Trapped by Seven Mafia Wolves novel Chapter 93

**TITLE: Stars Refuse To Blink by Asa River Knox**

**The Truth**

The hallway outside Aurora’s hospital room is enveloped in an unsettling stillness, a silence so profound it feels as if the very air is holding its breath. The faint, monotonous hum of fluorescent lights flickers above, casting a sterile glow that does little to alleviate the palpable tension hanging between the brothers. It feels like the calm before a storm—Andrei, Raphael, Matteo, Jace, and Leon stand shoulder to shoulder, their expressions etched with exhaustion, yet none dares to reveal the depth of their turmoil.

As the door swings open, a figure emerges—the doctor. He is a tall man, his age evident in the graying at his temples and the weariness in his eyes, eyes that seem to carry the weight of too many untold stories. In one hand, he clutches a clipboard, the other tucked into his lab coat pocket, as if he’s bracing himself against the storm of emotions brewing in the hallway. A nurse lingers behind him, shifting nervously, her fingers wrapped tightly around a tablet, her gaze darting between the doctor and the brothers.

Clearing his throat, the doctor’s voice cuts through the silence. “I’d like to speak to you all privately.”

Leon is the first to break the tension, his voice a mixture of urgency and fear. “Is she okay?”

The doctor’s response is measured. “She’s stable. For now. But that’s not the reason I called you here.”

A heavy silence descends, the air suddenly feeling thinner, more suffocating. Jace, who had been leaning against the wall, straightens, his posture tense. “Then what is it?”

The doctor hesitates, his pause alone sending alarm bells ringing in the brothers’ minds. He glances at the nurse, then back at the men, his expression grave. “I need to ask you something. It may feel invasive, but it’s crucial. Who were her previous guardians?”

The brothers exchange bewildered glances, confusion clouding their features. Andrei furrows his brow, frustration creeping into his voice. “Our mother, Elena. She had a boyfriend, her fiancée, living with her. Why do you need to know that?”

The doctor’s lips press into a thin line, a sign of the weighty news he bears. With a practiced motion, he opens the folder in his hands, flipping through a few pages before finally speaking again. “Because… we found something. She is exceptionally small for her age. You may have noticed this, but it could simply be genetics. However, her health levels tell a different story. It’s evident that she is malnourished, the kind of malnourishment we see in patients who starve themselves. We have reason to believe, however, that the starvation… was not voluntary.”

Andrei’s voice cuts through the thick tension, sharp and urgent. “What reasons?”

The doctor takes a deep breath, his gaze steady but filled with sorrow. “Actually, several things. Injuries. Old ones.”

Raphael’s body tenses, his heart pounding as he processes the implications. “You mean they scarred over?”

The nurse steps forward, her voice soft and compassionate. “Yes. Some are faded, but others—well, they’re not so easy to ignore.”

The doctor nods, his expression heavy with empathy. “There are also burn marks. The patterns are inconsistent, but they are unmistakable. Some are the size of… cigarettes.”

Raphael’s jaw clenches, a surge of anger rising within him.

“Multiple shallow lacerations across her lower back. They have healed, but not in a professional manner. She may have bandaged them herself, likely in a non-sterile environment, possibly inflicted with a blade of some kind. There’s scar tissue along her ribs, arms, and legs… older fractures that never healed properly. A wrist fracture, poorly healed, that we suspect occurred over a year ago. Bruises in various stages—some fresh, others weeks old. And, of course, the recent burn and cut marks have reopened wounds.”

Leon’s breath catches in his throat, the weight of the doctor’s words crashing down on him like a tidal wave. Jace’s hand curls into a tight fist at his side, rage boiling just beneath the surface. Andrei stands frozen, his silence a heavy burden.

The atmosphere is deafening, thick with unspoken fears and heartache.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify