She sat stiffly, her hands clutched around a mug of tea as if drawing warmth from it. For a long mont, she didn’t speak, her gaze fixed on the steam rising from her cup.
"I’m sorry, Etienne. It’s just... it’s not a very happy story. I wouldn’t want to ruin your dinner with the complaints of a tired woman," said Helen.
"I’ve seen enough of the world to know that the best stories are rarely happy ones. Sotis, sharing the weight makes it easier to carry. I’m a good listener," said Ethan.
He spoke with a gentle, disarming gravity. He looked like the perfect confidant—attentive, non-judgntal, and entirely safe. Helen looked at him, searching his athyst eyes for any sign of mockery, but she found only a calm, steady interest. She let out a long, shaky breath, her shoulders finally dropping.
"I wasn’t always like this. I had a life... a beautiful life. My husband was a powerful man, a provider. He made sure we never wanted for anything. But then, the accusations started. They dragged his na through the mud, calling him a criminal, a monster. They frad him, Etienne. I know they did," said Helen.
"It’s a common tactic for those in power. To destroy a man, they first destroy his reputation. What happened to him?" said Ethan.
"The federal governnt... they moved in like vultures. They arrested Vincent, and before I could even process what was happening, they froze everything. He had left bank accounts, safety nets for the family, but the Departnt of Justice seized it all. They called it ’ill-gotten gains.’ They left with nothing but the clothes on my back," said Helen.
Her voice cracked, and she took a quick sip of her tea to steady herself.
"And then they ca for my son, Lucas. He was just a boy, caught in the crossfire of his father’s enemies. I tried to fight. I spent every cent I could hide on lawyers, begging anyone to help. But the mont they saw my accounts were empty, they turned their backs. One lawyer told to my face that my husband had ’too much shit on his shoes’ for anyone in the federal system to touch him. No one wanted to win a case for a woman with no money," said Helen.
"So you lost the house as well?" said Ethan.
"The mansion, the cars, the jewelry—everything was auctioned off or confiscated. I was a pariah. I had nowhere else to go, so I ca back here. My parents owned this inn; it was my only sanctuary. But they passed away shortly after I arrived, leaving with this old building and a mountain of debt. Now, I’m just... here. Alone. Working until I can’t stand, just to keep the lights on in a town that doesn’t care if I live or die," said Helen.
She looked up at him, a single tear finally escaping and tracing a path through the dust on her cheek.
"Sotis I wonder if it wouldn’t have been better if the governnt had just taken too. At least I wouldn’t have to rember what I lost," said Helen.
Ethan reached across the table, his fingers lightly brushing her hand. It was a gesture of supre comfort, yet his touch felt like cold silk. Inside, he was savoring every word. To hear the wife of the man who murdered his parents weep over the loss of her "dignity" and "rightful wealth" was a form of nectar he hadn’t expected to taste so soon.
"You’re a survivor, Helen. Most people would have broken long ago. The fact that you’re still standing, still running this place... it shows a strength that many would envy. Perhaps your luck is finally starting to change," said Ethan.
Helen looked at his hand on hers, a flicker of hope—dangerous and fragile—igniting in her eyes.
"You really think so?" said Helen.
"I know so. Sotis the world takes everything away just to see who is worthy of receiving sothing better," said Ethan.
Ethan didn’t pull his hand away; instead, he let his thumb graze the back of her knuckles in a slow, comforting rhythm. He watched her intently, his gaze soft yet heavy with a simulated empathy that made Helen’s heart hamr against her ribs.
"It’s a heavy burden for one woman to carry, Helen. Especially soone who was clearly ant for a life of much more... refinent," said Ethan.
Helen looked down at their hands, her face flushing. It had been months since a man had looked at her as sothing other than a broken relic or a target for harassnt.
"I’ve learned to live with the weight. I don’t have a choice. But so nights, like tonight, it just feels like the walls are closing in," said Helen.
Ethan took a slow sip of his lemonade, looking thoughtful. He leaned back slightly, creating a comfortable space between them, making sure not to seem too eager.
"You ntioned they were taken to a federal facility. Do you know where they are being held now?" said Ethan.
"Last I heard, they were transferred to a high-security wing in Massachusetts. It’s a world away from here. I can’t even afford the flight to visit, let alone the legal fees to reopen a file," said Helen.
"Massachusetts... that’s a strange coincidence. I have so business interests in that area. I know a few people who move in those legal and administrative circles. People who know how to look into files that are supposedly ’sealed,’" said Ethan.
Helen froze, her breath catching in her throat. She looked at him with a mixture of desperate hope and sudden suspicion.
"Why would you tell that? You barely know , Etienne. Why would a traveler like you care about the problems of a disgraced widow?" said Helen.
Ethan offered a small, crooked smile, the kind that spoke of a shared secret. He didn’t lean in; he stayed perfectly composed, letting the offer hang in the air like a gift she had to reach for.
"Call it a whim. Or perhaps I just dislike seeing injustice go unchallenged. I’m not promising a miracle, Helen—the federal governnt is a titan, after all. But I could have my people look into the case. Just to see if there were truly ’inconsistencies’ in the evidence. It wouldn’t cost you a di, and we lose nothing by asking the right questions," said Ethan.
"I... I don’t know what to say. I don’t have anything to give you in return," said Helen.
"I’m not asking for anything, Helen. Seeing a bit of light return to your eyes would be paynt enough. It’s rare to find soone with your grace in such a desolate place. Consider it a gesture of friendship," said Ethan.
He spoke the words with such silk-spun sweetness that Helen felt her remaining defenses simply dissolve. She wanted to believe him. She needed to believe that after months of darkness, a knight had finally wandered into her lonely inn.
"If you could even find out if they are healthy... if they are okay... that would be more than anyone else has done for in three months," said Helen.
"I’ll make a few calls tomorrow. I can’t promise the world, but I can promise you won’t be fighting this alone anymore," said Ethan.
He squeezed her hand one last ti before finally letting go, giving her space to breathe, though he knew he already had the noose exactly where he wanted it.
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