Ethan’s pulse quickened. “She looked upset, you mean?” The manager nodded slowly, thinking. “Yes, perhaps. She never said why. I didn’t want to pry—she struck me as private. But it was clear they mattered to her. She’d always visit them before coming here.” The uncertainty in his voice gnawed at Ethan.
As far as Ethan knew, Lina had no family—none alive, at least. So who was this person? Why the secrecy? What kind of hold did they have over her? His mind began weaving dangerous possibilities: debt, blackmail, threats,… It could be something that could have driven her away…or taken her.