120

AFTERNOON

Vanessa had finished her job for the day earlier than usual and she decided to come back before before her kids return from school to be able to make something delicious for them.

But as Diego brought the car to a halt outside her house. Something felt off. The open gate and the eerie silence sent a chill down her spine.

She couldn't find the guards that they had assigned to be on standby outside.

Her breath quickened as she stepped out, the cool afternoon air brushing against her skin. Diego and Lily alighted from the car and quickly followed behind her. Her heels clicked sharply on the stone path as she hurried to the door.

The door creaked open under her push. Vanessa froze in the entryway, her hand trembling on the doorknob.

The living room was destroyed. The couch was overturned, pillows scattered across the floor. Shards of glass glittered under the dim light from a broken lamp. Picture frames lay in ruins, the smiling faces of herself and her kids inside them distorted.

Her heart pounded. "What... what happened here?" she whispered, her voice shaking.

Diego stepped past her, his eyes scanning the room. "Stay back, Vanessa," he ordered, his tone firm.

But Vanessa couldn't move. She stood frozen, her gaze jumping from the scattered debris to the toppled furniture. Her throat tightened. "This can't be real," she murmured, her voice barely audible.

Lily, still standing by the door, gasped. "Vanessa..."

Vanessa turned, her hands gripping the frame of the door to steady herself. "The guards. Where are the guards?"

Diego crouched by the hallway, where a guard lay sprawled on the floor. He pressed two fingers to the man's neck and frowned. "He's alive. Just unconscious."

Vanessa's knees buckled, and she stumbled forward, catching herself on the edge of the overturned couch. Her breaths came in short, panicked bursts.

"Diego," she rasped, her voice cracking. "Who did this?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he stood and moved deeper into the house, checking for more signs of what had happened.

Vanessa sank onto the edge of the couch, her hands clutching her face. Her pulse roared in her ears as she tried to make sense of the chaos. Her house, her safe space, was in ruins.

Lily knelt beside her, placing a tentative hand on her arm. "Vanessa... we'll figure this out."

Vanessa shook her head, her lips trembling. "No. This... this shouldn't happen. Not here. Not in my home."

Her fingers dug into the soft fabric of the couch, her knuckles turning white. Her mind raced, but the pieces didn't fit. Who would do this? Why?

Diego returned, his expression grim. "It's bad," he said, his voice low. "Every guard is down. No one saw it coming."

Vanessa lifted her gaze, her eyes wide and brimming with unshed tears. "They were supposed to protect this house," she said, her voice breaking. "How did this happen?"

"We'll find out," Diego assured her. "But first, we need to secure the area."

Vanessa stood shakily, her legs threatening to give out beneath her. She reached for the wall, using it to steady herself as she moved toward the shattered window in the living room.

Her reflection in the glass was distorted and broken, much like the scene around her. Her chest heaved as she tried to keep the panic at bay.

Lily stepped closer, her voice soft. "Vanessa, you need to sit down. You're shaking."

Vanessa waved her off, her jaw tightening. "I don't have time to sit. I need to know who's behind this."

Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, her nails digging into her palms. Her mind raced, trying to think of anyone who might've had a reason to target her.

"I should've seen this coming," she muttered, her voice thick with regret. "I should've done more."

Diego stepped in front of her, his face hard but calm. "This isn't your fault," he said firmly. "Whoever did this will pay. But we need to focus."

Vanessa's eyes burned with tears she refused to shed. She turned away, staring at the mess that used to be her home. The weight of the destruction pressed down on her chest.

Her hands trembled as she reached for a fallen photo frame. The glass had shattered, but the picture inside was intact. She stared at it for a long moment before placing it back on the table, her movements slow and deliberate.

"Vanessa," Lily said cautiously, "we'll figure this out. But you need to breathe. You're no use to anyone like this."

Vanessa spun to face her, her eyes blazing. "Don't tell me to breathe, Lily. This is my home. My life." Her voice cracked, and she gritted her teeth. "I can't stand here and do nothing."

Diego placed a hand on her shoulder. "We're not doing nothing. But we have to stay smart. Panicking won't help."

Vanessa shrugged off his hand, pacing the room. Her heels crunched on the glass beneath her feet, but she didn't care. The sound echoed in the silence, a reminder of the chaos that had unfolded.

Her breathing slowed, but her mind didn't. Every nerve in her body felt stretched to its limit, the adrenaline refusing to subside.

"I want this place combed," she said finally, her voice steady but cold. "Every inch. Find out how they got in, and find out who they are."

Diego nodded. "Consider it done."

Vanessa turned to Lily. "Call security. I want extra men on standby. And get someone here to clean this up."

Lily hesitated. "Vanessa, are you sure..."

"Just do it," Vanessa snapped.

The sharpness in her voice made Lily flinch, but she nodded and hurried to make the call.

Vanessa stood in the center of the room, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Her nails dug into her skin, but she didn't notice. Her eyes scanned the room, taking in every detail. A thought crossed her mind, she was thankful that her kids didn't come back before her. What would had been their fate?

Her jaw clenched as she thought about what had happened. Her safe space had been violated. Her trust shattered.

And someone was going to pay for it!