Aria’s quiet shake of her head left everyone at the table stunned. When Luca asked if she could speak, and she silently indicated no, it was as though the air had been sucked out of the room. No one said anything after that. Even Leonardo, always composed, seemed unsettled.
Mrs. Lila, the social worker, had shared details about Aria’s background, but this? This was something none of them had been prepared for. Leonardo’s jaw tightened, frustration simmering beneath his calm exterior.
Why didn’t she mention this?
He wondered.
Was this something she thought didn’t matter, or was she hiding it for a reason?
Marcus leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, his gaze flickering to Aria. He felt a pang of guilt seeing her so small and quiet, but the doubts in his mind remained persistent.
What’s her game?
He thought grimly.
If she can’t speak, why hasn’t the social worker told us? And if she can… why is she pretending she can’t?
He couldn’t shake the suspicion, though a part of him hated himself for thinking the worst.
Luca stared at Aria from across the table, his thoughts running wild.
She can’t talk.
He thought.
That’s why she didn’t answer earlier when I knocked. Why does she look like she’s bracing herself, even when no one’s doing anything to her?
Luca wanted to ask her more, to understand her silence, but he didn’t want to push her. He told himself he’d try again later, when she wasn’t surrounded by everyone.
At the end of the table, Kendric sat quietly, chewing on his dinner. He glanced at his brothers, noting their reactions. Leonardo looked thoughtful, Marcus seemed frustrated, and Luca… Luca looked like he wanted to fix something. Kendric wasn’t sure what to think.
She seems harmless.
He thought.
But maybe that’s why she’s so hard to figure out. She doesn’t seem like she belongs here, like she’s not used to sitting with people at a table.
Aria, meanwhile, focused on the plate in front of her. The spread of food, a roasted chicken leg, mashed potatoes swimming in gravy, crisp green beans, and a soft dinner roll, looked and smelled wonderful. She picked at it slowly, each bite a strange mix of comfort and unease. It had been so long since she’d had a full meal. Most days at that house, she’d gone to bed with an empty stomach, the ache of hunger something she’d grown used to.
But tonight, the fullness in her belly felt foreign, almost too much to bear. She carefully placed her fork down, unable to finish. She didn’t know what to do next, whether to stay at the table or quietly excuse herself. Her ribs throbbed, a dull pain she’d managed to ignore during dinner but could no longer push aside.
Leonardo noticed her stillness, how she stared at her plate like she was lost. He wasn’t the type to offer comfort, but he understood the need for space.
“You can go rest if you’re done. ”
He said simply.
Aria nodded slightly and stood, her movements stiff and slow. As she made her way to the stairs, each step felt heavier than the last. Her ribs ached with every breath, the pain radiating through her chest. By the time she reached the staircase, her legs wobbled beneath her, but she gritted her teeth and grabbed the railing for support. One step at a time, she climbed, each movement sending a jolt of pain through her side.
No one noticed her struggle.
When she finally reached her room, she closed the door softly and leaned against it, her breathing shallow. The pain was worse now, and the exhaustion from the day weighed her down. She made her way to the bed, curling up carefully on the mattress. It wasn’t long before the quiet of the room consumed her.
Back downstairs, Marcus was the first to break the silence.
“She doesn’t talk. And the social worker just… didn’t think that was important to mention?”
Leonardo exhaled sharply.
“We’ll ask her about it later. For now, let it go.”
“Let it go?”
Marcus scoffed.
“Are we supposed to ignore how strange this is? She shows up out of nowhere, and now this?”
“I didn’t say ignore it.”
Leonardo replied, his voice firm.
“But we don’t know enough yet. Pushing her isn’t going to get us answers.”
“Maybe.”
Marcus muttered, though his doubt lingered.
“But you can’t deny this whole thing feels off. She’s hiding something. Or someone’s hiding something.”
Luca, who had been quiet until now, spoke up.
“She’s not faking this.”
His voice was calm but resolute.
"I don’t think she even knows how to be around people.”
Marcus frowned.
“And that doesn’t strike you as suspicious?”
“Instead of questioning everything about her, we should try understanding her.”
Luca shot back.
Leonardo leaned back in his chair, his gaze thoughtful.
“For now, let’s give her space. We’ll get the answers we need in time.”
The tension in the room simmered as the brothers fell silent again, each lost in their own thoughts. Upstairs, Aria lay in the dark, her body aching and her mind restless. She didn’t know what the Hastings brothers thought of her, but she knew one thing for sure,
𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦.
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Silent Scars
Teen FictionAfter enduring years of neglect and cruelty from her mother and stepfather, Ariana's life changes drastically when tragedy brings her under the guardianship of five brothers she's never met and they never even knew they had a sister. For her brother...
