Page 103 of My Sweetest Obsession

Demon nudged my leg with his snout and let out a whimper.

“I’m okay, bud.” I patted his head. Demon sprang onto the bed and settled down, sitting upright like a small person. My gaze swept across the room, landing on my violin in the corner. I walked over to it, lifting the instrument, its familiar weight settling against my shoulder, grounding me.

I moved toward the bed and sat on it, letting out a shaky breath. My body ached. I couldn’t tell if it stemmed from the trauma I’d endured, the emotional pain, or the way Nico ravished me last night. Whatever it could be, I needed to escape and silence my thoughts, even if it’s just for a little while. I closed my eyes, letting the “Issues” melody take over my soul.

I drew the bow across the strings, my arms flowing with a grace that felt almost foreign, the music guiding me into a rhythm that transcended the chaos outside. As I hit the chorus, the tempo quickened. My body swayed with the music as if I were dancing in a world that was solely my own, where the pain and confusion could momentarily dissolve into the notes that flowed from my heart.

“Gigi?” Tabi’s voice floated through the door.

“In here,” I called, glancing back over my shoulder.

The door creaked open, and Tabi peeked in with a warm, compassionate smile on her face. “Hey.”

“Hey,” I replied, returning her smile.

“Can I come in?” she asked.

“Of course,” I said, motioning for her to enter. She slipped in and settled into the accent chair across from me.

“I know it’s probably a silly question,” she began, her tone solemn, “but how are you holding up since you’ve been back? We haven’t really talked.”

I set my violin aside, giving her my full attention.

“Honestly? I feel like I’ve missed so much time. It was like I was in a different dimension, praying I would wake up anytime soon from this nightmare."

“God, Gigi,” she responded, her voice thick with empathy, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I don’t know how you got through it but I’m so glad you did.”

“If it wasn’t for my aunt or Uncle Malik, I don’t know if I would’ve survived it. But it broke my heart knowing they were suffering because of me,” I confessed, the sting of guilt creeping back in.

“It’s not your fault, Gigi,” she insisted, her eyes fierce with conviction.

Oh, if she only knew how wrong she was.

“How about you?” I asked, eager to shift the focus off me. “How are you doing?”

She shrugged, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I’ve been better. But I’m just really happy to be back with my son,” she said, a half-smile breaking through.

“Tabi, how did you end up in that warehouse?” I asked. She glanced away, a flicker of pain crossing her features as she swallowed hard.

We never got the chance to talk about what happened to us that night.

“I’m sorry,” I said gently, trying to ease her discomfort.

“No, it’s fine,” she replied.

As Tabi recounted the details of that night, I felt my heart drop when she revealed the shocking truth: Ana, her friend was behind her kidnapping.

“Ana?” I uttered, dumbfounded. “Ana from the club?”

She nodded.

“Ana, your friend?” I repeated, struggling to process this betrayal.

“Yep,” she said, punctuating her statement by popping the letter P. “I just… I had absolutely no idea that she was involved with sex trafficking. I couldn't believe it. And even now, a part of me wished it wasn’t true.”

My heart raced as I shook my head in disbelief. “I am so sorry, Tabi. So, what happened to her?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. Enzo said that after the mayor was killed, the FBI had been tracking down all the players in the game. They haven’t found her yet. It’s as if she just vanished into thin air.”