Chapter 20

Heaving a deep sigh, Gabriela glanced at the familiar old house she once called home. She had returned to Lyon, France, for a brief visit. A bittersweet chuckle escaped her lips as she stepped out of the car. Her heart pounded with nervous anticipation as she approached the gate and pressed the doorbell.

"How long has it been?" she murmured to herself.

Moments later, she noticed someone jogging toward the gate. When it opened, a familiar face greeted her with wide eyes.

"Gabi?" the person exclaimed, blinking in disbelief. "Gabi! Is that really you?"

"Noelle," Gabriela said with a soft smile. "How have you been?" she asked, taking in the sight of her elder sister.

"Oh my gosh, Gabi!" Noelle cried, pulling her into a tight hug. "Why are you here?" she asked, glancing nervously back at the house.

Gabriela let out an awkward laugh. "Am I still not welcome?" she teased, clicking her tongue lightly.

Noelle bit her lower lip, her expression troubled. "You know how Father is, right?" she said, letting out a sigh.

"I know," Gabriela replied, her smile faltering. "Can I at least come in for a moment?"

Noelle rubbed her temple anxiously. "Gabi," she murmured, "the thing is... Father's sick, and we're trying to keep him from any stress."

Gabriela nodded slowly, a bitter chuckle escaping her. "So, I'm a source of stress now?" she said with a wry smile.

"No, Gabi! That's not what I meant—"

"It's fine, Noelle," Gabriela interjected, forcing a smile. "I understand, really."

Noelle sighed heavily. "You know he still blames you for what happened to Mom," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Gabriela nodded again, her jaw tightening as she rubbed her temple. "I just wanted to catch up with you all. But I guess that's not possible," she said, her voice soft. "I've been calling, but you never answered. I thought maybe if I came in person—"

"Gabi," Noelle cut her off, guilt evident in her eyes. "You need to leave. If he sees you... he might hurt you."

Gabriela let out a shaky breath, trying to steady herself. "What's new about that?" she said, her voice tinged with sarcasm. She straightened her posture and forced a smile. "Anyway, I'll leave—"

"And what the hell are you doing here, you ungrateful brat?!"

The booming voice made Gabriela freeze. She swallowed hard as her father stormed out of the house, shoving Noelle aside in his rage.

"How dare you show your face here again?!" he roared.

"Father—"

The hard slap across her cheek silenced her. Gabriela scoffed bitterly, her lips curling into a faint, humorless smile as she touched the stinging mark. "Well, I see you're still doing fine," she said dryly.

"Gabi!" Noelle cried out, her voice breaking as she rushed to her sister. "Please, leave! Please!" she pleaded, trying to hold their father back.

"Get out of here, you freak!" their father bellowed. "You're a disgrace to this family! You're lucky I haven't stripped you of—"

"I don't use your surname anymore," Gabriela interrupted, her voice steady despite the tremble in her hands. Her eyes locked with his, unyielding. "I've taken Mother's surname. So, you don't need to worry about me tarnishing your precious family name."

Her father glared at her, his face twisted with fury, but Gabriela held her ground. She bowed her head slightly, a gesture of mock respect.

"Thank you for the reminder, Father," she said, her tone calm but cutting. She touched her reddened cheek one last time before turning on her heel. "Take care."

Vien clenched her fists as she stared at the silhouette on the balcony of the house across from hers. She swallowed hard, her gaze fixed on Gabriela's back, turned away from her. Her phone trembled in her hand as she debated whether to call or not.

"What the hell is she doing?" she muttered under her breath. Gabriela appeared to be drinking outside in the middle of the night—alone. "Why do you even care, Vien?" she added, trying to dismiss her growing concern.

Biting her lower lip, Vien shut her eyes tightly. "Just this once. If she doesn't answer, I won't call again," she whispered, dialing Gabriela's number. Standing by the balcony railing, her heart raced as the phone rang. She tapped her fingers nervously against the metal, waiting for an answer.

Just as she was about to hang up, movement from Gabriela caught her attention. Vien froze, her breath hitching, when Gabriela's voice finally came through.

"Vien?" Gabriela's voice was soft, almost fragile. "Hey."

Is she crying? Vien wondered, her chest tightening. "H-hey," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Something wrong, Vien?" Gabriela asked, clearing her throat on the other end.

"What? N-no, nothing. I just..." Vien trailed off, exhaling shakily. "Are you drinking?"

Gabriela chuckled, though it sounded hollow. Vien's stomach churned as Gabriela turned slightly, looking in her direction. "Oh," Gabriela murmured, clicking her tongue. "Figured you could see me from there."

