The apartment was unusually quiet the following morning. Ethan sat at the kitchen table with a steaming cup of coffee, his mind still on the encounter with Chase. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the feeling that something about the meeting was off. Lila wandered in, her hair in a loose bun and a book tucked under her arm.
"You've been brooding since yesterday," she observed, pouring herself a cup of tea.
"I'm not brooding," Ethan replied defensively.
Lila gave him a look that said otherwise. "If you're going to overthink everything, at least make it productive." She sat down across from him. "Tell me what's really bothering you."
Ethan hesitated. Lila was sharp, but he wasn't sure how much he wanted to unload. Still, he had to admit she'd been a surprisingly good sounding board so far.
"It's Chase," he said finally. "Something doesn't add up. He's suddenly back, claiming he's changed and wants to make amends, but..."
"You don't believe him," Lila finished.
Ethan nodded. "Exactly. But then again, what if he's telling the truth? What if this is my chance to fix things with him?"
Lila sipped her tea thoughtfully. "You said he betrayed you, right? Left you in a bad place?"
"Yeah," Ethan said, his voice tightening. "He used me, then threw me under the bus when everything fell apart. It took me years to recover."
"Then you have every reason to be cautious," Lila said, her tone matter-of-fact. "People like him don't just show up out of nowhere without a reason. Maybe he's changed, but maybe he hasn't. Either way, you're not obligated to trust him right away."
Ethan frowned, appreciating her logic but still feeling conflicted. "So what do I do? Walk away?"
Lila shook her head. "Not necessarily. Just be smart. Gather information. If Chase is hiding something, it'll surface eventually."
That afternoon, Ethan received an unexpected package in the mail. A plain envelope with no return address, it was wedged among the usual bills and advertisements. Curious, he tore it open and found a single sheet of paper inside.
The note was handwritten in a familiar script:
"Ethan,
I know Chase has reached out to you. Be careful. He hasn't told you everything. If you want the truth, meet me at 5th and Clover tonight at 8 PM. Come alone.
—A Friend"
Ethan stared at the note, his heart pounding. The handwriting looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place it. The warning only deepened his suspicion.
Lila walked in, spotting the note in his hand. "What's that?"
Ethan handed it to her without a word. She read it quickly, her brow furrowing.
"Well, that's cryptic," she said, handing it back. "Are you going to go?"
"I don't know," Ethan admitted. "It could be a trap."
"Or it could be someone trying to help you," Lila countered.
Ethan leaned against the counter, his mind racing. "What would you do?"
Lila crossed her arms, considering. "If it were me, I'd go. But I'd make sure I was prepared for anything."
"Prepared how?"
"For starters, don't go alone," she said. "I'll come with you."
Ethan blinked at her. "You'd do that?"
"Of course," she said with a smirk. "What kind of wife would I be if I let you walk into a potentially dangerous situation alon
As the clock approached 8 PM, Ethan and Lila arrived at the corner of 5th and Clover. The area was quiet, a mix of old warehouses and abandoned storefronts. A single streetlamp cast a dim glow over the intersection.
"Great place for a murder," Lila muttered, scanning their surroundings.
"Thanks for the reassurance," Ethan replied dryly.
They waited in silence until a figure emerged from the shadows. A man in his late thirties, dressed in a trench coat and a hat pulled low over his face, approached them cautiously.
"Ethan?" the man said, his voice low.
"That depends," Ethan said. "Who are you?"
The man glanced at Lila, then back at Ethan. "I'm someone who used to work with Chase. Let's just say I know how he operates."
Ethan stepped closer, his skepticism clear. "Why are you here?"
"To warn you," the man said, his tone serious. "Chase isn't what he seems. He's in trouble, and he's looking for someone to take the fall again."
Ethan's jaw tightened. "What kind of trouble?"
"Financial trouble," the man said. "He's overleveraged on his new project and bleeding money. He's desperate to bring in investors to bail him out, and he's banking on you to vouch for him."
Lila interjected, her tone sharp. "Why should we believe you? You could be making this up."
The man reached into his coat and pulled out a folder, handing it to Ethan. "Here. These are copies of Chase's recent financial records. See for yourself."
Ethan opened the folder and scanned the documents. The numbers didn't lie—Chase's business was on the verge of collapse.
"Why are you telling me this?" Ethan asked, his voice tinged with suspicion.
"Because I've seen what Chase does to people who trust him," the man said. "I don't want to see it happen again."
Ethan looked at Lila, who nodded slightly. "We'll think about it," he said finally.
The man tipped his hat and disappeared into the shadows, leaving them alone under the flickering streetlamp.
Back at the apartment, Ethan spread the documents on the coffee table. Lila sat beside him, scanning them with a critical eye.
"Looks like our mystery man was telling the truth," she said, pointing to a particularly damning line item. "Chase is drowning in debt."
Ethan rubbed his temples, frustration bubbling to the surface. "I knew something felt off, but I didn't want to believe it."
Lila placed a hand on his shoulder, her touch grounding him. "Now you know. The question is, what are you going to do about it?"
Ethan stared at the documents, his resolve hardening. "I'm not going to let him drag me down again. If Chase wants a second chance, he's going to have to face the truth first."
Lila smiled faintly. "Good. Because you deserve better."
For the first time, Ethan felt like he had the upper hand. And with Lila by his side, he was ready to face whatever came next.