Domain paced his room, the floorboards creaking under his restless movements. His guilt gnawed at him like an unrelenting tide, but he pushed it down, burying it under a layer of simmering anger. He didn’t want to feel this way.
Ariana was a stranger, a girl who’d shown up less than a week ago and upended everything.
What infuriated him more was Luca’s blind loyalty to her. Luca, who was usually so skeptical, had decided to believe her without hesitation. And Leonardo? His posture, his demeanor, all of it had shifted. He was different around Ariana, softer, protective.
“What’s wrong with them?”
Domain muttered to himself, his fists clenching.
“She hasn’t even proven herself.”
A sharp knock broke his thoughts.
“Domain” Leonardo’s voice called through the door.
Domain sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair.
“Come in.”
Leonardo stepped in, closing the door softly behind him. His expression was unreadable, but there was a firmness in his stance that made Domain tense.
“We need to talk.” Leonardo said.
Domain scoffed, pacing to the window. “Let me guess. Luca sent you to babysit me.”
“This isn’t about Luca.”
Leonardo said evenly.
“It’s about you and what you did to Ariana.”
Domain scoffed, his frustration bubbling to the surface.
“What about her? She’s had everyone wrapped around her finger since she got here.”
Leonardo’s eyes narrowed.
“Is that what you think? That she’s manipulating us?”
“What else am I supposed to think?”
Domain shot back.
“She shows up out of nowhere, claims to be our sister, and suddenly you and Luca are falling over yourselves to protect her?”
Leonardo’s voice dropped, cold and steady.
“She’s hurt, Domain. And you made it worse.”
Domain’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t respond.
“Do you even realize what you did?”
Leonardo pressed, stepping closer, his tone colder than Domain had ever heard.
“She’s terrified of us. She doesn’t talk, she barely looks anyone in the eye, and now she has burns on her arms and we don’t even know what happened to cause them. And you? You made it worse.”
“I didn’t mean to...”
“Intent doesn’t erase the damage.”
Leonardo interrupted, his tone sharp.
“You need to get your head on straight. This isn’t about you or your doubts. It’s about her.”
“She hasn’t even been here a week...”
Domain said, his voice rising.
“And you’re acting like she’s family.”
Leonardo’s gaze hardened.
“What if she is? What if she’s exactly who she says she is? Are you really willing to risk pushing her away because you can’t control your temper?”
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...
