Chapter 3

Briana's apartment was on the third floor of a walk-up, and it smelled like vanilla candles and cat litter. It was tiny, barely big enough for Briana and her fat orange tabby, Mr. Whiskers, but to Helena, it looked like the Ritz.

"Get in here," Briana said, grabbing one of Helena's suitcases and hauling it inside. "You look like you haven't slept in a week."

"I haven't," Helena admitted, stepping over the threshold.

Leo spotted Mr. Whiskers immediately. "Kitty!" he shrieked, chasing the poor cat under the coffee table.

"Let him get used to you, Leo," Helena said, but she couldn't help but smile at the sight. For the first time in months, Leo looked happy. Not anxious. Not walking on eggshells. Just a normal kid chasing a cat.

Briana closed the door and immediately pulled Helena into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry, Hel. I got your voicemail this morning. I was dead to the world. Tell me everything."

Helena sank onto the worn sofa, the exhaustion hitting her all at once. Briana handed her a cup of hot tea, and the warmth seeping into her frozen fingers was enough to crack the dam.

The words poured out. The date with Richard, the assault, the arrest, the police station. And then, the worst part. Keven.

Briana listened, her face cycling through anger, shock, and finally, outrage. "That son of a bitch," she hissed when Helena finished. "Who does he think he is? Bailing you out just to throw it in your face?"

"He thinks he's Keven Armstrong," Helena said bitterly. "CEO of Nexus Dynamics. King of the world."

"How did he even know you were there?" Briana asked, frowning.

Helena rubbed her temples. "The police couldn't reach me or my parents, so they ran my name. Found out I used to be married to him and called his company's legal team. I've been so careful about everything else, but I never thought my own past would be used against me like that."

Briana's frown deepened. She sat down next to Helena, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Hel... did he see anything? In your wallet? On your phone? Pictures of Leo?"

Helena's blood ran cold. The tea cup rattled against the saucer. She shook her head vigorously. "No. No, I had my phone locked. And my wallet only had my ID and a few receipts. He didn't see Leo."

"Are you sure?" Briana pressed. "Because if he saw a picture, if he put two and two together..."

"I'm sure," Helena said, but her voice trembled. She looked over at Leo, who was now gently petting Mr. Whiskers, completely oblivious to the storm brewing around him.

She grabbed Briana's hand, her grip tight enough to leave marks. "Bri, you have to promise me. You can never tell anyone. Keven can never know Leo exists."

Briana looked at her, confusion in her eyes. "I promised, Hel. But I still don't understand why you're so scared. He's a jerk, sure, but he's also rich. Wouldn't child support help?"

"You don't get it," Helena said, her voice raw. "You didn't see him last night. He's not just rich, Bri. He's powerful. He has lawyers on retainer who probably bill more in an hour than I make in a month. And he hates me."

She took a shaky breath. "If he finds out Leo is his son, he won't just ask for child support. He'll fight for custody. Full custody. And he'll win."

"Helena, the courts wouldn't just take your baby-"

"They would if he painted me as an unstable, gold-digging criminal," Helena cut in, the words tasting like acid. "I was just arrested, Bri. I have no job, no home, no money. I'm living off my friend's charity. In a judge's eyes, Keven can give Leo the world. I can't give him anything."

Briana was quiet for a long moment, the weight of the truth settling over them. "Okay," she said softly. "I get it. Your secret is safe. But, Hel... what are you going to do? You can't hide here forever."

Helena let go of Briana's hand and reached for her purse. She pulled out her phone, swiping through her emails until she found the one she had been ignoring all morning.

"Actually," Helena said, a tiny spark of hope flickering in her chest, "I might have a way out."

She handed the phone to Briana. "I got an interview. Tomorrow morning."

Briana read the screen, her eyes widening. "Apex Solutions? Financial Assistant? Helena, that's huge! The pay is amazing. And look at the benefits! Full medical, dental, vision..."

"I know," Helena said, a small, genuine smile finally touching her lips. "If I can get this job, I can afford a small place. I can afford daycare. I can give Leo a real home."

She looked at her son, her heart swelling with a fierce, protective love. "I have to get this job, Bri. It's the only way."

"Then you'll get it," Briana said firmly. "We'll practice tonight. You're going to walk in there tomorrow and blow them out of the water."

Helena nodded, the determination settling deep in her bones. She had hit rock bottom. She had been humiliated, rejected, and arrested. But she was still standing. And for Leo, she would fight with everything she had.