42 A choice to be made

Ellen walked briskly through the streets, trying to find a refuge where she could calm her tumultuous thoughts. Each step she took distanced her a little further from the explosion of emotions that had occurred inside the building. She needed space to think, breathe, and understand what was happening.

As she sat on a bench near a park, her phone rang. Ellen read the message from her friend Sarah. "Friend, are you okay? If you have some free time, I'm eating at our favorite restaurant, can you come?"

Ellen took a deep breath, wiping away the tears that had rolled down her cheeks, and replied to her friend, "Yes, I'm on my way. "

It's not far.

Ellen called a taxi, and soon she would be with her friend, ready to confide in her about everything she needed.

Meanwhile, inside the building, Paul and Phill remained at an impasse, both consumed by anger and frustration. Paul felt his chest tighten, Phill's words echoing in his mind. He wanted to understand what was happening with Ellen and resolve the situation somehow. However, Phill wasn't willing to give up on Ellen easily, and his desire to have her only grew stronger.

Paul finally broke the tense silence. "We need to talk, Phill. I want to know why you're interested in Ellen, why her?" Paul yelled, approaching his brother. But Phill backed away, responding, "I've always found her interesting, but only today could I show her with actions what I feel. And you, why do you think Ellen is yours? It's clear that she's not."

Phill had no idea that Ellen and Paul had been seeing each other secretly, desiring each other and giving in to passion on many nights. Even though Ellen didn't affirm they were together, in Paul's mind, she already belonged to him.

"I won't argue with you, brother, but don't you dare touch Ellen again; this is my last warning," Paul threatened his brother, heading to his apartment in a hurry.

As for Phill, he didn't understand what was really happening, but he wasn't ready to give up on Ellen.

Upon entering his apartment, furious about what had occurred, Petro decided to call his brothers since he had already finished work and wanted to grab a snack, but they didn't answer his call.

Petro then decided to send them a message. 'Hey, what are you guys up to? Can we talk?'

Paul and Phill responded to him. 'No, I'm busy.' They gave the same excuse, and Petro found it strange. He was so tired that he decided not to go to their apartment. But the next day, he would find out why his brothers were acting that way.

The fate of Ellen, Paul, and Phill was intertwined, and the next step would be determined by Ellen's choices when she was finally ready to speak.