Her mother remained suspicious, but they were finally eating well again. They even laughed.
One day, her father smiled and said, "I've saved enough to rent an apartment. We're moving out of here."
Her mother cried from joy.
The next morning, he left to finalize the apartment. Hours passed. Then it turned to evening.
"Why isn't he back yet, Mom?"
"Maybe he's still looking. Don't worry."
But worry grew. By sunset, her mother put on her jacket.
"You stay here. I'll look for him."
"No, I'm coming too. Please."
"Alright. Let's go."
They searched everywhere, and finally, they learned what happened.
He had been hit by a car and was taken to the hospital. He was in a critical condition.
When they arrived, it was too late.
Her mother collapsed to the floor, stunned. Aveline screamed and sobbed at the sight of her lifeless father.
"He promised! He said he'd always be with us! You can't break your promise, Dad! Please come back! Please!"
Her mother clutched her chest, slumped against the wall. "Aveline..." she whispered, and then collapsed.
Aveline's eyes widened in shock as panic gripped her chest. She immediately called for the doctor, her voice shaking.
"M-Mom, please... you can't leave me too!" she cried, her hands trembling as she held onto her mother's lifeless body.
A year passed.
Her father had been buried, and her mother's health had steadily declined. The weight of grief consumed her, leaving her fragile and ill. Unable to cope with the loss of her husband, she fell deeper into despair. Aveline, Who was now sixteen, was forced to become an adult too quickly. She searched desperately for small jobs, trying to earn enough money to buy medicine and food to keep her mother alive.
Life had become a painful struggle without her father.
She was coming back from work that evening, her arms aching and her feet sore from walking all day. Despite her exhaustion, she stopped by the pharmacy to buy more medication for her mother. Their supply was running low, and she didn't want to risk another sleepless night of watching her mother struggle to breathe. On the way out, she picked up a small loaf of bread, just enough to last until tomorrow.
As she walked along the narrow street leading back to the abandoned building they called home, something caught her eye. Up ahead, on the edge of a quiet, crumbling bridge, stood a girl, no older than her gripping the railing with pale, trembling fingers.
Aveline's steps faltered.
The girl didn't turn to acknowledge her. She just stared down at the river below, the wind tugging at her thin clothes. Her hair whipped across her face, her body frozen in place like a statue carved from despair.
Aveline approached cautiously.
"Hey…" she said softly, careful not to startle her. "Are you okay?"
The girl didn't answer. Her lips quivered, her eyes glassy.
Aveline's heart pounded. She recognized that look. She had worn it herself, once hopeless, numb, ready to vanish.
"Don't do it," Aveline whispered, stepping closer until she stood beside her. "Please. I know how it feels to want to disappear... but this isn't the way."
The girl blinked, a single tear falling. She stepped back narrowing her eyes at her.
"You must be hungry," Aveline said gently, pulling the bread from her bag. She tore it in half and offered a piece to her. "Here, eat something. You can't give up on an empty stomach."
The girl stared at the bread, then slowly reached out and took it. Her hands shook as she held it, as if unsure what to do next.
"I have to go," Aveline added with a small smile. "It's time to give my mom her medicine."
The girl looked at her, confusion clouding her face. She opened her mouth to speak but said nothing. She stared back at the railing she held earlier.
"My name is Aveline, by the way." Aveline smiled again, trying to offer her warmth in place of answers. "I hope we meet again."
And with that, she turned and ran down the road toward the building, her steps light despite her exhaustion.
"Mom! I'm back!" Aveline called as she stepped inside the cracked doorway, clutching the bag to her chest. "You won't believe what I did today."
She walked quickly to the corner of the room where her mother always lay on the makeshift bedding. Her smile faded the moment she saw her still figure.
Aveline crouched down and gently shook her shoulder.
"Wake up, Mom. Time for meds."
No response.
"Mom?" she whispered, the panic creeping into her voice.
She shook her a little harder. Still nothing.
Heart racing, Aveline placed her ear against her mother's chest.
Silence.
She backed away, her body trembling. "No... no, you can't do this to me... Mom! Mom!!" she screamed, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her desperately. "Please open your eyes! You're the only one I have left, please!!"
She collapsed onto her mother's body, sobbing uncontrollably.
"You and Dad promised me you'd always be here! You said you'd never leave!" Her voice cracked, her tears soaking into her mother's clothes. "Please don't break your promise too... I don't know what I'm going to do without you... please, I'm begging you."
Hours passed, but Aveline didn't move.
Eventually, like a ghost, she wandered out of the building. Her eyes were red, swollen from crying. Her steps were slow, her soul hollow. She drifted down the streets like a lost child, tears slipping silently down her cheeks as she approached the bridge again.
A car pulled up beside her, but she kept walking, numb and unaware.
"Aveline!"
The voice cut through the fog in her mind.
She turned slowly and saw him, the man who had given her father money. His face was calm, his expression unreadable.
"They left me…" Aveline mumbled, her voice breaking. "They left me, Mister…"
He walked up and wrapped his arms around her gently. "Don't cry, okay? I'll make sure your mother is buried properly. And you can come live with me. You don't have to be alone anymore."
Aveline cried into his shoulder, her sobs quiet but raw.
"My name is Elias," he said, pulling back just enough to look into her eyes. "Pack your things and wait for me at the train station tomorrow, alright?"
Aveline nodded slowly, too drained to speak.
True to his word, Elias buried her mother with care. The next day, she waited at the station as promised, unaware that she had just walked into the arms of her next nightmare.
Flashback End
Aveline wiped her tears with the back of her hand. Her breathing was uneven, but her trembling hands had finally stilled.
She reached up to the collar wrapped around her neck and unbuckled it slowly, letting it fall to the floor with a soft clink.
Her voice was no more than a whisper.
"I really am pathetic..."