Gabriel was sitting on his balcony, sipping his coffee, lost in thought about his neighbor. The bitter taste of the coffee lingered on his tongue as he watched rain streak down the windowpanes. He was deeply worried about her, especially after witnessing her husband, Azrael, hitting her yesterday evening. The sound of her cries still echoed in his ears, sharp and painful like broken glass.

Gabriel had lived in this neighborhood since he was a child and had seen Azrael grow up, but he had always perceived him as someone mentally unstable—there was something cold and calculating in his eyes even as a boy. Gabriel felt a strange relief that Azrael hadn't been blessed with children, believing that having kids in the life of someone as disturbed as him would be disastrous.

But what truly concerned Gabriel was the fate of his neighbor. The way Azrael's violence had escalated recently chilled him to the bone. He feared that one day she might not survive his rage. He had tried many times to advise her to seek a divorce, but he also knew she had nowhere to go if she left—no family nearby, limited funds, and Azrael's threats about what would happen if she tried to escape.

The shrill sound of frantic knocking shattered his thoughts. Gabriel's heart raced as he set down his coffee mug, the ceramic clinking against the table. He rushed to the door, his lawyer's mind already calculating possibilities. When he opened it, the sight before him made his blood run cold.

There stood his neighbor, her usually radiant face streaked with tears and mud. She wore a white dress torn at the shoulders and hem, rain-soaked fabric clinging to her body. Her feet were cut and bleeding, tiny stones embedded in her soles from running barefoot on the pavement. The coppery smell of blood mixed with the rainwater dripping from her hair and clothing.

Without a word, she pushed past Gabriel and stumbled into the house, her body trembling violently as she threw herself into his arms. Her sobs were raw, wracking her entire frame as she clung to him like a lifeline. Gabriel felt her heart racing against his chest, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

In a calm but determined voice that betrayed the fury building inside him, Gabriel wrapped his arms protectively around her and said, "I've got you. Don't worry. I'll make that bastard pay for this."

Gabriel understood everything without her needing to say a word. The bruise forming on her cheek, the terror in her eyes, the way she flinched at sudden movements—all told him tonight had been worse than before.