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The night sky stretched endlessly above, stars scattered like broken glass across velvet darkness.
On the rooftop of the Royalty Hotel, silence reigned. The engagement music below felt like a distant echo, muffled beneath the cold wind that whipped through the empty space.
Gabriella sat at the very edge of the rooftop, her legs dangling over the side of the building. A half-empty bottle of wine rested in her hand, catching the city lights. She swirled the drink idly, her mind far away, lips pressed tight with unspoken rage.
Suddenly—
A noise.
She stilled, her sharp senses awakening. Slowly, without moving from her precarious perch, Gabriella turned.
Two figures stood a few meters away. Lara, trembling, her hair caught tightly in the cruel grip of Anitta, who dragged her like prey. Neither of them noticed Gabriella watching from the edge.
Gabriella sighed faintly, her expression unreadable. With a graceful motion, she jumped down from the ledge and landed silently inside the rooftop floor, stepping into the shadows.
"How dare you cling to Ronnie!" Anitta spat, her eyes burning with a twisted rage as she yanked Lara's hair harder.
"L-Let go of me! Who even are you?!" Lara struggled against her hold.
Anitta leaned in close, her voice sharp as glass. "I'm his ex."
Lara's face froze in shock.
With a violent shove, Anitta pushed Lara to the ground. Lara cried out as she stumbled back.
"Stay away from him!" Anitta screamed like a woman possessed.
But before she could advance further, a hand shot out, seizing her hair from behind. Anitta gasped, twisting to see—
Gabriella.
Her eyes glinted coldly in the dim rooftop lights.
"You and Erica," she said softly, dangerously, "always targeting innocents. Why?"
Anitta smirked even through the pain. "I won't leave you either. You hang around him too, don't you? I won't leave either of you."
Gabriella's grip tightened. Her voice cut like a blade. "Then ask your precious Ronnie. He's the one who brought her here. She didn't come willingly. Am I right?"
Her eyes shifted to Lara. Lara, still on the ground, nodded shakily.
Anitta sneered. "Then why did she come with him at all?"
"Because you're a fool," Gabriella snapped. "Instead of asking the playboy himself, you fight innocent girls for scraps of attention. Pathetic."
Anitta wrenched Gabriella's hand free from her hair and snarled.
Gabriella laughed lowly. "Do you remember what he said at the club? He called you a money digger."
Anitta froze, fury flashing across her face. "Shut up! Gabriella...."
Then her expression changed. Her lips curled wickedly. "No… no… Andria."
Gabriella's face did not flinch. Instead, her smirk deepened.
"You finally took long enough to recognize me."
Anitta's eyes widened. "Erica was right… but it doesn't matter. You humiliated me, and I won't spare you. And her too," she added, glaring at Lara.
She suddenly grabbed the wine bottle from Gabriella's hand and raised it to strike.
But Gabriella was faster. She snatched the bottle back, twisted Anitta's arms behind her, and slammed her against the wall, pressing her neck hard. With her free hand, she hurled the bottle to Lara, who barely caught it in panic.
"Give me the rope," Gabriella ordered coldly.
Lara's trembling hands grabbed a coil of rope from the floor and passed it to her. In seconds, Gabriella bound Anitta's hands tight.
Anitta only laughed bitterly. "Do you think I'm trapped? No."
Gabriella's brow furrowed. "What?"
Anitta's eyes flickered past her, and Gabriella turned—
Standing at the far end of the rooftop were Erica and Harry.
Gabriella froze, then smirked slowly. "So this is your plan? Trapping me here? Fine. Let's play."
She shoved Anitta toward them. Erica caught her, eyes blazing.
"Then play," Erica snarled, biting her lip as she lunged forward.
Gabriella blocked her effortlessly, shoving her back. "Still the same. Haven't improved at all."
Harry swung his wooden stick from behind, aiming for Gabriella's head. Without turning, she caught it midair and sighed. "Same old trick." She twisted it from his grip.
The rooftop erupted into chaos. Erica and Harry struck in tandem, but Gabriella moved like a storm, each block and counter fluid and merciless.
Minutes later, both opponents staggered, drained of strength.
"You're already tired?" Gabriella mocked, laughing.
Erica hissed, "We're not done. We've been waiting for the right moment. Just like last time—when we destroyed you. Don't you remember your face smashed into glass?"
Gabriella's eyes blazed crimson.
Harry added, "If we end up you then...you won't stand here now...Not bad...we end your game forever now."
A dangerous calm fell over Gabriella. In a blur, she closed the distance, her hand locking around Erica's throat. Erica choked, clawing at her grip, but Gabriella's hold was iron.
Harry tried to pry her away, but Gabriella kicked his leg out, dropping him hard to the floor.
"Do you know," Gabriella growled, her voice trembling with rage, "how much my mother suffered because of you? How I almost died because of your 'fun'?"
Erica's eyes widened in horror.
"You threw my face into glass. Do you even know that pain?" Gabriella's voice cracked with fury. "Feel it now."
Erica trembled, true fear dawning in her.
Harry staggered back up, knife in hand, creeping behind Gabriella. But before he could strike, Lara screamed, grabbing an empty bottle and smashing it against his head. Harry collapsed, unconscious.
Anitta screamed, "Harry!" but remained bound, helpless.
Gabriella turned her gaze into Erica
Gabriella's grip on Erica tightened. She dragged her to the edge of the rooftop.
"Shall I push you down from here?" Gabriella whispered.
"No… no!" Erica pleaded, shaking her head frantically.
Gabriella's eyes narrowed. "Then what do I do with you?"
Anitta, struggling against her ropes, finally freed her hands. But before she could act, Lara sneaked behind her, seized her wrists, and tied her tighter.
"Not a true friend, are you?" Gabriella taunted. "Tell me, Anitta. Do you want your life… or Erica's?"
Anitta froze.
"Answer me!" Gabriella shouted.
"Mine," Anitta whispered at last, trembling.
Gabriella leaned to Erica's ear. "Hear that? Even your friend chose herself." She laughed darkly.
Erica's heart shattered as she gasped, "Anitta…"
Gabriella pulled her wine bottle back, raising it toward Erica's face. Inches from impact, she froze. Her chest heaved, hesitation flashing across her face. She threw the bottle instead, shattering it against the floor.
Erica blinked in disbelief.
But rage overtook her again. She snatched a broken stick and lunged at Gabriella's back.
"Gabriella, look out!" Lara cried.
Gabriella spun aside. Erica stepped on spilled wine and glass, slipped—and fell face-first into the shattered bottle pieces.
Her scream tore through the night. Shards pierced her face, blood trickling.
Anitta and Lara both stared in shock.
Gabriella looked at the scene, her expression unreadable, though a shadow flickered in her eyes.
"It's your karma," she whispered coldly, turning away.
She told Lara quietly, "Go. Forget everything you saw tonight. Leave this to me."
Lara hesitated, then fled.
Gabriella stood alone, watching Anitta still bound, Erica writhing on the floor in agony, Harry unconscious nearby.
She pulled out her phone. "I'm on the Royalty Hotel rooftop. Come clean up. Destroy everything here." She ended the call.
Then—
Flash.
Gabriella froze. A camera flash from the rooftop across the gap.
Her eyes narrowed.
From the shadows, a tall figure leapt effortlessly across the divide, landing with feline grace.
Jake.
His smirk gleamed under the moonlight as he twirled his phone in hand.
"Well, well. How do you plan to erase this proof?" He winked, holding up the screen.
Gabriella's eyes widened in shock.
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