The rest of the evening passed in a blur. I stayed locked in my room, trying to still the chaos inside me, but it was no use. My brothers' anger, Dad's quiet menace, Adrian's threats-all of it weighed down on me like a suffocating blanket. Each moment felt heavier than the last, like I was sinking into quicksand and every attempt to pull myself free only drew me deeper.

Voices drifted up from downstairs, muted and tense. I imagined them arguing, their worry turning into accusations, their confusion sharpening into something more dangerous. They were trying to put the pieces together, trying to figure out what was happening to me. And I could feel the walls closing in, my lies stretching thin and fragile.

It was late by the time I heard the front door open and close again. Footsteps echoed in the hallway, and then there was a soft knock on my door. My heart leaped into my throat, and I wiped at my tear-streaked face, trying to steady my breathing.

"Who is it?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

"It's Elijah," came the familiar voice, quiet but firm. "Can I come in?"

My pulse quickened. Elijah had been away for a few days, working long hours and staying at a friend's place. I thought I might have more time to figure out how to face him, how to hide everything from him. But now, he was here, and I knew he'd see right through me.

"Y-Yeah, come in," I finally managed to say, trying to keep the fear out of my voice.

The door creaked open, and Elijah stepped inside. His eyes scanned the room before settling on me. He looked exhausted, his hair disheveled, shadows under his eyes. But it was the worry etched on his face that made my chest tighten.

"What's going on?" he asked, his voice low and filled with concern. "I came home, and everyone's acting like the world's about to end."

I tried to smile, but it felt brittle. "It's nothing," I said, forcing my voice to sound light. "Just some drama. You know how it is."

Elijah's frown deepened as he walked over and sat beside me on the bed. He studied my face, his eyes narrowing as he took in the layers of makeup, the way I kept my head down, avoiding his gaze. "What happened to your face?"

My heart raced, the panic clawing at my throat. "It's nothing," I said quickly, adjusting the scarf around my head, trying to hide the worst of the bruise. "Just a little accident."

"An accident?" His voice was flat, disbelief evident. "What kind of accident leaves a bruise like that?"

"I fell," I mumbled, staring at my hands. "It's no big deal."

Elijah sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You're lying," he said softly, his voice strained. "You've been avoiding us, and now this... What aren't you telling us?"

The tears welled up in my eyes again, and I bit down hard on my lip, trying to hold them back. I wanted to tell him, to let him in, but the words felt stuck in my throat, like admitting them would make everything worse.I couldn't tell him. I couldn't let him get involved. But the look in his eyes, the desperation there, was almost too much to bear.

"I'm just... tired," I whispered, my voice breaking. "Everything's been so overwhelming lately.School, life... I'm just trying to keep up."

His expression softened, but the concern was still there, his eyes scanning my face, searching for the truth. "That's not an answer, that doesn't explain why you're covered in makeup and hiding in your room " he said gently. "What's really going on?"

I shook my head, the fear tightening around my chest like a vice. "I can't..."

"Why not?" His voice was sharper now, the frustration breaking through. ""We're your brothers. We're supposed to protect you. How can we do that if you won't let us in?"

I looked up at him, tears blurring my vision. I could see the pain in his eyes, the desperate need to understand, to fix whatever was wrong. But he didn't know. He couldn't know.

" You can't protect me from this," I blurted out, the words escaping before I could stop them. "No one can."

Elijah froze, eyes widening in shock and fear flashing across his face. "What do you mean?"

"I can't..." I shook my head, my hands trembling. "It's just... complicated."

The silence between us was heavy, the air thick with unspoken words. I knew I'd said too much, but the thought of telling him everything, of letting him see the mess I was trapped in, was too terrifying.

"Is it Dad?" he asked suddenly, his voice barely above a whisper. "Is he... is he hurting you?"

My heart stopped, my breath catching in my throat. "No," I said quickly, the lie tasting bitter on my tongue. "It's nothing to do with him."

Elijah's eyes narrowed, suspicion and confusion warring on his face. "Then who? What's going on, and why won't you tell us?"

Before I could answer, another knock came at the door, louder this time. My heart jumped, and I glanced at Elijah, panic flashing in his eyes.

"Come in," I called, my voice trembling.

The door swung open, and Maxim stepped inside, his face tight with anger. "What's going on?" he demanded, his voice tense. "Why are you two hiding up here?"

Elijah stood, his hands clenched at his sides. "I'm trying to get her to tell me what's going on," he snapped. "But she's not saying anything."

Maxim's gaze flicked to me, his expression hardening. "You need to stop lying to us," he said, his voice shaking with barely controlled fury. "We know something's wrong. You can't expect us to just ignore it."

I could feel the tension building, their anger and worry pressing in on me from all sides. I felt like I was going to crack under the pressure, like I was balancing on a knife's edge, and one wrong move would send everything tumbling down.

"I'm not lying," I whispered, the tears spilling over again. "Please, just trust me."

"Trust you?" Elijah's voice was incredulous, his frustration boiling over. "How can we trust you when you're hiding things from us? When you're covering up bruises and shutting us out?"

I shook my head, the panic surging, making it hard to breathe. "You don't understand. I can't-"

"You can't or you won't?" Maxim interrupted, his voice cold, his eyes blazing. "Are you protecting someone?Is that it? What are you so afraid of?"

The fear and guilt twisted inside me, like something was breaking apart. I wanted to tell them, to let them help me, but I couldn't. I couldn't let them see how bad things really were. It wouldn't end well for them.

"Please," I begged, my voice cracking. "Just let it go."

Elijah took a step closer, his eyes filled with pain. "We're not letting this go," he said quietly, his voice trembling with suppressed rage. "You're our sister. We're not going to stand by and watch you get hurt."

His words hit me like a blow, the tears streaming down my face. I knew they meant well, that they were trying to protect me, but they didn't understand. They thought they could protect me, but they didn't know what they were up against. They didn't know the danger I was in.

"I'm begging you," I choked out, my voice breaking. "Please, just leave it alone."

The room fell silent, the tension suffocating. I could see the pain in their eyes, the desperation to help, to fix whatever was wrong and it tore my heart. But I couldn't let them find out.

Maxim swore under his breath, running a hand through his hair. "This isn't over," he muttered, his voice tight. "We're going to figure this out."

He turned and stormed out of the room, his footsteps heavy on the stairs. Elijah stayed for a moment longer, his eyes locked on mine, his expression a mixture of anger and fear.

"We love you," he said finally, his voice trembling. "And we're not giving up on you. No matter what."

He turned and left, closing the door softly behind him. I collapsed onto the bed, the sobs wracking my body, the fear and guilt overwhelming me. They were pushing too hard, asking too many questions, and I was slipping, losing control of everything I'd tried so hard to keep hidden.

But I couldn't let them find out. I couldn't let them get too close. Because if they did... I didn't know what would happen. And the thought of them getting hurt because of me was more than I could bear.

I buried my face in the pillow, my whole body shaking as I cried, the fear and guilt choking me. I felt like I was coming apart at the seams, like I was being pulled deeper and deeper into a nightmare I couldn't escape.

I was trapped, caught between the lies and the truth, and no matter which way I turned, the darkness was waiting, ready to swallow me whole.