The answer never came.
Because the slap came first.
Fast.
Harsh.
Clean.
Brutal.
The sound echoed across the hall.
Aria's head snapped to the side. Her vision went white for a second. Then her body lost balance.
She hit the marble floor hard.
A sharp pain exploded across her cheek. Her lip split instantly. She tasted blood.
The hall was silent.
Her ears rang.
She slowly lifted her head.
Her father stood above her.
His hand was still raised.
His face was dark with rage.
"You disgust me," he thundered.
Aria blinked, dizzy. "Dad"
"Do not call me that," he barked.
Her heart cracked.
"You are not my daughter," he declared loudly.
Gasps filled the room again.
Her body trembled on the cold floor.
"I raised you," he continued, voice cold and sharp. "I gave you my name. I gave you everything. And you repay me with this disgrace?"
"I didn't do it," she whispered weakly. "Please believe me."
He stepped closer.
"You have five minutes," he warned. "Five minutes to get out of this house."
Her breathing became uneven.
"If you are still here after that," he added cruelly, "I will personally make sure you spend the rest of your life seeing nothing but the four walls of a prison."
The words struck harder than the slap.
Prison.
She stared at him in disbelief.
"You can't mean that," she whispered.
He looked at her without emotion.
"I do."
Two security guards stepped forward.
She tried to push herself up, but her ankle twisted painfully. She had fallen badly.
"Wait," she cried softly. "Please, just listen to me."
The guards grabbed her arms roughly.
Her fingers hurt instantly.
Her mother stood only a few feet away.
Aria looked at her desperately.
"Mom," she begged.
Her mother's lips trembled.
But she turned her face away.
She did not defend her.
She did not move.
She just looked away.
Aria felt something inside her break.
Her brother rushed to Elena instead.
"Elena, are you okay?" he asked urgently.
Elena nodded weakly, tears falling down her face.
"I'm sorry," Elena whispered softly. "I didn't want to ruin tonight."
"It's not your fault," her brother assured her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
Aria stared at them.
She was still on the floor.
Bleeding.
Shaking.
But no one came to her.
The guards pulled her up forcefully.
Her twisted ankle screamed in pain.
She cried out softly.
"Move," one of them ordered coldly.
They dragged her toward the door.
Guests stepped aside quickly.
Some looked disgusted.
Some whispered.
Some recorded with their phones.
Her white gown dragged across the floor, stained now with blood and dirt.
"Please," she sobbed weakly. "I didn't do this."
No one answered.
The large doors opened.
Rain poured down heavily outside.
Cold.
Relentless.
Without warning, the guards shoved her forward.
She stumbled.
Her bare feet slipped on the wet ground.
She fell again.
The doors slammed shut behind her.
The sound echoed in the storm.
She lay there for a moment.
Rain soaked her instantly.
Her hair clung to her face.
Her dress stuck to her skin.
Her cheek burned.
Her ankle throbbed.
Her chest hurt the most.
She pushed herself up slowly.
The estate lights glowed behind the closed gates.
Inside, music had started again.
The party continued.
Like she had never existed.
A broken sound left her throat.
She hugged herself tightly.
"I didn't do it," she whispered into the rain.
The rain only grew heavier.
She stood slowly.
Her feet were bare.
The ground was rough.
Each step hurt.
Her ankle was swollen already.
She limped forward.
She didn't know where she was going.
She just needed to move.
Her mind replayed everything.
Elena's tears.
The recording.
Rita's betrayal.
Her father's hand.
"You are not my daughter."
She swallowed painfully.
When did it start?
When did Elena begin hating her?
She thought back.
Elena's smiles.
Always soft.
Always sweet.
But now she saw it clearly.
The smile never reached her eyes.
The concern always felt slightly off.
The way she would speak kindly in front of others but go quiet when they were alone.
The small comments.
"You're lucky you were born first."
"I wish I had what you have."
Aria had ignored it.
She had believed they were sisters.
She had defended Elena in school when others called her adopted.
She had shared her room.
Her clothes.
Her secrets.
And tonight
Everything shattered.
Her chest tightened.
"And Rita" she whispered painfully.
Her best friend.
The one who had slept over every weekend.
The one who knew all her fears.
The one who just stood there and accused her.
Why?
Why would she lie?
Rain ran down her face like endless tears.
She walked down the long driveway.
Cars passed outside the gates.
People slowed down.
They looked at her.
Then they looked at their phones.
She noticed it.
Screens glowing.
Notifications flashing.
Her own phone buzzed in her hand.
She looked down.
News articles already spreading.
Vale Heiress Accused of Assaulting Adopted Sister.
Shocking Audio Recording Released at Engagement Ceremony.
Comments were flooding in.
Monsters.
Cruel.
Spoiled.
Evil.
Her fingers trembled so badly she dropped the phone.
She bent slowly to pick it up.
Her nails hurt from where the guards had gripped her.
Her fingers ached.
She had nothing.
No bag.
No shoes.
No car.
No fiancé.
No family.
In less than one hour, she had gone from being an engaged heiress to being disowned.
The rain soaked her completely.
Her steps became slower.
Her ankle hurt more with every movement.
She didn't even know how far she had walked.
Her vision blurred again.
She felt lightheaded.
Her breathing was uneven.
She barely noticed when she stepped off the pavement.
She barely noticed when her body tilted slightly.
She only realized she had hit something when her forehead bumped into a solid chest.
She stumbled backward.
"I'm sorry," she muttered automatically, eyes lowered.
Her voice was small.
Broken.
She didn't even look up.
She stepped to the side, intending to walk past.
Then she heard it.
A familiar voice.
Soft.
Shocked.
Calling her name.
Not Aria.
But the nickname only one person used.
"Ria?"
Her heart skipped.
She froze.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
She turned.