The Scars He Never Shows

Noah was trapped.

The walls closed in as memories surged forward without mercy.

Hands gripping his shoulders.

The sharp crack of pain.

A voice screaming at him to stay still.

“Don’t move.”

He gasped, body thrashing against invisible restraints, heart racing wildly.

“No—stop—” he choked.

Then suddenly—

“Hey. You’re safe.”

A voice.

Soft. Steady.

The nightmare shattered violently as Noah jerked awake, chest heaving, sweat soaking through his shirt.

Isa stood a few feet away.

Frozen.

Her eyes were wide—not with fear, but shock.

For a brief, horrifying moment, he forgot where he was.

Forgot who she was.

He scrambled backward instinctively, knocking over a chair.

“Get out!” he shouted. “Get out!”

Isa immediately stepped back, raising her hands.

“I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “I heard something—I didn’t mean to—”

“Leave!” His voice cracked, raw with panic.

She turned without another word and walked out, closing the door gently behind her.

The quiet that followed was deafening.

Noah collapsed onto the bed, burying his face in his hands.

Stupid. Weak. Careless.

He had let his guard down.

And she had seen him like that.

Isa returned to her room, heart racing.

She locked the door and leaned against it, breathing heavily.

What she had seen replayed in her mind—his shaking hands, the terror etched into his face, the broken sound of his voice.

That wasn’t the face of a cold man.

That was the face of someone deeply wounded.

Her gaze drifted to the memory of his back—just a glimpse, but enough.

Scars.

Old ones.

Her chest tightened painfully.

What happened to you, Noah Accardi?

She pressed a hand over her heart, suddenly unsure of how to feel.

Anger softened into something heavier.

Understanding.

The next morning, they avoided each other.

Noah left early for work.

Isa stayed behind, staring at her reflection.

This marriage was no longer just inconvenient.

It was complicated.

Pain lived between those walls.

And somehow, she had stepped directly into it.

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