Silent Scars

CHAPTER 39

DOMAIN HASTINGS

Domain sat in the library, staring at the door Ariana had left through. The silence he once cherished now felt heavy, suffocating. He clenched his jaw, gripping the armrest of the chair until his knuckles turned white.

Luca's words echoed in his head: "You're being petty."

Maybe he was. But this place, this library, was sacred. It wasn't just a room filled with books; it was where he had built his walls, his safe haven when the chaos of their world became too much.

And yet, he couldn't shake the image of her running her fingers along the shelves, her eyes wide with wonder. She wasn't trying to take it away from him. She didn't know what this place meant to him.

But still, he had yelled at her.

Frustrated with himself, Domain pushed back from the chair and stood, pacing the length of the room. He stopped by the window overlooking the driveway. That was when he saw them.

A black car was idling near the gates. Kendric was in the driver's seat, Luca sitting beside him, his arm resting casually on the open window. Ariana was in the back seat, her head tilted down as if unsure of her place.

Domain's frown deepened. He guessed they hadn't informed Leonardo, especially since Marco, Leonardo's most trusted bodyguard, wasn't with them.

His jaw tightened. He knew how much Leonardo hated it when they went outside without protection. The world was dangerous for them, even more so for someone like Ariana, who had no idea how their family operated.

Domain reached for his phone, thumb hovering over Leonardo's contact. He hesitated, torn between his growing anxiety and the thought that maybe they just needed some time out. His grip on the phone tightened.

What if something went wrong? But calling Leonardo would only escalate things.

After a tense moment, he exhaled shakily and put the phone down, silently hoping he'd made the right choice.

Domain sat on the living room couch, his legs bouncing nervously. The image of Kendric, Luca, and Ariana leaving earlier gnawed at him, a silent weight pressing on his chest.

He had convinced himself they'd be back soon, brushing off the uneasy twist in his stomach. But now, as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows that stretched across the floor, the house felt colder, emptier.

The once comforting silence now clawed at him, amplifying every creak and groan of the old walls. With each passing minute, dread curled tighter around his heart, squeezing until it was hard to breathe. He stared at the clock, watching the seconds crawl by, each tick hammering the same question into his mind.

"Why aren't they back yet?"

He clenched his fists, staring at the clock.

"Why didn't they tell Leonardo or Marcus? It's dangerous out there, especially for....her."

The thought gnawed at him. He could still see Kendric's carefree grin as they left, Ariana timidly trailing behind, and Luca, always the calm one,seemingly in control.

But Domain knew better. He knew how quickly things could spiral out of control.

His chest tightened as a memory from his own childhood clawed its way to the surface, raw and unrelenting.