Silence.
I knocked again. Harder. "Aria. I know you're angry but we need to discuss this. Please open the door."
Nothing.
The sick feeling in my gut intensified. I tried the handle. Locked.
She was probably asleep. Or still too pissed to talk to me. That was fine. We'd deal with it in the morning.
I went back to my room. Lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Sleep was impossible.
Something felt wrong. I couldn't name it, couldn't explain it. Just a cold certainty settling in my bones that something was off.
At 2am, I gave up. Got dressed. Went back to her room.
Knocked again. "Aria. I'm coming in. We're talking about this whether you want to or not."
Still no response. I pulled out the lockpick I always carried. Had the door open in fifteen seconds.
The room was empty. The bed was made. Untouched. Her closet door hung open, hangers askew like she'd grabbed things quickly.
And the window was open. Curtains fluttering in the night breeze.
My heart stopped. Literally stopped for one terrible second before kicking back in double-time.
No. No no no no.
I crossed to the window. Looked out. Saw scuff marks on the ledge where she'd climbed out. Saw disturbed gravel below where she'd landed.
She'd run. Actually fucking run.
Terror and fury warred in my chest. Terror won.
What if something happened to her out there? What if someone found her first? What if my father's enemies grabbed her? What if she got hurt?
I pulled out my phone, called Marco. He answered on the first ring, voice groggy.
"This better be good."
"Aria's gone. Check the security footage. Find out when she left and which direction she went."
"What? Kai, it's two in the fucking morning. Can't this wait until—"
"Now, Marco. Check it now."
He must have heard something in my voice. "On it. Give me two minutes."
I paced her room. Looked for clues. Saw that the bag she usually kept by her closet was gone. Some clothes were missing. She'd planned this. Actually packed and planned to leave.
Because of me. Because I'd pushed too hard about the phone monitoring. Because I'd been an ass during our fight.
Because she was terrified and I'd made it worse instead of better.
My phone rang. Marco.
"She left through the gardens twenty minutes ago. Wearing dark clothes, carrying a bag. Headed for the back gate. Kai, it looks like she's running. Like actually trying to escape."
Fury exploded in my chest. Hot and consuming.
