The building was eerily quiet that evening. Destini sat cross-legged on her couch, her laptop open, pretending to focus on a work application she'd been procrastinating on for weeks. In truth, her mind kept replaying the encounter with Gabriel on the rooftop.
The way his voice had dropped, the intensity in his eyes—she couldn't shake it. There was something about him that felt ancient, untouchable, but also deeply fractured. She wanted to know more, but she wasn't naive enough to think he'd let her in.
Across the building, Gabriel paced his apartment.
He was growing tired of this game. Destini wasn't just curious; she was relentless. Every time he tried to push her away, she came back stronger, her questions sharper, her gaze more piercing.
And worst of all, she wasn't afraid of him anymore.
The memory of her standing on the rooftop, defiant despite her trembling hands, made him clench his fists. She didn't know how close she was to disaster. If she kept pushing, he would have no choice but to silence her.
But then why hadn't he already?
The question lingered, and Gabriel hated it.
Destini's thoughts were interrupted by a knock at her door. She frowned. It was late, and she wasn't expecting anyone.
Peeking through the peephole, her heart skipped. Gabriel.
He looked as calm and collected as ever, dressed in a tailored black coat, his hair tousled as if he'd just stepped out of a photoshoot. But there was something in his eyes—an edge she couldn't quite place.
Taking a deep breath, she opened the door. "Gabriel. To what do I owe the honor?"
"I need to speak with you," he said, his tone clipped.
Destini crossed her arms. "And here I thought you preferred brooding from a distance."
He didn't rise to the bait. Instead, he stepped inside without waiting for an invitation, his presence overwhelming the small space.
"You're going to stop," he said, turning to face her.
"Stop what?" she asked, genuinely confused.
"Digging. Asking questions. Poking around in things you don't understand."
Destini's brow furrowed. "I'm not poking around. I just… I live here, Gabriel. Things happen. Weird things. I'm not supposed to notice?"
His jaw tightened, and for a moment, she thought he might actually yell. Instead, he stepped closer, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.
"You're putting yourself in danger, Destini. You don't belong in this world. The more you dig, the worse it'll get."
She tilted her head, meeting his gaze. "What are you so afraid I'll find?"
Gabriel froze, and in that split second, she saw it—hesitation, maybe even guilt. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by his usual icy mask.
"This isn't a warning," he said, his voice cold. "It's a promise. Stay out of it, or you won't like what happens next."
After he left, Destini sat on the edge of her couch, her heart racing.
What the hell was that?
She replayed his words over and over, trying to make sense of them. There was no denying it now—Gabriel was hiding something. Something big. And as much as she wanted to listen to his warning, a part of her knew she couldn't.
If she backed off now, she'd never get the answers she needed.
But Gabriel wasn't bluffing. She'd seen the flicker of something dark in his eyes, and she wasn't sure how far he'd go to protect his secrets.
Still, Destini had made up her mind.
Whatever Gabriel was hiding, she was going to find out.