Ariana spent the day behind her closed door, the silence of the house matching her own. Marcus was at his office, though his thoughts were elsewhere. He glanced at his watch for the fifth time, expecting to hear her steps coming down the stairs. But nothing.
By noon, his patience began to wear thin. He caught sight of the maid entering Ariana’s room with a tray of lunch, only to leave minutes later carrying the untouched plate of breakfast Luca had made.
Marcus squinted at the tray, his jaw tightening.
She hadn’t eaten anything since morning.
The thought unsettled him, though he quickly pushed it aside.
Why should I care?
He told himself.
But the unanswered question nagged at him.
His hand hovered near the edge of his desk. He debated whether to go upstairs, knock on her door, and ask what was going on. But his doubts about her lingered. He couldn’t allow himself to be swayed by a stranger, even if she was supposed to be his sister. He sighed, leaning back in his chair.
The real concern wasn’t Ariana, it was Domain.
What’s going to happen when he comes back?
The thought made Marcus restless.
Domain wasn’t the kind to handle unexpected changes with grace, and Ariana’s guarded behavior would only fuel his skepticism.
Later that evening, Marcus heard the familiar sound of Luca and Kendric’s voices as they entered the house.
Luca came home earlier than usual, his bag slung over his shoulder. Instead of heading to his studio or his room, he walked straight toward Ariana’s door.
Marcus watched him pause, his hand raised to knock. He narrowed his eyes as Luca gently tapped on the door. To his surprise, the door creaked open, and Luca stepped inside. Marcus stayed where he was, his curiosity battling with his resolve.
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Luca stood just inside the doorway, giving Ariana a soft smile. She sat near the window staring outside. The room was dimly lit, but her posture spoke louder than words. She was small, quiet, and guarded, like a bird unsure if it could trust a hand extended to it.
“Hey”
Luca said gently, sitting on the edge of the bed.
“You okay?”
Ariana glanced at him but didn’t respond. She quickly averted her gaze.
“I know you’re not much for talking.”
Luca continued, pulling out a notepad and pen from his pocket. He placed it on the bed beside her.
“But maybe you can write instead?”
Ariana hesitated, her hand hovering near the notepad before pulling it back. Luca gave her time, waiting without pressuring her. Finally, she reached for the pen, her fingers trembling slightly as she wrote something.
"Why are you here?"
Luca read the note and smiled warmly.
“Because I wanted to check on you. You’ve been in here all day, and I thought you might need someone to talk to… or, you know, write to.”
Ariana stared at him for a long moment before nodding faintly. Luca didn’t push further. Instead, he said,
“Let’s go downstairs. It’s almost dinner. You don’t have to eat much if you’re not hungry, but I think it’d be nice if you joined us.”
She hesitated again but eventually nodded. Luca held out his hand. After a moment’s reluctance, she placed hers in his.
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Leonardo had just walked in, his tie slightly loosened, when he saw Luca leading Ariana down the stairs.
His sharp eyes immediately caught their joined hands, and a pang of something he couldn’t quite identify struck him.
Dinner was a quiet affair, as expected. Ariana barely touched her food, sitting awkwardly at the edge of her chair. Luca noticed her discomfort and pulled out his notepad once again, passing it to her.
“You can write whatever you want.”
He said casually, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
Leonardo’s eyes narrowed slightly, surprised.
How does he know?
He hadn’t told his brothers about her selective mutism yet.
Ariana hesitated but eventually wrote something down. Luca read it aloud: “Can I leave?”
Leonardo nodded curtly.
“If you’re done, you can go.”
Luca glanced at her plate, then asked,
“Are you really full?”
She nodded, avoiding his gaze, and quickly excused herself.
As soon as she was gone, Leonardo turned to Luca.
“How did you know she communicates through notes?”
Luca shrugged.
“She wrote to me earlier when I checked on her.”
Marcus looked at Leonardo sharply.
“Notes? What notes?”
Leonardo sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“The social worker called it selective mutism. She’s not mute, but she doesn’t talk because of… reasons. Apparently, it’s how she’s been since she was a kid.”
Kendric frowned.
“Why didn’t you tell us?”
“I planned to.”
Leonardo replied.
“Once Domain got back. No point in explaining it twice.”
The brothers fell silent, each processing the new information in their own way. Luca looked thoughtful, Marcus suspicious, and Kendric uncertain.
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Even as the evening wore on, Domain hadn’t come home. Leonardo called him multiple times, but his phone went unanswered.
Frustrated, Leonardo wandered the house, his thoughts drifting to the girl sleeping in the guest room. He paused in the hallway, staring at her closed door. For a brief moment, he considered knocking, but what would he say?
He didn’t know if he could trust her, but something about her, her fragility, her silence made him hesitate. With a heavy sigh, he turned away and went to his own room, though sleep didn’t come easily that night.
YOU ARE READING
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...
