Chapter 3 - The Secret Kept Too LongOver the next two months, Ethan’s "experiment" quietly morphed into his entire life.
He kept the faded jacket, the scuffed work boots, and the twenty-dollar daily limit. Every afternoon at 2:00 p.m., he walked down to Brooks Street Kitchen. At first, Hannah just gave him odd jobs—chopping onions, hauling water jugs, wiping down the counter. But soon, he became her permanent fixture.
They talked about everything: books, childhood memories, lost dreams, and the simple absurdity of life.
And somewhere between the sizzling flat-top grill and the cold autumn evenings, Ethan fell completely, recklessly in love.
He loved the way she hummed when she cooked. He loved how she laughed until her eyes crinkled. He loved that she didn't care about his past, because as far as she knew, he was just a quiet, down-on-his-luck guy trying to rebuild his life.
He knew he had to tell her the truth.
He couldn't build a real relationship on a lie. He planned to take her to a quiet, high-end restaurant on a Friday night—drop the disguise, show her his real world, and ask her to start a future with him where money was never a worry again.
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He even booked a private table at the city’s finest rooftop restaurant.
It was a disaster waiting to happen, and he walked right into it.
