The next day, I tried to keep a low profile, but it was impossible with the way my brothers kept hovering around me. It was like they were taking turns keeping an eye on me, their concern growing more palpable with every passing hour. I kept my scarf in place, my hair hanging down to cover as much of my face as possible, and hoped they wouldn’t press too hard.

But when evening came, everything shifted.

I was in the kitchen, pretending to help with dinner, when I heard the front door open. I glanced up, expecting one of my brothers, but my heart dropped when I saw Dad walking in. He was home earlier than usual, his expression relaxed and warm, but I knew better than to trust that look.

“Hello, everyone,” he said cheerfully, his eyes sweeping the room, landing on me. His smile widened slightly. “It’s good to see you all together.”

I froze, my heart pounding as his gaze lingered on me a moment too long. I could feel the tension tightening in my chest, my breath catching in my throat.

“Hey, Dad,” Maxim said, glancing up from the pot he was stirring. “You’re home early.”

“Yeah, got out of a meeting sooner than expected,” Dad replied, his voice still light. “Thought I’d come home and see my favorite people.”

The words were casual, but the way he looked at me sent a chill down my spine. I kept my head down, trying to focus on chopping vegetables, but I could feel his eyes on me, watching, waiting.

“Sweetheart, come here,” he said suddenly, his tone gentle. “I want to talk to you.”

I hesitated, glancing at Maxim, who gave me a puzzled look but didn’t say anything. I put down the knife, my hands shaking slightly, and walked over to Dad, my heart racing.

“What’s up?” I asked, forcing a smile, my voice trembling just enough to give me away.

Dad’s smile didn’t falter as he reached out, his fingers brushing lightly over the scarf around my head. “What’s this?” he asked softly, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. “Why are you covering your beautiful hair?”

The question caught me off guard, and I took a step back, my pulse quickening. “I—I just felt like it,” I stammered, my fingers tightening around the edge of the scarf.

Dad’s smile widened, but there was no warmth in his eyes. “Take it off,” he said, his voice still soft but with a hint of steel.

I swallowed hard, my hands trembling as I hesitated. I could feel Maxim and Ethan watching us, their eyes filled with curiosity and concern. I didn’t want to do this. I didn’t want them to see.

“Now, sweetheart,” Dad murmured, his hand reaching up to gently tug at the scarf.

With shaking fingers, I reached up and slowly unwrapped the scarf from my head, letting it fall to my shoulders. I kept my eyes on the floor, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst.

There was a long silence, and I could feel their eyes on me, taking in the thick layer of makeup, the way I kept my hair carefully draped over the bruised side of my face.

Dad’s hand moved to my chin, his grip firm but not tight, tilting my head up until I was forced to meet his gaze. His eyes darkened as he studied my face, the faint trace of the bruise still visible under the makeup.

“What happened?” he asked softly, his voice calm, but I could feel the tension in his words.

My throat went dry, the fear choking me. I glanced at Maxim, who was watching us with wide eyes, his brow furrowed in confusion. Ethan had stopped moving, his attention fixed on me, a flicker of suspicion in his eyes.

“I—I just… I fell,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “At school.”

Dad’s fingers tightened just a fraction, his eyes narrowing. “You need to be more careful,” he said quietly, his voice carrying that dangerous edge that only I seemed to notice. “I don’t want to see you getting hurt, understand?”

I nodded quickly, my pulse racing. “I’m sorry.”

He let go of my chin, his smile returning, the mask of the caring father back in place. “It’s alright, sweetheart. Just take care of yourself.”

I could feel my brothers’ eyes on me as Dad turned away, his attention shifting back to the dinner preparations. I stood there, frozen, my heart pounding in my ears. They had seen. They knew something was wrong. But I couldn’t let them figure out the truth. Not with Dad so close, watching every move I made.

Maxim exchanged a glance with Ethan, the doubt and suspicion in their eyes hardening into something else—anger. I could see it building behind their worried expressions, their jaws clenched as they tried to piece together what had really happened. The tension in the room was thick, simmering just below the surface.

“What do you mean you fell?” Maxim asked, his voice tight, the edge of anger unmistakable. “That doesn’t just happen, especially not bad enough to bruise like that.” He was trying to keep his tone calm, but it was clear he was struggling to hold back his frustration.

“Maxim,” I whispered, my heart pounding in my chest. I glanced at Dad, whose smile was still firmly in place, though his eyes flickered with a warning.

But Maxim wasn’t looking at him. His eyes were locked on me, his expression fierce. “Who did this to you?” he demanded, his voice shaking with barely controlled rage. “Was it someone at school? Tell me who it was.”

Ethan took a step closer, his eyes narrowing as he looked at me, then at Dad, his jaw set. “You’re not telling us everything,” he said quietly, his voice trembling with anger. “Did someone hurt you?”

My throat tightened, the fear and guilt twisting inside me like a knife. I could see the worry and frustration in their faces, the barely restrained fury, and it terrified me. If they pushed too hard, if they kept asking questions, everything would come crashing down.

“I’m fine,” I insisted, my voice shaking as I tried to hold back the tears. “I just—I lost my balance and fell. It’s nothing. Please, just drop it.”

But they didn’t drop it. Maxim’s fists clenched at his sides, his eyes blazing with fury as he turned to Dad, his voice rising. “You’re just going to stand there and let her lie like this?”

