Under One Roof

Fear in the Moonlight

Aria’s POV

“No one’s coming.”

The words slammed into me, echoing through the dim room like a warning. My heart hammered so fast I thought it would burst. My legs trembled beneath me, threatening to give out, and a cold sweat prickled along my skin. Even though I had just had a refreshing shower, a hot sweat ran down my head.

I froze, trying to process it all. What kind of family has my mom dragged me into? The kind that lets strangers or monsters roam freely in your room? Or is it just like some twisted fictional story where mothers and daughters are caught in the shadows of a rich man’s world?

No. I’m not accepting this, I whispered to myself

A surge of panic ignited inside me. I had to get out. Now.

My mind raced, imagining every possible escape, every crack, every shadow I could slip behind. But the room felt smaller, the air heavier, and every plan dissolved the moment I realized my hands were already pinned to my back by him.

The dim light revealed the space too clearly, and my heart sank as I saw how trapped I really was. There was no corner to hide in. No shadow to shield me.

Only him.

Even then, something in me refused to break. I won’t give up.

Why are you in here what are you doing here, he said

His voice came again, sharper this time, cutting through every thought in my head.

I froze.

I could feel the anger in his tone, and it hit me instantly. This wasn’t what I thought it was.

Not a thief. Not a stranger. Not some strange situation involving my mother’s new rich husband.

No

This was worse

Something darker. Something I didn’t understand and that terrified me even more.

He sounded furious. Controlled, but barely. Like a storm waiting to snap.

I, I tried to speak, my voice trembling

But before I could finish, his hand shot up, gripping my throat.

My breath hitched.

Not tight enough to choke me but enough to stop me. Enough to remind me I wasn’t in control.

Then suddenly

With a force that matched the anger radiating off him, he shoved me back.

My back slammed hard against the wall.

The impact knocked the air out of me. Pain shot through my spine as I gasped, my fingers instinctively clutching at his wrist.

My heart pounded wildly, my vision blurring for a second before clearing again.

He stepped closer.

Too close.

His presence swallowed the space between us, his anger pressing in on me from all sides.

Answer me, he said, his voice low but dangerous. Then louder, sharper, what the hell are you doing here

My breath came out uneven, my chest rising and falling rapidly as his words pressed down on me.

I, I should be asking you that, I managed, my voice shaking despite the defiance I tried to hold onto

His grip didn’t loosen.

If anything, it tightened just slightly.

Enough to remind me he was still in control.

Panic surged again, hotter this time. My fingers dug into his wrist, nails pressing into his skin as I twisted, forcing my body to move, to react.

Move, Aria. Do something, I thought to myself

With a sudden jerk, I shifted my weight and twisted sharply to the side. My hand slipped against his grip once, twice

Then finally

I broke free.

I stumbled back instantly, putting distance between us, my breathing ragged as I raised my hands defensively.

For a split second, neither of us moved.

Then the curtains swayed.

Moonlight flooded in.

And it hit his face.

My breath caught.

Wyatt, I whispered

The name fell from my lips before I could stop it.

My stepfather’s son.

The realization crashed into me all at once, silencing everything else, the fear, the panic, the chaos in my head.

Him

Why is he here

What, I started, my voice barely above a whisper

But the words never came.

Shock twisted into something sharper, something instinctive.

Before I could think before I could stop myself

My hand flew out.

Smack.

The sound rang through the room as my palm collided with his cheek, the force of it stinging through my hand.

I had hit him.

Hard.

So hard his face jerked sideways. My hand trembled, shivering as if it were regretting what it had just done.