Nights always came early in Greystone, especially in the late fall. The street lamps on the streets were lit up one by one, and the dim glow of the light showered on the stone road, as if putting a thin veil over the town. Ethan walked home alone, his hands in his pockets, his steps slow and heavy. His thoughts still lingered on the conversation in the café, and the look in Allison's eyes was like a sharp knife, deeply engraved in his memory.
He knew that Alison had come back for more than Sarah's funeral. Her vengeance was like a burning flame that would sooner or later consume the entire town of Greystone. Ethan didn't want to see her destroyed by hate, but he also knew there was nothing he could do to stop her.
"Ethan," came a familiar voice from behind him.
He stopped in his tracks and turned to see Allison standing under a streetlight not far away, her silhouette elongated by the light, the expression on her face blurred.
"What are you doing here?" Ethan asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.
Allison took a few steps closer and looked right at him. "I need your help, Ethan."
Ethan was silent for a moment, then finally nodded. "Let's find a place to talk."
The two of them walked into a small bar, the lights dimmed and the smell of tobacco and alcohol filled the air. They sat down in the corner and Ethan ordered two beers and pushed one of them in front of Allison.
"Go ahead, what do you want to know?" he asked, his voice calm and gentle.
Allison held her glass, her fingertips brushing against the wall. "You know about what happened between Sarah and Jackson, don't you?"
Ethan's eyes flickered for a moment, but quickly regained their composure. "I know some, but not much. Sarah and Jackson ... have a complicated relationship."
"Complicated?" Allison sneered. "Are you saying that Jackson used her and then abandoned her?"
Ethan sighed, a note of helplessness in his voice. "It's not as simple as you think, Allison. Jackson ... isn't exactly a cold, heartless man. There may have been feelings between him and Sarah."
"Feelings?" Allison's voice rose a few notches, drawing a few curious glances from around the room. She lowered her voice and continued, "If there really was affection, why did he let her die?"
Ethan was silent for a moment, a struggle filling his gaze. "I don't know, Allison. But I can tell you that Jackson is not the man you think he is. He has his pain, and he has his helplessness."
Allison stared at him for a few seconds, suspicion in her eyes. "Why are you defending him? He's your friend, isn't he?"
Ethan nodded, his voice low and firm. "Yes, he's my friend. But I care about you too, Allison. I don't want to see you blinded by hate."
Allison sneered and drained her glass of beer. "Hate? Ethan, you don't understand. Sarah was my only sister, and she's dead. Do you think I can just let it go?"
Ethan looked at her, his eyes filled with pity and helplessness. "I know, Allison. I've lost important people too. But revenge doesn't bring redemption, it just leads you deeper into the darkness."
Allison didn't respond, just stood up and looked at him with an icy gaze. "If you're not willing to help me, then get out of my way."
She turned on her heel and left the bar, leaving Ethan sitting there with a sense of powerlessness in his heart. He knew that Allison had made up her mind, and that this revenge would inevitably involve them all.
Walking out of the bar, Allison took a deep breath of the cold night air to try and calm her nerves. Her eyes fell on the gray stone manor in the distance, the mansion looking eerie in the night. She knew that she had to find more evidence, and that this path was destined to be dangerous.
"Just wait, Jackson," she whispered, a cold determination in her voice. "I'm going to expose your cover and I'm going to find the truth."
The wind blew again, taking away her words, but not the hatred in her heart. The fog in Greystone is still thick, and Alison's road to revenge has just begun.