Silent Scars

CHAPTER 27

Domain remained seated on his bed long after Kendric had left, his mind a storm of conflicting emotions. Guilt still gnawed at him, but his frustration burned just as brightly. He couldn't shake the image of Ariana's fragile frame or the way she refused to meet his eyes.

"Why does she have this effect on everyone?"

He muttered to himself, his voice harsh.

His door swung open again, and Marcus stepped inside without knocking, his usual calm presence replaced by visible tension.

"We need to talk."

Marcus said, his voice low but firm.

"Not you too..."

Domain groaned, leaning back against the headboard.

"I've already gotten an earful from Leo and Kendric. What's left to say?"

Marcus closed the door and crossed his arms, his sharp gaze fixed on Domain.

"I'm not here to scold you. But I think you need to hear this."

Domain looked away, his jaw tight.

"I don't need another lecture about how I'm the bad guy here."

Marcus sighed, his tone softening slightly.

"That's not what this is about. Look, I don't know what to believe about Ariana either. She might be lying. She might not. But if she is our sister and we keep hurting her because of our doubts... how do we live with that?"

"She's not..."

Marcus cut him off, his voice steady but firm.

"We don't know that. None of us do. And until we do, we can't treat her like an enemy. Do you really want to be the reason she feels even more alone?"

Domain's hands clenched into fists.

"So what? I'm just supposed to pretend everything's fine? Pretend I believe her?"

"No."

Marcus said calmly.

"But you can control yourself. You can stop making things worse."

Domain glared at him, but there was no fire in his eyes. Marcus stepped closer, his expression softening.

"You've always been the most stubborn of us."

Marcus said quietly.

"But you've also been the one who fights the hardest when it matters. Don't let your anger blind you this time. If she's telling the truth... she needs us, Domain. And if she's lying, we'll deal with it together. But not like this."

For a moment, silence hung between them. Domain's gaze dropped to the floor, his shoulders tense.

"I don't trust her..."

He admitted finally, his voice low.

"You don't have to."

Marcus replied.

"But you owe it to yourself and to her to figure out the truth without causing more harm."

With that, Marcus left the room, leaving Domain alone with his thoughts.

---------------------------------

Downstairs, Marcus found Kendric and Luca sitting in the living room. Luca was perched on the edge of the couch, still tense from his earlier confrontation with Leonardo. Kendric looked equally uneasy, his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall.

"How's Ariana?"

Marcus asked, his voice softer now.

Luca glanced up, his expression grim.

"She's resting. She's scared, Marcus. More than I realized."

Kendric shifted uncomfortably.

"Do you think she's telling the truth?"

Marcus hesitated, running a hand through his hair.

"I don't know. But I know one thing if she is our sister, and we keep treating her like this, we're going to regret it. Every one of us."

Kendric nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful.

"I don't want her to think we're all against her. I know she's more comfortable with Luca, but  I want to try. I want her to feel like she's not alone."

Luca smiled faintly, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly.

"She'll appreciate that, Kendric. Just...give her time. And be patient."

Marcus glanced toward the staircase, his expression unreadable.

"We're not just fighting for her trust. We're fighting to figure out who we are as a family now. Whether she's telling the truth or not, she's changed things for all of us."

The three brothers sat in silence for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts.

In her room, Ariana sat on the edge of her bed, her fingers grazing the bandages on her arms. Her reflection stared back at her from the mirror across the room, her pale face a stark reminder of how broken she felt. Faint echoes of voices drifted up the stairs, indistinct but enough to remind her she wasn't entirely alone.

Still, she curled into herself, her thoughts spiraling.

𝘞𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨? 

𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘮𝘦?

𝘖𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳.

Her chest tightened, the weight of fear and uncertainty threatening to overwhelm her.