Drowning In The Dark (Broken Heirs #1)

Tête-à-Tête

It's 2:30 am.

Should she be worried if she was sleeping only three hours a day? Shaira's mind wandered while she was laying in sheets. She was sleep-paralyzed just a few minutes ago. The feeling of not being able to wake up and be caged up in your own body was terrifying. She started having it three years before. When the pressure of her studies and life came on her shoulders. At first, their frequency was low, maybe once in two months but now they are way more frequent. Maybe three times a week. She had decided she will tell these to Mr. Sordo the first she met him.

She sighed and stood up from the bed as sleep was further away from her. Grabbing up her violin she decided to practice the violin. The music competition was near. The moment she opened the door, she saw her music room a mess. The crushed papers and her music notes sprawled on the desk. She immediately closed the door. She needs to clean it before she could play in it again. Shaira did not know why but the moment this whole ordeal of her papers was getting signed, she felt like she had lost her touch. The violin still sounded amazing but not from her heart.

The feeling of calmness and euphoria she used to get from it no longer exist but Shiara knew how much she loved it so she would not give up. She has lost so many things that she did not want to lose one more. She picked up her violin and went downstairs. The staff has been changed so she was less afraid now.

Shaira remembered the moment she saw her music teacher playing her violin one fine morning at school. She was eight at that time. The smile on her teacher's face was contagious. It was as if you could feel her feelings, which had mesmerized her. That's when she decided she would be the storyteller of her own life, but she did not that her small interest would help her so much in her tough life ahead.

Shaira unraveled the curtain of a huge glass wall in the common area. She sighed looking at the snow-covered garden with bright orange lamps lightening the patio. She wanted to be as calm as possible. Even if no one was there to hear her story, she decided to play for her, not for a concert, not for someone else- Just for her. She braised her violin on her neck.

Starting to play too good at goodbyes. Her eyes were closed remembering all the time she had suffered. Her eyes moisten. Remembering those times when she endured and cried yet stay strong. The day she stopped abusing herself for something she never did. The day she stopped crying in front of her brothers. The day she stood up for her. The day she stopped begging for their attention. Then the day when the thought of dying came to her mind. The day when she got the courage to say not to herself. In all of the days, that one day that she awaits was when all of her efforts made her what she wanted her to be.

By the end of the song, the silent tears were evident on her face. Her concentration was disturbed by a sudden clank.

Shaira swiftly wiped her face and put her violin down behind her back. She put her head down. Playing in common was a bad idea even if she was sure that no one would be awake which was so wrong. Mr. Aestus gestured her to sit. She swiftly went to the other sofa against Mr. Aestus. Shaira blamed her bad luck. Of all the people she could have encountered she encountered the elder head of the house. She nervously played with her fingers not having eye contact with another person.

On the other hand, Mr. Aestus was silent. Even in his simple trousers and black inners he still looked intimidating to her.

"How are you?"

Shaira's head snapped towards Mr. Aestus. Her eyes widened. She had never expected this to be the first question of her first conversation with him. Shaira did not even know how Mr. Aestus. He had always seen him cold and aloof.

"I am fine."

Shaira replied short and curt. She just wants to get out of here. She did not want to sound rude, but she was fed up with this too good behavior of Vanidestines. Her eyes clearly show fear, but a hint of disinterest was clear in them. Her mind fired a shot of telling her to ask him about annulment papers. Where would she get better opportunity for that?