Chapitre 43: Chapter 43: Meeting Again
A week after his release, Cole received an unexpected visitor—Helen. She had been his lawyer, the one who had fought to get him out of juvenile detention, but she had become more than that over time. She had become a mentor of sorts, someone Cole looked up to even though they came from completely different worlds.
When she showed up at the small apartment Cole had rented, he was surprised, but he welcomed her inside.
"You settling in?" Helen asked, glancing around the modest space.
Cole shrugged. "Getting there."
Helen smiled, but there was a serious look in her eyes that told Cole she hadn't come just to check in. She had something on her mind.
"What's going on?" Cole asked, leaning against the kitchen counter.
Helen hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "I wanted to talk to you about your future, Cole. I know you've been through a lot, but you can't stay stuck in limbo forever."
Cole frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, you're free now," Helen said, her voice gentle but firm. "You have a chance to start over, to build a life for yourself. But if you don't take that chance, you're going to end up right back where you started."
Cole clenched his fists, her words hitting him harder than he expected. "I'm not going back."
Helen nodded, her eyes filled with understanding. "I know. But you need to figure out what you're going to do next. The streets… they'll pull you under if you're not careful."
Cole let out a long breath, his mind racing. He knew she was right. The streets had always been a part of his life, but they didn't have to define him. He had a chance now—something he had fought for—and he couldn't let it slip away.
"I've been thinking about fighting again," Cole admitted, his voice low.
Helen raised an eyebrow. "The Crucible?"
Cole nodded, his heart pounding in his chest. "Yeah. But I don't want to do it on anyone else's terms. If I go back to fighting, it's going to be my way. No deals, no underground fights, just me."
Helen studied him for a moment, then smiled softly. "If anyone can make it, Cole, it's you. But just remember—fighting isn't everything. You've got people who care about you. Don't shut them out."
Cole met her gaze, his chest tightening with emotion. "I won't."
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État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone