Chapter 12

Christina's POV The universe was testing me.Not in a gentle "let's see how you handle this minor inconvenience" way,but more in a "let's throw every possible disaster at you simultaneously and watch you drown" fashion. Standing outside my apartment door was Mr. Donnelly,my landlord, a fifty-something man who perpetually smelled like microwaved shepherd's pie and made questionable fashion choices—like today's socks-with-sandals combo that screamed "I've given up on impressing anyone." "Ah, Miss Vance," he said, shuffling awkwardly. "I was hoping to catch you." I forced a smile. "Mr. Donnelly. What a surprise." Akira growled inside me. She never liked him, saying he smelled like deceit and processed cheese. "Yeah, well..." He rubbed his hands together, avoiding my eyes. "Look, there's been a problem with the building." "A problem," I repeated flatly. "Some structural stuff came up. Real sudden, you know? Safety issues and all that." He still wouldn't look at me directly. "I'm sure you ge