When she first came to Sunset Beach, Gabi immediately started trying to seduce Ricardo Torres, an engaged Police officer, and she continues flirting with him. Days later, Gabi found out that Ricardo's fiancé was Paula Stevens, her half-sister. Gabi was well received by her half-sister, but Ricardo didn't have the same sympathy. Paula offered Gabi to stay with them in the apartment, where she continued trying to seduce Ricardo. Things got complicated when Ricardo and Gabi slept together, and Gabi accused Ricardo of raping her, which led to court. Paula was convinced that Gabi was telling the truth and she left Ricardo. Although Ricardo proved that he didn't rape Gabi, Paula decided to leave town with her mother. On her way to redemption, after realizing that she's being troubled by her past when her father raped her, Gabi decided to spend New Year's Eve on a mysterious islandbought by Ben Evans for Meg Cummings, but a killer was present on the island. She survived. At the time, Gabi was becoming closer with Mark Wolper, a young D.J., but they never got a chance to develop their relationship because Mark was killed off during that storyline. In 1998, Gabi and Ricardo got closer although Ricardo's mother Carmen Torres didn't approve their relationship. Then Gabi met Antonio Torres, Ricardo's brother, a priest. Gabi and Antonio found themselves attracted to each other, but they kept denying the attraction. Antonio and Gabi were in love with each other. Ricardo and Gabi got engaged. Meanwhile, both Gabi, Antonio and Ricardo were involved in a Rosario jewels story. When Gabi and Antonio ended up trapped in an exploding building, they thought they would die and so they gave in to their love for each other and they slept together, and a camera filmed them. The tape of their sexual intercourse was later used by Francesca Vargas to blackmail Antonio and Gabi. When Francesca was killed, Gabi and Antonio were possible suspects, but they actually didn't have anything to do with her murder. At Gabi and Ricardo's wedding, Carmen used the tape of their lovemaking to blackmail Gabi into leaving Ricardo at the altar, but they eventually got married and everything was going fine until Ricardo found the tape and decided to destroy Gabi and Antonio's life. Eventually, Ricardo forgave them and Gabi decided to leave town and find good stuff somewhere else, giving up on her true love Antonio.
