By late afternoon, Celina and Zoe arrived at Gabriel’s building. For days, Celina had been trying to reach him—calls unanswered, messages left on read. He had vanished, and the uneasy feeling in her chest refused to fade. She needed to see him. She needed to understand.

“Are you sure he’s home?” Zoe asked, eyeing the hallway.

“No,” Celina replied, determination softening her tone. “But we’ll try.”

They took the elevator up and stopped in front of his door. Celina rang the bell. Her heart was ra