The room was thick with tension, their words echoing in my ears as I tried to steady my breath. The panic attack had subsided, but the fear and guilt lingered, heavy and suffocating. I could feel all three of them watching me—Maxim standing over me, fists clenched, Elijah still crouched in front of me, his hands resting gently on my shoulders, and Ethan, pacing anxiously by the door, his worry etched across his face. 

Maxim finally broke the silence, his voice low but sharp. “You can’t keep doing this,” he said, his voice shaking with barely controlled anger. “You’re scaring us, and we can’t just stand here and watch you destroy yourself.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came. I couldn’t explain this to them. Not when I barely understood it myself. My heart was pounding in my chest, my hands still trembling as I tried to hold it together.

Ethan, who had been pacing by the door, stopped and turned to me, his eyes wide with fear. “We’re not letting this go,” he said quietly, his voice shaking with emotion. “You think we can watch you fall apart like this and just do nothing?”

“I’m not—” I started, my voice weak, but Elijah cut me off, his grip on my shoulders tightening.

“Don’t,” Elijah warned, his eyes hard and unyielding. “Don’t lie to us again. We’ve given you space, we’ve waited, but this—” he gestured to the space between us, his voice trembling with anger and fear, “—this is too far. You’re not okay, and you need to stop pretending you are.”

I winced at the harshness in his tone, my chest tightening with guilt. They were right—I had been lying. But I wasn’t doing it to hurt them. I was doing it to protect them. If they knew the truth… if they found out what Dad and Adrian were capable of… it would be worse than they could ever imagine.

Maxim leaned forward, his eyes dark with frustration. “You’re not fine. Stop pretending like we can’t see what’s happening to you. You’re breaking, and we’re just standing here, helpless, because you won’t let us in.”

I shook my head, the tears stinging my eyes again. “It’s not like that,” I whispered, barely able to hold back the sobs threatening to rise in my throat. “I’m trying to protect you.”

“Protect us?” Maxim scoffed, his hands balling into fists. “From what? From the truth?”

Ethan moved closer, his voice quieter, but filled with emotion. “We don’t need you to protect us. We need you to tell us what’s really going on. You think you’re doing us a favor by keeping this to yourself, but you’re not. You’re hurting yourself. And it’s killing us to watch.”

My chest tightened, the weight of their words crushing me. I wanted to tell them. I wanted to let them in, but I couldn’t. I didn’t know how. Every time I opened my mouth, the fear of what would happen if they knew the truth silenced me.

“I’m scared,” I whispered, the words slipping out before I could stop them.

Ethan’s face softened, and he reached out, gently placing a hand on my shoulder. “You don’t have to be scared. Not with us. Whatever this is… we’ll face it together. But you need to tell us what’s going on.”

The tears finally spilled over, running down my cheeks in hot, angry streams. “I can’t,” I choked out, my voice breaking. “If I tell you… it’ll just make things worse.”

Maxim’s face twisted with anger. “Worse? Worse than what? You’re falling apart right in front of us. How could it get worse than this?”

Elijah stepped closer, his jaw clenched, his voice trembling with both anger and fear. “Who’s doing this to you?” he asked, his eyes locked on mine. “Is it someone at school? Is it someone we know? Or…” He hesitated, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Is it Dad?”

My heart stopped, my blood running cold at the mention of Dad. I tried to keep my face neutral, but I could feel the fear creeping in, the panic rising again. I looked away, unable to meet his gaze.

Maxim’s eyes darkened as he exchanged a glance with Elijah. “Is it him?” he demanded, his voice filled with a dangerous edge. “Is Dad hurting you?”

I shook my head quickly, panic surging through me. “No,” I said, too fast. “It’s not him.”

But they weren’t convinced. I could see the doubt in their eyes, the suspicion growing. They weren’t going to let this go.

“Then what?” Maxim pressed, his voice growing louder. “What are you hiding from us? You can’t expect us to sit here and watch you suffer without doing something about it!”

“I’m trying to keep you safe!” I shouted, the words spilling out before I could stop them. “If I tell you… you’ll get hurt. You don’t understand what’s at stake!”

The room fell silent. My brothers stared at me, their faces a mix of shock, confusion, and fear. My words hung in the air, heavy and full of a danger they couldn’t yet comprehend.

Elijah stepped back, his face pale. “What are you talking about?” he asked, his voice quiet, cautious. “Who’s going to hurt us?”

“I…” I stammered, my hands trembling again. I couldn’t say it. I couldn’t tell them. If they found out about Dad… if they knew about Adrian… it would all come crashing down. And I couldn’t risk that.

Maxim’s eyes narrowed, his fists tightening at his sides. “You’re hiding something from us. You’re protecting someone, aren’t you?” His voice grew more intense, his frustration boiling over. “Who the fuck is it? Who’s doing this to you?”

My breath hitched, the panic rising again, but this time I couldn’t stop it. “I can’t tell you,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “It’s not that simple.”

