Chapter 6 Between the lines

Chapter 6:- Between the lines

The next morning, Ethan sat in the boardroom, trying to focus on the meeting, but his mind kept drifting back to the cafe and Sophie. That strange tension between her and Greg still gnawed at him. Larry's voice filled the room as he led the conversation, but Ethan was only half-listening. Something was wrong, and it was about more than just Greg's appearance.

Suddenly, Ethan snapped back to reality when Larry called his name.

"Ethan, you got any insights on the merger?"

Ethan blinked. He hadn't been paying attention to a word Larry had said, but he couldn't let that show. "Uh, yeah," he said quickly, "We should definitely go over the financials more carefully before moving forward."

Larry squinted at him for a moment but nodded. "Good call. We'll have a more detailed report by next week."

As the meeting droned on, Ethan's thoughts kept slipping back to Sophie. She hadn't come back to the café after her shift, and her sudden request for time off was nagging at him. There had to be more going on than just "family stuff."

After the meeting wrapped up, Ethan stood and approached Larry, who was gathering his notes. Larry raised an eyebrow when he noticed Ethan hovering. "What's up?"

Ethan hesitated for a second. Larry had known him for years-both in business and outside of it-but he wasn't used to bringing personal matters into the office. Still, this was important.

"Do you know anyone who's good at... finding out things?" Ethan asked, keeping his voice low.

Larry looked confused at first. "Finding out things? Like what?"

"Like... someone's background. Discreetly." Ethan didn't want to give too much away. He wasn't even sure how much Larry needed to know.

Larry straightened up, curiosity piqued. "Depends on what you're asking about, but I've got some contacts. What's going on?"

Ethan looked around, making sure no one was within earshot. "There's this girl at the café. Something's off. I think she's in trouble, but I can't figure out what."

Larry raised an eyebrow, a smirk creeping onto his face. "Oh, I see. You're worried about a girl? Ethan, since when do you care about someone outside of work? Are you sure you're not developing a crush?"

Ethan felt his cheeks heat up, annoyed at how easily Larry could read him. "This isn't about that, Larry. I just want to help her."

"Uh-huh," Larry teased, leaning back in his chair. "Help her or help yourself? You know, the hero complex is a well-documented phenomenon."

"Very funny," Ethan shot back, trying to keep a straight face. "This is serious."

Larry held up his hands, pretending to surrender. "Alright, alright. I'll help you play detective. But you owe me a drink later for this."

"Deal," Ethan said, relieved. He knew he could count on Larry to keep things discreet.

---

Later that afternoon, Ethan clocked in for his shift at the café, covering for Sophie again. His mind kept wandering back to what Larry might find and how much Sophie was really hiding. She hadn't shared much about her life outside of work, but now that Greg had shown up, Ethan felt like there were layers to her story that she wasn't ready to tell.

As he wiped down tables, the doorbell chimed, and a few regulars walked in. The usual chatter filled the café, but Ethan's attention was split, always glancing at the door in case Sophie or Greg appeared.

Mid-shift, his phone buzzed in his pocket. It was a message from Larry.

Larry: I asked around. We need to talk.

Ethan's pulse quickened. He quickly texted back.

Ethan: Meet me after my shift?

Larry: Done.

---

After his shift, Ethan met Larry at a quiet bar not far from the office. The place was dimly lit, with soft music playing in the background. Larry was already there, sitting at a corner table with a drink in hand. When Ethan sat down, Larry leaned in, his expression serious.

"So, I asked my contact to look into Sophie," Larry began. "It didn't take long to find something. Apparently, she's been under a lot of pressure because of her family situation."

Ethan frowned. "What kind of pressure?"

"Her grandmother is sick. Really sick. From what I gathered, Sophie's been the one taking care of her, but there's more. She's also got some financial issues piling up. Debts. And the guy who came into the café? Greg? He's not just an ex. He's tied to some of those debts."

Ethan leaned back in his chair, absorbing the information. That explained a lot-why Sophie had been so tense, why she needed to work extra shifts, and why Greg seemed like such a looming figure in her life.

Larry continued, "I don't know all the details yet, but it sounds like Sophie's family wasn't much help either. She's been carrying a lot on her shoulders."

Ethan clenched his jaw. No wonder Sophie was so guarded. She had been dealing with all of this alone, and Greg's sudden reappearance was only making things worse.

"What do you want to do about it?" Larry asked.

Ethan thought for a moment. He couldn't just sit back and let Sophie deal with this mess on her own. But he also knew that he had to be careful. If Greg was involved in something shady, Ethan couldn't just confront him head-on-not without understanding the full picture first.

"I need to help her," Ethan said finally. "But I don't know how yet."

Larry nodded. "Just be careful. You don't know what kind of trouble Greg could bring."

Ethan sighed. "Yeah, I know."

As they finished their drinks, Ethan couldn't shake the feeling that he was getting pulled deeper into something far more complicated than he had anticipated. But one thing was clear: Sophie needed help, and he wasn't going to stand by while she faced this alone.