Ethan handed his phone over to Noah immediately after speaking.
"Noah, talk to Khloe," he said. "If you consider her and Nick your friends, you should at least hear a friend's advice."
His words left both Khloe on the line and Noah beside her momentarily speechless.
"Noah?" Khloe called out, realizing he was there.
"Mm," Noah replied, taking Ethan's phone as he stepped out of the car.
Ethan stayed behind, watching Noah walk a short distance away to speak with Khloe. Inside, his chest felt as if it were being split in two.
He could probably guess what Khloe would say. She cared about Charlotte, so naturally, she wouldn't want the two of them to hurt each other. But with Khloe's pragmatic style, even if she had a personal preference, she would weigh the pros and cons.
Her solution would almost certainly align with Ethan's own thinking.
And indeed, it did.
Khloe, now happily married and emotionally secure, would never want Charlotte to be upset. Moreover, Noah had saved both her and Nick—if he and Charlotte could be happy together, she would gladly support it.
Yet the shadow of Lacuna, and the debts Noah carried from his past, would always be ticking time bombs over their peaceful lives.
Having experienced such things, Khloe could understand Noah's hesitation.
Ultimately, she suggested that Noah assume a new identity to start fresh. If the old one posed problems, a new identity could solve them. And with friends like them in Goldmont City, even if Lacuna's people found Noah, they wouldn't necessarily reach him.
Khloe had proposed this before. She had even mapped out the new identity in detail for Noah. But he had refused—and nothing had changed since.
Still, she encouraged him to reconsider, assuring him that there was no need to fear extreme, malicious forces. They were friends; no one would endanger the others. Even if Noah left, would Lacuna's reach not still affect them?

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