Ethan stepped forward again, his expression desperate. “You don’t have to do this alone,” he pleaded. “You don’t have to protect us from whatever this is. We’re your family. We can handle it, whatever it is. But we need you to trust us.”

The weight of their words pressed down on me, suffocating me. I wanted to trust them. I wanted to believe that they could fix this, but the danger was too real. The fear of what Adrian would do, of what Dad was capable of—it was too much.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, barely able to get the words out. “I don’t know how to tell you.”

Elijah let out a slow, heavy breath, his face full of pain and frustration. “Then we’ll figure it out,” he said, his voice firm. “Even if you won’t tell us, we’ll figure it out ourselves. But we’re not going to let this keep happening.”

Maxim nodded, his jaw tight, his eyes blazing with determination. “We’re not going to stand by while you suffer. Whoever’s behind this—they’re going to fucking pay.”

The tension inthe room was suffocating. My heart raced as I watched their faces—Elijah, Maxim, and Ethan—all of them brimming with determination and frustration. They weren't going to let this go. I could feel it in the way their gazes bore into me, in the way Maxim’s fists were clenched tight, and how Elijah’s expression had hardened with resolve.

They were getting closer to the truth, whether I wanted them to or not.

Ethan stepped closer, his voice soft but laced with intensity. “You don’t have to be scared. We’re not afraid to face whatever this is—whoever is doing this to you. You think we can’t handle it, but we can. You don’t have to protect us.”

My lips trembled. I wanted to believe them. I wanted to trust that they could protect me from everything spiraling out of control. But the weight of my fear kept pressing down. I couldn’t bear the thought of them confronting Dad or Adrian and getting hurt. I had seen what both men were capable of—there was no escaping their control.

"I just..." I started, my voice barely above a whisper, "I can't risk you getting involved."

Maxim stepped forward, his voice shaking with barely restrained anger. “You think we’re just going to sit here while you tear yourself apart? I don’t give a shit about what you think you’re protecting us from. We’re not afraid of whoever is doing this.”

“You’re not listening!” I cried, the words slipping out before I could stop them. “This isn’t something you can fix by fighting or talking it out. It’s not that simple.”

Elijah’s voice came next, quieter but firm. “It doesn’t matter how dangerous it is. It doesn’t matter how complicated. We are not letting you fight this on your own anymore.”

The room felt impossibly small. The walls seemed to close in, and my chest tightened again as I realized there was no way to stop them from digging further. They wouldn’t let this go. No matter how much I tried to protect them, they were going to force their way into the dark, twisted reality I was living in.

I was out of options.

Tears blurred my vision as I broke down. "I don’t know how to stop it," I whispered, my voice shaking uncontrollably. "It feels like there’s no way out. No matter what I do, it just keeps getting worse."

Maxim’s face softened, but his frustration didn’t waver. “Then we’ll find a way. Whoever’s doing this—whoever’s hurting you—they won’t get away with it. I don’t fucking care who they are.”

Elijah’s grip on my shoulders tightened, as if grounding me in that moment. “You don’t need to find the way out by yourself anymore. We’re in this with you. Whether you tell us now or not, we’re not stopping until we figure it out.”

Ethan, standing just behind them, gave a nod, his voice filled with the same fierce determination. “We’ll get to the bottom of this, I promise.”

I closed my eyes, overwhelmed by their words and their unshakable loyalty. I could feel the walls closing in on me—not just in this room, but in my life. Every lie, every secret I’d kept to protect them, was crumbling.

And I knew, deep down, that sooner or later, everything I’d been hiding would come crashing down.

“I’m so scared,” I whispered again, barely able to hold back the tears. “Scared of what’ll happen if you find out. You can’t stop them. You don’t know what they’ll do if you get involved.”

Maxim let out a breath, his voice low and intense, "I don’t care what they’ll do. Whoever they are, they’re not stronger than us. We’ll handle it, even if it means going through hell to protect you."

Elijah nodded, his face set in stone. "You’re our sister. We won’t stand by and watch you suffer in silence. Whatever it takes, whatever we have to do, we’ll make sure you’re safe."

Their words sent a jolt of both relief and terror through me. They were so determined, so convinced they could fight this battle for me, but they didn’t understand how deep the danger went. Adrian wasn’t just possessive—he was unpredictable, violent. Dad, too, had a control over me that felt inescapable. If my brothers confronted either of them, things would only escalate. I knew that much.

Tears welled up in my eyes again, and I pressed my hands to my face, overwhelmed by the weight of it all. The truth was tearing me apart, and I couldn’t protect them much longer. I couldn’t hide the bruises, the pain, the fear that seemed to consume me at every turn.

Elijah crouched down beside me again, his eyes softening as he placed a hand on my back. “You don’t have to carry this by yourself anymore. We’re not going anywhere. You need to trust us, okay? Whatever you’re afraid of… we’ll face it together.”

I shook my head, my breath coming in uneven gasps. “You don’t know what they’re capable of. If you get involved… you’ll be in danger. They’ll come after you.”

