Silent Scars - Chapter 7: Chapter 7
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MARCUS HASTINGS
Marcus listened to Leonardo's words, his expression locked in a frown. He could feel the shock running through him, but he buried it deep, refusing to let it show. He'd perfected that skill over the years,staying calm when everyone else lost their heads. But this...this was different.
A sister?
It felt like the ground had shifted beneath him, like the foundation of everything he knew had cracked open.
Why didn't she tell us?
He thought, his mind racing.
Their mother had left them without a word, and now they found out she'd remarried, had their sister, and never once mentioned it? He felt a surge of anger,sharp and hot at the betrayal.
How could she have kept this from us?
And what kind of man had she married? Had he treated their sister well, or was there more darkness lurking beneath this revelation?
He forced himself to take a deep breath, pushing the anger down. It wouldn't help now. He needed to focus, to think clearly. His mind immediately went to the practical side of things.
We don't know this girl. We couldn't even confirm if she is truly their sister, despite what the DNA test said. It could still be a scheme, a trap set by our enemies to tear them apart from the inside. I couldn't let myself get soft, not when the stakes are this high.
He looked at Leonardo, searching his brother's face for any hint of uncertainty. He could see it, the worry, the reluctance. Leonardo was trying to be cautious, but Marcus knew that his older brother's protective instincts were already kicking in.
Marcus's gaze shifted to Luca, who seemed deep in thought, and then to Kendric, who looked like he was about to burst with questions.
The kid's going to get himself hurt.
Marcus thought grimly. Kendric's trusting nature was both his greatest strength and his biggest weakness. He'd be the first to open his arms, and if this girl wasn't who she seemed, he'd be the one left broken.
Marcus folded his arms across his chest, his voice hard when he finally spoke.
"I will give her a chance."
He said, his eyes meeting Leonardo's.
"But I won't trust her blindly. We need answers, real answers. Until then, I'm keeping my guard up."
The room fell silent after that, each of them sinking into their own thoughts.
Marcus knew this was only the beginning, and whatever lay ahead would test them all in ways they hadn't been tested before. He just hoped they were ready for it.
LUCA HASTINGS
Luca leaned back in his chair, still reeling from the news.
A sister.
He'd grown up as the youngest of the three older brothers until Kendric was born, and now, there was someone else, someone who had lived a completely different life, hidden away without any of them knowing. He could feel the room's tension thickening, but his mind was already wandering, piecing together fragments of a picture he couldn't fully see yet.
She didn't even know we existed.
Luca thought, his gaze drifting toward the door where Leonardo had said she'd exited earlier. He imagined what she must look like, her expression, the way she moved. His artist's mind filled with sketches and blurred lines of a young woman, someone carrying the weight of secrets she'd been forced to keep. He wondered if she was like them in any way, if she had their mother's eyes or maybe their father's smile.
The fact that she was here, now, in their home, felt surreal. He'd spent years painting family scenes, all of them together, never once imagining there was someone missing. He couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt.
Where was she during those moments? What kind of memories did she have while we were creating our own?
A wave of sadness washed over him. He knew what it felt like to be misunderstood, to be different, but this was something else entirely. Ariana hadn't just been left out, she had been hidden away, her existence erased from their story.
He wondered what kind of man their mother had married after leaving them, and what kind of life Ariana had led with him. The thought twisted something inside him, a feeling he couldn't quite name.
He looked over at Marcus, who still wore a mask of skepticism, and then at Kendric, whose face was a storm of conflicting emotions. Luca could sense the questions bubbling up inside his youngest brother, but for once, even Kendric seemed too stunned to speak.
How do we fit her into our family now?
Luca wondered. He knew he would try, he would extend his hand and his heart, like he always did. But he also knew it wouldn't be easy. It never was, to welcome a stranger into a world already filled with history and memories. He only hoped she'd be willing to accept them, and that they'd have the chance to make up for all the time lost.
KENDRIC HASTINGS
Kendric's heart raced, his mind spinning with a thousand questions.
A sister?
He had dreamed of having another sibling when he was younger, someone closer to his age who might understand the chaos of being the youngest among a group of older brothers. But this, this was something entirely different. He hadn't expected a sister who had been kept a secret, someone who'd lived her entire life without knowing they existed.
Why didn't our mother tell us?
The thought felt like a betrayal. He'd always believed their mother's absence was a wound they'd all shared, but now he realized there was a whole other story they'd never been a part of.
Kendric's excitement was quickly overshadowed by confusion and a deep, unexpected sadness.
She's here, in this house right now.
He thought, his gaze darting toward the door. He wanted to see her, to ask her a million things.
What is her favorite color? Did she have hobbies like Luca's painting or Marcus's books? Did she know anything about their family, or was she as lost as he felt right now?
He clenched his fists, trying to temper his emotions. He'd always been the optimistic one, the one who believed the best in people.
But Leonardo's warning echoed in his mind, Be cautious.
Kendric knew his brothers would be on guard, questioning everything, but he couldn't help it. He felt a pull toward this sister they never knew they had, a need to be the one who made her feel welcome.
What if she feels scared right now?
He wondered.
He knew how intimidating their house could be, especially with strangers. The thought made his chest tighten. He couldn't shake the image of a girl standing alone in a place that didn't yet feel like home.
I just want to meet her.
He thought, his fingers drumming anxiously on the armrest.
She's family. We should be there for her.
He glanced at Luca, who seemed lost in thought, and at Marcus, whose expression was hard as stone. Kendric knew they all had their own ways of coping with this bombshell, but for him, there was only one thing he wanted: a chance to finally meet his sister.
