Silent Scars

CHAPTER 22

The heavy slam of Domain’s bedroom door echoed through the house, and silence followed, pressing down like a suffocating weight.

Leonardo exhaled sharply, his breath catching as his shoulders sagged. His fingers raked through his dark hair in frustration, the motion doing little to untangle the chaos brewing in his mind. 

His fists unclenched, the anger that had burned through him mere moments ago fading into exhaustion. 

Ariana. 

Her name clung to his thoughts, persistent and unrelenting. He turned toward where she’d stood moments ago, trembling like a cornered animal under Domain’s sharp words and grip. 

A pang of guilt settled in his chest, heavier than he wanted to admit. She was fragile, so fragile that it unnerved him. And now, she was upstairs, alone. 

Leonardo hesitated at the base of the staircase. A faint sob drifted down, barely audible, but it hit him like a physical blow. He clenched the handrail, torn between the instinct to comfort her and the nagging doubts still tethered to his mind. 

He wanted to walk up there, knock on her door, and tell her she wasn’t alone. To offer her something, anything. 

But he didn’t. 

Leonardo retreated to his own room instead. The walls felt closer than usual, the shadows heavier. He sat on the edge of his bed, his head in his hands. Sleep wouldn’t come tonight. Not after this. 

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Domain’s Room

The pacing started the moment his door slammed shut. Domain’s footsteps were heavy, matching the erratic rhythm of his heart. His fists remained clenched.

“A sister.” He muttered under his breath, the word tasting bitter on his tongue. 

It didn't feel real. It didn't feel right.

His fist connected with the wall in a dull thud, a sharp contrast to the silence that enveloped him. His breaths came fast and shallow as memories clawed their way to the surface. 

He saw their mother’s back as she walked away, her silhouette framed by the doorway she had abandoned them through. He remembered the years that followed, the resentment, the anger, the walls he’d built to keep everyone out. 

And now, her. 

Ariana’s wide, terrified eyes flashed in his mind, unbidden. The way she’d trembled under his glare, her shoulders hunched as if bracing for impact. The memory unsettled him, stirring something unwelcome deep within. 

“Stop it.” he growled, shaking his head as though he could physically dislodge the thought. 

He couldn’t afford to feel guilty. He wouldn’t. She was a threat to everything they had built. A single crack in the foundation could bring the whole house down, and he wasn’t about to let that happen. 

But the guilt was there, lingering just beneath the surface. 

“Damn it.” he muttered, collapsing onto the edge of his bed. His head fell into his hands, the fight draining out of him. For all his anger, he couldn’t shake the image of her trembling form or the ache it stirred in him. 

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Marcus stood in the dimly lit hallway, his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall. He’d heard the shouting, the slamming doors. He’d seen Ariana dart past him like a shadow, her face pale, her hands shaking. 

This wasn’t sustainable. 

Leonardo was barely holding it together, and Domain’s anger was like a lit fuse. And then there was Ariana, fragile and scared, caught in the middle of a storm she didn’t understand. 

Marcus sighed, pushing off the wall. They needed to figure this out...fast. 

As he walked toward Leonardo’s room, he glanced toward Ariana’s door. The faint sound of sobbing reached his ears, and his jaw tightened. He wanted to comfort her, but he knew she wouldn’t trust him. Not yet. 

He turned away, heading to Leonardo’s door. He didn’t knock. He simply opened it and stepped inside. 

Leonardo looked up, his expression weary but sharp. 

“Before you ask, I know.” Leonardo said, leaning back in his chair. “It’s a mess.” 

“That’s an understatement.” Marcus replied, closing the door behind him. “What the hell happened tonight?” 

“Domain.” Leonardo said simply. “He saw Ariana, and… well, you know him.” 

Marcus nodded. “And you?” 

Leonardo hesitated, his jaw tightening.

“I don’t know, Marcus. I just… I couldn’t stand there and let him tear into her like that. She’s scared enough as it is.” 

Marcus studied his brother carefully. “You trust her?” 

“I don’t know.” Leonardo admitted, his voice quieter.

“But I know she doesn’t deserve this. I can see it. And if we don’t handle this carefully, we’ll destroy her.” 

Marcus ran a hand through his hair, sighing. “Then we need to talk to Domain. Before this gets worse.” 

Leonardo nodded, though the thought of confronting Domain again felt like an uphill battle. 

“Tomorrow.” he said. “Tonight, let’s just make sure the house doesn’t burn down.” 

Marcus gave him a faint smirk. “Fair enough.” 

As Marcus left the room, Leonardo leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. Tomorrow would be a long day.