The First Act of Rebellion

The Russo estate was a fortress—high walls, armed guards, and a silence that felt heavier than it should. It was built to keep enemies out, but in many ways, it also kept Leo Russo trapped inside.

Aria had been here long enough to see the way the little boy longed for more. He didn’t say it out loud—he probably didn’t even understand what he was missing—but she saw it in the way he pressed his hands against the windows, watching the world beyond the glass. She saw it in the way his small shoulders slumped every time he was told no.

And today, she saw it in the way he sat on the floor by the balcony doors, staring at the sprawling green garden just beyond the glass, his tiny fingers tracing the outline of the trees.

Something inside her cracked.

“Leo,” she said softly, kneeling beside him. “Do you want to go outside?”

He turned to her, wide blue eyes flickering with hesitation. “Daddy said I can’t.”

Aria hesitated only for a second.

“Just for a little while,” she whispered. “It’ll be our secret.”

For a moment, he didn’t move. Then, slowly, a smile stretched across his face—the kind of smile that made her chest ache. She held out her hand, and without another word, he took it.

Freedom, If Only for a Moment

The second Leo’s feet hit the grass, it was like something inside him came alive. He ran barefoot across the yard, arms outstretched, giggling as the wind rushed past him. His joy was pure, untouched by the weight of the world around him.

Aria watched, a lump forming in her throat.

How long has it been since he had played like this? Since he had laughed without restraint? Since he had just been a child?

She sat down on the cool stone steps and let him have his moment.

But that moment didn’t last.

A shadow fell over her.

And then—

“What the hell do you think you're doing?”

Her blood ran cold.

Aria turned slowly, her heart pounding in her chest.

Damien Russo stood at the edge of the garden, his presence cutting through the warm afternoon air like a blade. His dark eyes burned with fury, his broad shoulders tense, his entire body vibrating with barely restrained anger.

Leo, sensing something was wrong, stopped playing. He looked between his father and Aria, his small fingers curling into fists.

“Inside. Now.” Damien's voice was quiet, but it carried the kind of authority that left no room for argument.

Leo didn’t move. He looked up at Aria, waiting.

Aria took a breath, then rose to her feet, stepping in front of him.

“He’s just playing.” Her voice was steady, even as her stomach twisted with nerves.

Damien’s jaw tightened. “I told you. He is not to go outside.”

“And why not?” Aria challenged, lifting her chin. “Because you’re afraid? Because you think keeping him locked away is the only way to keep him safe?”

Something dangerous flickered in Damien’s eyes. “This is not a discussion, Aria.”

“It should be!” she snapped. “He’s five, Damien! He should be running, playing, and feeling the sun on his face! But instead, you’ve turned him into a prisoner in his own home.”

Damien took a step forward, and the air between them crackled.

“You think I don’t want that for him?” His voice was quiet, but there was something raw in it—something that made Aria's breath catch. “You think I don’t wish he could have a normal life?”

For a second, something passed between them. A glimpse of the man beneath the cold exterior. A father who was terrified of losing the only thing that mattered to him.

But it was gone as quickly as it came.

“You don’t understand the kind of enemies I have,” Damien said, his voice hard again. “Leo doesn’t get to have a normal childhood. He doesn’t get to be careless, because one mistake—one second of weakness—and I lose him forever.”

Aria’s chest ached at the quiet desperation in his voice, but she didn’t back down.

“Keeping him inside won’t change that.” Her voice was softer now, but no less firm.

“You can protect him all you want, Damien, but at what cost? Do you want him to grow up afraid of the world?”

Damien didn’t answer.

Instead, he turned to Leo.

“Inside,” he said again, but this time, it wasn’t as sharp.

Leo hesitated, glancing at Aria one last time before nodding and disappearing into the house. The moment the door shut behind him, Damien exhaled, running a hand through his hair before turning back to her.

“Don't ever do that again,” he warned.

Aria met his gaze, steady and unafraid. “Or what?”

Damien let out a dark, humorless chuckle. “You have no idea who you’re pushing, Aria.”

She took a step closer, tilting her chin up defiantly. “And you have no idea who you hired.”

For a long, tense moment, neither of them moved. The air between them felt electric—charged with something neither of them wanted to name.

Then, without another word, Damien turned and walked away.

But Aria knew this wasn’t over.

This was just the beginning.

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