"What's going on?" Vien pressed, frowning when she saw Gabriela wobble as she stood and made her way toward the balcony railing. "Hey! Careful!" she hissed, her worry spilling into her voice.

Gabriela laughed, the sound tinged with bitterness. "Why are you so worried about me? Don't tell me... you like me too?" she teased, though her tone was anything but playful.

Vien let out a frustrated sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Gabriela," she said firmly. "This isn't funny."

"Yeah, sorry," Gabriela mumbled, clearing her throat again. "You should get some rest, Vien."

"W-wait," Vien said, her gaze darting back to Gabriela. "Do you... do you want someone to talk to?"

Gabriela laughed again, but this time it broke midway. "N-no, I'm fine. Thanks," she said, though her voice betrayed her words.

The ache in Vien's chest deepened. "Gabi..." she murmured. "Do you want me to come over?"

"What?! No, no, definitely not, Vien," Gabriela replied, her laugh sounding nervous and strained.

"Why not?" Vien asked, her tone gentle yet persistent.

Gabriela tilted her head back, letting out a groan. "I'm drunk, Vien."

"And?"

"And... I don't want to take advantage of you," Gabriela said, her voice faltering. "I don't want to do something I'll regret or make you lose your trust in me. Sometimes, when I'm like this, my emotions..." She trailed off, her words hanging in the air. "Just... never mind. Don't come, Vien."

Vien watched as Gabriela slumped to the floor of her balcony, her back turned once again. "Gabi," she called softly.

The quiet sobs that followed made Vien's heart ache. "Gabi, what's wrong?" she asked, her voice firm with determination. "You know what? I'm coming over. Just let me in."

Without waiting for an answer, Vien stepped back inside, closing and locking her balcony door before hurrying out of her room. Thankfully, Blair was fast asleep in her own room. Vien slipped out of the house, her phone pressed to her ear as Gabriela's soft sobs continued to filter through.

"Mr. Ellis, I'm heading to Gabriela's for a bit," she told the gatekeeper, gesturing toward Gabriela's house. He nodded and opened the gate for her without question.

Worried, Vien crossed the street and rang the doorbell repeatedly. "Gabi! Gabriela!" she called out, her voice rising with urgency.

"Just... come in," Gabriela mumbled on the phone. "The gate's unlocked. So is the door," she added with a sniffle.

Vien exhaled in relief. "O-okay," she said, pushing the gate open and jogging toward the main door. Turning the knob, she found it unlocked, just as Gabriela had said.

"Gabi?" Vien called out as she stepped inside. The house was dimly lit, the silence making it feel cold and unwelcoming. Does she really live here all alone? Vien wondered, glancing around.

"Upstairs," Gabriela's tired voice directed her. "First door on the left."

Vien ascended the stairs quickly, her pulse quickening with every step. She stopped at the door Gabriela had mentioned and knocked softly before twisting the knob. The room was cold, and the sight before her made her heart clench. Gabriela was curled up on the balcony floor, hugging her knees, her face buried against them.

Ending the call, Vien approached cautiously, crouching down in front of Gabriela. She reached out hesitantly, her fingers brushing against Gabriela's hair.

"Gabi," she said softly. "What's wrong?"

Gabriela didn't respond, and Vien's gaze shifted to her hands. Bandaids covered her knuckles, the sight tugging at Vien's heart. "What happened to you?" she asked, her voice trembling as she reached out to gently touch Gabriela's injured hand.

Gabriela flinched slightly at the touch, her head lifting slowly to reveal red-rimmed eyes and tear-streaked cheeks. She looked at Vien, her lips twitching as though she wanted to smile but couldn't manage it. "It's nothing," she said in a hoarse whisper, pulling her hands away. "Just clumsy, I guess."

Vien frowned, her gaze lingering on the bandaids. "Clumsy? Gabi, this doesn't look like a little accident. Did you... hurt yourself?"

Gabriela stiffened, turning her face away. "I said it's nothing," she muttered, hugging her knees tighter. "Why are you even here? Shouldn't you be with Blair? She needs you more than some—"

"Stop," Vien cut her off, her tone firm but gentle. She knelt closer, brushing a strand of hair away from Gabriela's face. "Don't do this. Don't shut me out. Talk to me, Gabi. Please."

Gabriela let out a hollow laugh, her head falling back against the railing as she looked up at the sky. "Talk to you? About what? How pathetic I feel? How I'm sitting here like some cliché, drinking my feelings away because my family thinks I'm a joke?"