Marcus listened to Leonardo's words, his expression locked in a frown. He could feel the shock running through him, but he buried it deep, refusing to let it show. He'd perfected that skill over the years,staying calm when everyone else lost their heads. But this...this was different.
A sister?
It felt like the ground had shifted beneath him, like the foundation of everything he knew had cracked open.
Why didn't she tell us?
He thought, his mind racing.
Their mother had left them without a word, and now they found out she'd remarried, had their sister, and never once mentioned it? He felt a surge of anger,sharp and hot at the betrayal.
How could she have kept this from us?
And what kind of man had she married? Had he treated their sister well, or was there more darkness lurking beneath this revelation?
He forced himself to take a deep breath, pushing the anger down. It wouldn't help now. He needed to focus, to think clearly. His mind immediately went to the practical side of things.
We don't know this girl. We couldn't even confirm if she is truly their sister, despite what the DNA test said. It could still be a scheme, a trap set by our enemies to tear them apart from the inside. I couldn't let myself get soft, not when the stakes are this high.
He looked at Leonardo, searching his brother's face for any hint of uncertainty. He could see it, the worry, the reluctance. Leonardo was trying to be cautious, but Marcus knew that his older brother's protective instincts were already kicking in.
Marcus's gaze shifted to Luca, who seemed deep in thought, and then to Kendric, who looked like he was about to burst with questions.
The kid's going to get himself hurt.
Marcus thought grimly. Kendric's trusting nature was both his greatest strength and his biggest weakness. He'd be the first to open his arms, and if this girl wasn't who she seemed, he'd be the one left broken.
Marcus folded his arms across his chest, his voice hard when he finally spoke.
"I will give her a chance."
He said, his eyes meeting Leonardo's.
"But I won't trust her blindly. We need answers, real answers. Until then, I'm keeping my guard up."
The room fell silent after that, each of them sinking into their own thoughts.
Marcus knew this was only the beginning, and whatever lay ahead would test them all in ways they hadn't been tested before. He just hoped they were ready for it.
LUCA HASTINGS
Luca leaned back in his chair, still reeling from the news.
A sister.
He'd grown up as the youngest of the three older brothers until Kendric was born, and now, there was someone else, someone who had lived a completely different life, hidden away without any of them knowing. He could feel the room's tension thickening, but his mind was already wandering, piecing together fragments of a picture he couldn't fully see yet.
She didn't even know we existed.
Luca thought, his gaze drifting toward the door where Leonardo had said she'd exited earlier. He imagined what she must look like, her expression, the way she moved. His artist's mind filled with sketches and blurred lines of a young woman, someone carrying the weight of secrets she'd been forced to keep. He wondered if she was like them in any way, if she had their mother's eyes or maybe their father's smile.
The fact that she was here, now, in their home, felt surreal. He'd spent years painting family scenes, all of them together, never once imagining there was someone missing. He couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt.
Where was she during those moments? What kind of memories did she have while we were creating our own?
A wave of sadness washed over him. He knew what it felt like to be misunderstood, to be different, but this was something else entirely. Ariana hadn't just been left out, she had been hidden away, her existence erased from their story.
He wondered what kind of man their mother had married after leaving them, and what kind of life Ariana had led with him. The thought twisted something inside him, a feeling he couldn't quite name.
He looked over at Marcus, who still wore a mask of skepticism, and then at Kendric, whose face was a storm of conflicting emotions. Luca could sense the questions bubbling up inside his youngest brother, but for once, even Kendric seemed too stunned to speak.
How do we fit her into our family now?
Luca wondered. He knew he would try, he would extend his hand and his heart, like he always did. But he also knew it wouldn't be easy. It never was, to welcome a stranger into a world already filled with history and memories. He only hoped she'd be willing to accept them, and that they'd have the chance to make up for all the time lost.
KENDRIC HASTINGS
Kendric's heart raced, his mind spinning with a thousand questions.
A sister?
He had dreamed of having another sibling when he was younger, someone closer to his age who might understand the chaos of being the youngest among a group of older brothers. But this, this was something entirely different. He hadn't expected a sister who had been kept a secret, someone who'd lived her entire life without knowing they existed.
Why didn't our mother tell us?
The thought felt like a betrayal. He'd always believed their mother's absence was a wound they'd all shared, but now he realized there was a whole other story they'd never been a part of.
Kendric's excitement was quickly overshadowed by confusion and a deep, unexpected sadness.
She's here, in this house right now.
He thought, his gaze darting toward the door. He wanted to see her, to ask her a million things.
What is her favorite color? Did she have hobbies like Luca's painting or Marcus's books? Did she know anything about their family, or was she as lost as he felt right now?
He clenched his fists, trying to temper his emotions. He'd always been the optimistic one, the one who believed the best in people.
But Leonardo's warning echoed in his mind, Be cautious.
Kendric knew his brothers would be on guard, questioning everything, but he couldn't help it. He felt a pull toward this sister they never knew they had, a need to be the one who made her feel welcome.
What if she feels scared right now?
He wondered.
He knew how intimidating their house could be, especially with strangers. The thought made his chest tighten. He couldn't shake the image of a girl standing alone in a place that didn't yet feel like home.
I just want to meet her.
He thought, his fingers drumming anxiously on the armrest.
She's family. We should be there for her.
He glanced at Luca, who seemed lost in thought, and at Marcus, whose expression was hard as stone. Kendric knew they all had their own ways of coping with this bombshell, but for him, there was only one thing he wanted: a chance to finally meet his sister.
End of Silent Scars Chapter 7. Continue reading Chapter 8 or return to Silent Scars book page.