Ethan sat at the kitchen table, staring at the stack of financial documents spread before him. The numbers didn't lie: Chase's business was teetering on the edge of collapse. Despite his initial anger at Chase's deception, a sense of unease crept into Ethan's thoughts. How had his old friend fallen so far? And why had he come to him for help now, after everything? Ethan's mind churned as he sipped his coffee, trying to piece together what Chase's true intentions could be.
Lila entered the room, her presence breaking the heavy silence. She was carrying a book but paused when she saw the expression on Ethan's face. Setting the book aside, she walked over and leaned against the counter, watching him.
"You've been brooding over those papers for hours," she said lightly, though her sharp gaze betrayed her concern. "Are you planning to stare at them until they magically solve themselves?"
Ethan huffed a laugh despite himself, shaking his head. "I'm trying to figure out what Chase really wants. He says he needs my help, but the way he's gone about it... it doesn't add up. He didn't tell me about the state of his business, Lila. He was going to let me walk into this blind."
Lila nodded, her lips pressing into a thoughtful line. "So what's your next move? Are you going to confront him?"
"I have to," Ethan replied firmly. "I need to hear it straight from him. If he's hiding anything else, I want to know."
"Good," Lila said. "But don't just confront him in a fit of anger. Keep your cool. If you're calm and in control, he'll reveal more than he intends."
Ethan gave her a small smile. "You're annoyingly good at this, you know?"
"It's a gift," she said with a shrug, a playful glint in her eyes.
Later that afternoon, Ethan arranged to meet Chase at a downtown coffee shop. The bustling noise of the café gave him a sense of anonymity and comfort—it wasn't the kind of place where emotions could easily spiral out of control. When Chase arrived, his usual confident grin was plastered on his face, as though he didn't have a care in the world.
"Ethan!" Chase greeted warmly, sliding into the seat across from him. "Glad you could make it. How've you been?"
Ethan didn't bother with pleasantries. "We need to talk, Chase. And I'm not here for small talk."
Chase blinked, caught off guard by Ethan's tone. "Uh, okay. What's this about?"
Ethan reached into his bag and pulled out the folder of documents. He dropped it on the table between them, the papers spilling slightly from the sides. Chase's smile faltered as he opened the folder and started flipping through the pages.
"These are your company's financial records," Ethan said flatly. "I know your business is falling apart, Chase. What I don't understand is why you came to me for help without telling me the truth."
Chase looked up, his face pale. "Where did you get this?"
"That's not important," Ethan said sharply. "What matters is that you're hiding the state of your business from me. Were you planning to use me as some kind of lifeline?"
Chase leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. For the first time since Ethan had known him, he looked genuinely uncertain. "It's not like that, Ethan. I wasn't trying to trick you. I just didn't want to scare you off before I could explain."
Ethan's brow furrowed. "Explain what?"
Chase leaned forward, lowering his voice. "I made some bad investments. Took risks I shouldn't have. Things got out of hand, and now I'm in a hole I can't climb out of. But if we work together, I think we can turn things around."
Ethan scoffed, his frustration bubbling over. "Work together? Like we did last time? You left me to take the fall for your mistakes, Chase. You nearly ruined me."
"I know!" Chase said quickly, his voice rising slightly before he lowered it again. "I know I screwed up back then, Ethan. I've regretted it every day. But this is different. I'm not asking you to clean up my mess. I'm asking you to help me fix it."
Ethan studied Chase, his emotions warring within him. Part of him wanted to walk away, to let Chase deal with the consequences of his own actions. But another part of him—the part that remembered the good times they'd shared before everything went wrong—hesitated.
"You want my help?" Ethan said finally, his voice cold. "Then prove I can trust you. Until then, don't expect anything from me."
Chase nodded slowly, as though he'd expected that response. "Fair enough. Just... think about it, okay? I really want to make things right."
Ethan didn't respond. He simply stood, leaving Chase alone at the table.
When Ethan returned to the apartment, Lila was waiting for him, curled up on the couch with her laptop. She looked up as he walked in, immediately noting the tension in his shoulders.
"Well?" she asked, closing her laptop and setting it aside.
"He admitted everything," Ethan said, sinking onto the couch beside her. "Said he needs my help to save his business."
"And what do you think?" Lila asked, her tone neutral.
"I don't know," Ethan admitted. "He sounded sincere, but he's good at that. I'm not ready to trust him."
"Good," Lila said firmly. "You shouldn't trust him—not yet, at least. If you're going to help him, you need to protect yourself first. Contracts, clear conditions, and no room for him to twist things."
Ethan nodded, her words giving him a sense of clarity. "You're right. I'll draft a plan, run it by a lawyer. If Chase agrees to my terms, maybe I'll consider it. If not, I'm walking away."
"That's the smartest thing you've said all day," Lila said with a small smile.
For the first time in a long time, Ethan felt like he was taking control of his life. With Lila's advice and support, he was ready to face whatever came next.