That man felt his throat dry hearing her say 'I will be careful next time.'

He trembled continuously to turn around. When his eyes met Aria's glaring cold eyes, he burst into tears.

​​

He stuttered to ask, "Who... who are... are you?"

Aria's clutch on the rod increased, "Goddess... of Hell."

That man continued to wail as he apologized to her again and again, "I'm... Sorry... I'm sorry... Let me go... I'm sorry."

He kept bowing and apologizing. Other three men who noticed, followed him and apologized to her with deep bows to her sitting on their knees.

Aria smirked at their state.

She wasn't sure whether she should be happy for bringing them on the knees or hate herself even more. Because she hated her current state.

She wasn't her. She never liked to hurt anybody but life was teaching her so many things that she was scared to lose herself with it.

She was so scared to even look at herself in the mirror at that time.

She loathed herself.

But she knew she had no option but to strive harder because she had a family. Her husband, a mother, a father, a grandfather, a sister, a best friend.

And a bunch of friends who worry about her.

She knew she couldn't give up even though she started to hate herself. But what scared her the most was what if her family itself detests her? What if Alan doesn't like her this side?

Just those thoughts made her tremble.

Clutching her fist tight on the knife ignoring the pain from it, she relaxed first and roared, "Shut up."

The four men stopped crying, scared she might beat them up if they don't listen to her.

"I just want the truth, Why did you kidnap me?"

She wanted to make sure whether that was connected to her messy life or just a random kidnap.

A man quickly pushed his mobile ahead and started stuttering the truth, "I got a call from this number with your photo and wired me a million to kidnap you and do whatever we want."

Aria's lips twitched. She took the mobile and quickly dialed that number but it wasn't in service. She opened his banking application with his access and sent the account number to Levi before deleting that message.

"Did I tell you..." Aria's eyes widened looking at that man's gaze and held the knife in position to look who it was.

The knife fell on the ground, her teeth chattered unknowingly she took a step back looking at Alan's indecipherable gaze.

Unknowingly her scare crept up again without knowing how long he was standing at the door, "I... ... I..."

Her hands trembled as her eyes filled up seeing no reaction. Then she heard Isaac's voice from another end, "Arrie..."

Isaac went to her swiftly and checked on her before breathing a sigh of relief.

The men who were kneeling crawled up to Joy, "This girl will kill us, Joy help us..."

They started yammering. Joy clearly didn't believe them looking at petite girl paling.

Isaac frowned looking at Alan deep in thought... or breaking inside?

Aria clenched her fist tight and went towards those men who kidnapped her. "How did you guess I might smell the flower?"

Her voice wasn't as cold as before which gave goosebumps to those men.

Aria grunted, "I asked something."

A lean man stuttered, "We... We tried four different times and the fifth time was a success."

Aria felt like she wasn't careful enough yet. Now what's done was done. she could only handle what comes next.

Aria grabbed her mobile and froze again. Thinking about talking later, she clenched her teeth and said, "Let's go."

She only knew one route from where she and Alan came from. She was about to pass by Alan gazing down scared that she might cry off or what if she sees hatred in his eyes but he pulled her to a tight embrace.

He nodded at Isaac who went out. Joy kicked the rest to take them out.

Alan cupped her face gently caressing her swollen cheek with the thumb as he felt her tremble continuously and her eyes desperately waiting for his reaction, "Paining?"

Aria nodded her head.

"Aria, don't detest yourself." Alan said enunciating each word clearly.

He had seen her deep in thought hurting her palm with the knife she had. Isaac didn't see her palm which she was clutching tight right after seeing him.

Aria burst into tears hearing him. "I didn't know how else to handle them."

Alan embraced her again rubbing her back feeling his heartache for her. He didn't know whether he should be happy that she can protect herself in a tough situation or sad for seeing her detesting herself for hurting others physically.

Seeing her cry without stopping for a long time, He seated her on the table and wiped her cheeks as he asked, "Will you hate me if I hurt people to protect myself or you?"

Aria shook her head.

Alan again asked, "Then why are you hating yourself?"

Aria sniffled as she responded, "I never wanted to be like this... What if... it repeats and you all hate me seeing me like that?"

Alan kept wiping her tears but paused hearing her, "My dummy wife, even if you kill a hundred people I will not hate you. However you are, weak or strong, happy or sad, dummy or smart, rich or penniless, young or old, I love you in all the forms."

Aria wailed, "You aren't allowed to go back on your words."

Alan faintly smiled to relax her, "I will not... And promise me that you don't hate and hurt yourself."

He opened her fingers to see her blood collected in the palms dripping on the floor.

"But-"

"No buts." Alan grimly said. "You are only allowed to love yourself. Am I clear?"

Aria didn't respond because she knew if there comes a similar day, she will again hate herself more.

Alan sighed, tying his handkerchief on the pretty long and deep cut of her palm where she had clutched the knife hard.

He caressed her cheek as he lifted her face to look him in the eye. "I will not leave you alone like this again. We will be together."

Aria wrapped her arms around him, "I will be strong. I will try to love myself for being strong also."

Alan rubbed her head gently, "That's like my dummy wife."

"No, strong."

"No, Shy."

"No, confident."

After little of their senseless debate, Alan ended as, "Okay, everything."

Aria was about to object but nodded, "Okay, everything only for you."

Alan chuckled and wiped her cheeks again before taking her out.