Ethan, who had been pacing again, finally stopped and faced me. “We can take care of ourselves,” he said, his voice filled with a calm confidence that almost broke my heart. “We’re not kids anymore. We’re stronger than you think.”

But they didn’t know. They didn’t understand the darkness that had wrapped itself around my life. Adrian wasn’t just controlling—he was possessive in ways that terrified me. And Dad… Dad had a cruelty that ran deeper than they could imagine. If they got involved, they’d become targets. And I couldn’t let that happen.

“I can’t,” I whispered, shaking my head. “You’ll get hurt. If I tell you, they’ll come after you.”

Maxim stepped closer, his eyes filled with a fiery determination. “Let them come. We won’t let anyone hurt you again—”

Suddenly, the sharp sound of the doorbell cut through the tension, startling all of us. I flinched, my heart jumping into my throat. My brothers exchanged confused glances, the intensity of our conversation momentarily broken by the unexpected noise.

The doorbell rang again, more insistent this time.

Ethan frowned. “Who’s that?”

I froze, a wave of dread crashing over me. The silence that followed the doorbell felt heavy, and then came the unmistakable thud of footsteps approaching from outside the room.

Maxim and Elijah exchanged glances before Elijah turned to me, his voice soft but firm. “It’s probably Dad, isn’t it?”

I nodded, barely able to speak. My heart raced as I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to steady my breathing. I knew what was coming—the shift in atmosphere when Dad walked through the door, the calmness he'd present, but underneath it… the simmering tension that only I seemed to notice.

“We’ll go,” Elijah said, his eyes searching mine for a moment longer. “Stay here, okay?”

They didn’t wait for me to answer before turning to leave the room. Maxim led the way, his movements tense, followed by Ethan and Elijah, who both glanced back at me one last time before closing the door softly behind them.

The air felt stifling in the silence that followed, and I pressed my back against the headboard, pulling my knees up to my chest. My whole body was shaking as I strained to hear the conversation downstairs.

The murmur of voices reached my ears—the deep, controlled voice of Dad, followed by the quieter tones of my brothers. I couldn’t make out the words, but I could hear the way Dad’s tone stayed warm and smooth, playing the role he always did. The perfect father. The one who could charm his way through any situation.

For a moment, I closed my eyes, hoping they wouldn’t push him. Hoping they wouldn’t notice the way his words never quite matched his actions. If they said anything to upset him, I’d be the one to pay for it later.

The minutes stretched on, my anxiety rising with every muffled word. Finally, I heard the heavy sound of the front door closing. The sudden quiet felt eerie, like the calm before a storm.

The sound of footsteps on the stairs made my heart pound faster, and the door creaked open. Elijah, Maxim, and Ethan stepped inside, their faces tense but unreadable.

Maxim let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair. “Well, he’s home.”

Ethan leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms. “He didn’t ask about you at all,” he said, frowning. “Just asked how we were, and then started talking about his day. Like nothing was going on.”

Elijah shook his head, clearly frustrated too. “It was strange. I don’t know… maybe we’re reading too much into this, but it felt off.”

My heart raced in my chest, panic beginning to creep in. They were already suspicious, and if they kept digging, if they looked too closely… they might see what I’d been trying so hard to hide.

Maxim crossed the room, standing over me. “Are you sure everything’s okay?” he asked, his tone softening but his eyes full of concern. “He’s acting like nothing’s wrong. But we know something is.”

I forced a nod, trying to keep my voice steady. “Yeah. Everything’s fine. I just… I told you, I’ve been stressed.”

Ethan narrowed his eyes, not fully convinced. “I don’t like it. Something’s going on, and you’re not telling us.”

“I’m just tired,” I said quickly, my voice barely above a whisper. “It’s nothing, really.”

Maxim’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t push further. Instead, he let out a long breath, stepping back. “Okay,” he muttered. “But if you need anything—anything—you come to us. Don’t think for a second we’ll let something bad happen to you.”

Elijah nodded in agreement, though his expression was more resigned than before. “We’re here,” he said quietly. “Just remember that.”

They started to leave, but Maxim paused at the door, looking back at me with one final, hard look. “We’re not stupid, you know. We’ll figure it out.”

My heart sank as they left the room. The tension hung in the air long after the door closed behind them. They were getting too close to the truth—too close to unraveling everything I had tried so hard to hide. But I knew I couldn’t let them in. Not yet.

I sat in the quiet, staring at the door as the sounds of their footsteps faded. The walls felt like they were closing in on me, the weight of the secrets pressing down harder than ever. I hadn’t realized how much closer they were getting, how much they sensed without me saying a word. Their concern wasn’t fading—it was growing, and that scared me.

I wasn’t sure how long I could keep deflecting their questions, how much longer I could pretend that things weren’t spiraling out of control. The lies I’d told to protect them were beginning to crumble under the pressure. Sooner or later, they’d see through the cracks.

And when they did, I wasn’t sure how I’d keep them—or myself—from being pulled into the darkness I was barely holding at bay.

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Hey guys.....I'm second-guessing this chapter👀. Would love to hear your thoughts!