Chapter 2

I slowly put my phone down, lifted my head, and glared at the ceiling where water kept dripping through.

It felt like my stare could burn right through the concrete and steel, straight to the face of the woman upstairs.

This time, I wasn't going to march up there and knock on her door like some resentful housewife.

I didn't want to listen to her insincere apologies again.

I was going to get to the bottom of this myself.

I opened my phone's contacts and scrolled until I found a number.

It was listed as "Jakob Bonner's Renovation Team."

I'd saved it the last time we had our walls repainted.

I dialed the number.

I said, "Hello, is this Mr. Jakob Bonner? It's Ms. Browning from Building 16 in Southmere Gardens."

Jakob said, "Oh, Ms. Browning, I remember you. What can I do for you?"

I said, "I need you and your crew to come over right now. My balcony is seriously leaking. I think the waterproofing upstairs might be damaged. I want you to inspect the issue thoroughly from the upstairs unit."

"Oh? Right now? Alright, we'll be there in half an hour. Are your neighbors fine with us going into their place to check?" Jakob asked.

I stared at the ceiling, a cold, determined smile creeping across my lips.

I said, "It's not her call whether she agrees or not. Just come over. Money's not an issue. But I have one request. Bring all your best gear. The kind you use to cut through walls."

This time, I was going to see with my own eyes how she managed to leave her faucet running.

Half an hour later, Jakob arrived with two young, muscular workers.

Lugging heavy tool bags, they stood at my doorstep.

"Ms. Browning, we're here," Jakob said.

Jakob was an honest guy, but he glanced at me, looking a little unsure.

"Are we really supposed to... go upstairs?" he asked.

I nodded, my face completely expressionless. "Yeah, we're going upstairs. If she won't open up, I need you to get the door open."

Jakob's expression darkened.

"Ms. Browning, isn't that... illegal?" Jakob said.

I pulled out a thick stack of cash from my wallet and set it down on the shoe cabinet in the entryway.

It was about 3 thousand dollars.

"That's for your time and trouble," I said. "If the cops show up, I'll take full responsibility. Just do what I say and get the job done."

The sight of all that cash made their eyes change; a greedy gleam flickered across their faces.

They exchanged glances, and after a moment's hesitation, Jakob gritted his teeth.

"Alright!" he said. "Don't worry, Ms. Browning. We do this for a living. Opening a door is nothing for us. We'll make sure the lock stays intact."

I put on my shoes and grabbed my keys.

"Let's go," I said.

The four of us marched upstairs, moving as one determined group.

Standing outside Apartment 1802, I could hear nothing from inside—no TV, no music, not even footsteps.

Even that damned dripping sound was gone.

It was like the place was completely deserted.

But I knew she was home.

She had to be.

I took a deep breath, raised my hand, and knocked hard on the door.

"Hanna, are you home? Open the door!" I shouted. "It's Kenia from downstairs!"

My voice pierced the quiet hallway, echoing harshly.

Inside, there was nothing but dead silence.

No one answered.

I knocked again, louder this time.

"Hanna! I know you're home!" I shouted."Your place is leaking into mine! Hurry up and open the door. Deal with it now!"

Still, she didn't answer the door.

It felt like she was testing my patience, seeing who would crack first.

Jakob looked uneasy beside me.

"Ms. Browning, if she doesn't open up, are we really going to bust in?" he asked.

I gave a cold chuckle.

"If she won't open the door, that just proves she's guilty," I said.

I dropped my hand from the door, stepped back, and looked at Jakob.

"Jakob, open it," I said. "Keep it quiet, don't make a scene."

Jakob nodded and took out a professional locksmith kit from his bag.

The two young workers moved to either side, standing like bodyguards, shielding the hallway from prying eyes.

Jakob was a pro at this.

He fiddled with the lock using a bunch of thin metal tools, his hands moving with practiced skill.

The only sound in the hallway was the faint clink of metal against metal.

My heart was pounding.

I was nervous, but there was a sick excitement bubbling up inside me.

I had no idea what I was about to find.

Maybe it really was just a faucet she forgot to turn off.

If that was all it was, I would apologize to her right there and cover every cent of the damage.

But if it was not...

Time ticked by, every second dragging on.

About five minutes later, a soft sound was heard.

The door opened.

Jakob wiped the sweat from his forehead and flashed me an OK sign.

I nodded at him, telling them to hang back at the doorway.

Then, alone, I slowly pushed the door open.