Dad’s smile faded slightly, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Maxim. “What do you mean?”

“You can’t seriously believe she just fell and hit her face that hard,” Maxim snapped, his voice filled with barely controlled rage. “Someone did this to her.”

Dad’s eyes flicked to me, his expression unreadable. “Is that true, sweetheart?” he asked softly, his voice gentle but with that familiar underlying steel. “Did someone hurt you?”

I felt like I was going to crumble under the weight of their stares. The panic was building, suffocating me, but I couldn’t let them know the truth. I couldn’t let them get close enough to see what was really happening.

“No,” I said quickly, shaking my head. “I’m telling the truth. I just fell. Please, you have to believe me.”

Ethan’s hands were clenched into fists, his face twisted with frustration. “This doesn’t make sense,” he muttered, his voice shaking with anger. “If someone hurt you, you have to tell us.”

Dad stepped closer to me, his hand landing on my shoulder, his grip firm but not painful. “It’s okay,” he murmured, his voice low and soothing, but his eyes were hard as they bored into mine. “You can tell us the truth.”

“I am telling the truth,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. The tears were spilling over now, and I could feel the weight of their concern, their anger, pressing down on me like a vice.

But then Lorenzo stepped into the room, his eyes going wide as he took in the scene before him—the tense standoff, my tear-streaked face, Dad’s hand on my shoulder. His expression darkened, and he crossed the room in a few quick strides, his voice sharp.

“What the hell is going on here?”

Maxim rounded on him, his frustration boiling over. “She’s trying to tell us she just fell and hit her face,” he snapped, his eyes blazing. “But look at her. That’s not from a fall.”

Lorenzo’s gaze shifted to me, his eyes narrowing as he took in the bruise peeking out from under the makeup, the way I was trembling under Dad’s grip. He swore under his breath, his jaw clenched tight. “Who did this to you?” he demanded, his voice rough with anger. “Tell us, right now.”

My whole body was shaking, the panic clawing at my throat. I could feel the tension in the room rising, the anger simmering just beneath the surface. Dad’s fingers tightened on my shoulder, his grip just shy of painful, a silent warning.

“I told you,” I said desperately, my voice breaking. “It’s nothing. I just fell. Please, you have to believe me.”

Lorenzo’s eyes flicked to Dad, his expression hardening. “How are you so fucking calm with this?” he asked, his voice filled with disbelief. “What kind of father are you?”

Dad’s smile vanished completely, his face darkening as he turned to face Lorenzo. “Watch your tone,” he said quietly, his voice cold. “I’m trying to help her.”

“By letting her lie to us?” Maxim shot back, his voice rising. “How is that helping?”

“I’m not lying!” I cried, the fear and frustration boiling over. I looked at my brothers, their faces twisted with anger and worry, and I felt like I was being torn apart. “Please, you have to believe me. I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

The room fell silent, the tension thick and heavy. I could see the rage simmering in their eyes, the frustration of being kept in the dark, and it terrified me. They were getting too close. They were going to push too hard, and I didn’t know what would happen if they did.

“Maybe she just doesn’t want to talk right now,” Ethan said finally, his voice tight but trying to stay calm. He glanced at me, his eyes filled with concern. “But we’re not letting this go, okay?”

I nodded quickly, my throat too tight to speak. I could feel Dad’s gaze burning into the side of my face, his grip still firm on my shoulder. “Please,” I whispered. “Just let it go for now.”

Lorenzo took a deep breath, his hands still clenched into fists. “This isn’t over,” he muttered, his eyes never leaving mine. “You’re going to tell us the truth eventually.”

The words hung in the air like a threat, and I felt the fear twist in my stomach. They weren’t going to let this go. They were going to keep pushing, keep asking questions, and I didn’t know how much longer I could keep the truth from them.

Dad’s hand squeezed my shoulder once more before he let go, his face calm but his eyes cold as he looked at my brothers. “Let’s give her some space,” he said quietly, but there was a dangerous edge to his voice. “We don’t want to overwhelm her.”

Maxim and Lorenzo exchanged a look, their frustration and anger palpable, but they stepped back, giving me some room. I felt like I could finally breathe, but the fear was still there, coiling tighter and tighter in my chest.

Dad turned to me, his eyes softening as he brushed a strand of hair behind my ear, his touch gentle but threatening. “Get some rest, sweetheart,” he murmured. “We’ll talk more later.”

I nodded, unable to speak, the tears still streaming down my face. I could see the worry in my brothers’ eyes, the anger still simmering, and I knew this wasn’t over. They weren’t going to let it go. But I couldn’t let them see the truth. I couldn’t let them know what was really happening.

I turned and fled up the stairs, the panic choking me, the tears blinding my vision. I barely made it to my room before I collapsed onto the floor, the sobs wracking my body as the fear and guilt overwhelmed me.

They knew something was wrong. They were furious, desperate to find out the truth. But I couldn’t let them. I couldn’t let them get too close. Because if they did… I didn’t know what Dad would do. Or what Adrian would do.

I pulled my knees to my chest, rocking back and forth, trying to calm the storm of emotions raging inside me. The fear, the guilt, the shame—it was all too much, pressing down on me until I felt like I was going to shatter under the weight of it all.

But I couldn’t break. I couldn’t let them see. I had to hold it together, had to keep lying, keep pretending, keep hiding. Because if they found out… everything would fall apart.