Page 17 of My Treasured Obsession

“I think it came from the hallway outside.” We deposited our glasses on the counter and headed towards my door. I peered into the peephole. “There’s no one out there.”

I unlocked my door and cracked it open a fraction. Josh hovered over my shoulder, trying to get a better look. An empty hallway and utter silence welcomed us.

However, the door to the apartment directly in front of mine was agape.

“Oh, fuck,” Josh mumbled strangely. “We should check that out.”

Perplexed by his tone but silently agreeing, I opened my door wider and Josh charged ahead before I could even blink. He knocked loudly on my neighbour’s door. “Gabby? It’s Josh. I’m coming in.”

Every muscle in my body froze, including the breath travelling through my lungs.

Did I hear him right?

Did he actually say Gabby—as inmyGabriela?

When Josh pushed open her door and revealed the scene before us, it felt like a stake was driven through my chest,puncturing my skin and causing my breath to whoosh out of me in one fell swoop.

Distraught, Gabriela sat amongst a flurry of broken glass, with a dark grey cat clutching her. Both of them trembled pitifully.

Josh and I let ourselves inside, and he shut the door with a decisive thud, awarding us privacy from any potential onlookers.

I lowered myself to my haunches in front of her, glass crunching beneath my shoes. I didn’t touch her, afraid to spook her further, but coaxed her with my gentle tone, “Gabby?”

Blue eyes with specks of grey that reminded me of a stormy sea rose to mine, glistening with unshed tears and so much despair. “Hunter?” Her voice was weak and her face surprised as if she just noticed our presence.

“You okay?” I whispered.

I think I actually felt my heart breaking for her when she returned a thick and watery, “No.”

It took everything within me to stop myself from gathering her into my arms.

“What happened over here?” Josh asked the million-dollar question, lowering himself beside us. “We heard you scream.”

The cat in Gabriela’s arms hissed and pawed at Josh as if to scratch him for getting too close to its beloved owner.

“Shh.” Gabriela tried to calm it down before turning to us. “I…I don’t know. I just got back home less than a minute ago. My door was open, and I found my vase broken and my wall vandalized. Then my cat jumped at me and I got scared.” She sniffled. “I’m so sorry for screaming. I didn’t mean to disturb anyone.”

She had nothing to apologize for when she’d just experienced something traumatic.

Gabriela’s mention of her vandalized wall had me giving a quick glance towards the culprit.

Hell is empty and all the devils are here…

including you, bitch.

I sucked in a sharp breath, my face screwing with anger. Josh noticed the quote at the same time, dropping a low, “Fuck,” under his breath.

Who would break into her place and write something like that?

“Do you know who did this?” I urged.

She teared up some more, utterly miserable. “No.”

I furiously searched my pockets for my phone. “I’m calling the cops so we can file a report. Maybe we can also talk to the building’s security to help identify the intruder.”

Because this wasn’t just a regular break-in. Those horrendous words were personal. Someone clearly had a vendetta against Gabriela.

Right as I was about to dial 911, Josh and Gabriela protested. “No, don’t!”