World Traveler Villain-Chapter 234: CH: 231 A Good Deed Ruined

{Chapter: 231 A Good Deed Ruined}

On the dry, yellowed earth, cracked from years without rain, two old chairs sat beneath the pale sunlight. William and Jane occupied them quietly, the desert breeze rustling the dry grass nearby.

"Tom, are you absolutely sure you don't need to go to the hospital?" Jane asked softly, her brow furrowed with concern as she glanced at the bandage on his waist.

William gave a small smile and shook his head. "I'm alright. Really. Don't trouble yourself over me."

Jane studied his face for a moment, as if searching for cracks in his composure. Then she looked down and fiddled with her fingers before asking, "Tom... are you always like this? I mean, are you this nice to everyone? Or am I... special?"

William hesitated slightly, his eyes darting away as if caught off guard by her sudden question.

"Well..." he began, scratching the back of his head.

Jane leaned forward slightly, her tone turning a bit more insistent. "What? What's wrong with that question?"

William looked at her and offered a warm, sincere smile. "Maybe I'm just a little nicer to you than I am to anyone else."

Jane's cheeks flushed slightly, and a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "Really? I feel... flattered."

A moment of silence passed before she added, with a note of suspicion, "Pepper... she seems to really dislike you, Tom. You didn't do anything to her in the past, did you?"

William's expression changed. His smile faded, replaced by a hint of melancholy. "Do you want the truth?"

"Of course," Jane said, her tone turning serious.

William leaned back in his chair, his gaze distant. "She liked someone—a guy named Nito. He was a friend of mine. Things were good between us once. But after his business failed, he fell apart. He lost his drive, his dignity... he started spending recklessly, drowning himself in alcohol and chasing women to numb the pain. He borrowed money from everyone, including me."

Jane listened intently, the warmth from earlier cooling with the gravity of the story.

"I helped him for a while," William continued, "I gave him money more than once. But I couldn't keep enabling him. I wanted him to stand up on his own again. So one day, I refused to lend him any more money. Not long after that... he was killed by loan sharks. They cornered him when he had nothing left."

Jane covered her mouth in shock. "That's... awful."

"Pepper blamed me," William said, his voice low and bitter. "She believed it was my fault. That if I had just given him the money one more time... he would still be alive. She thinks I let him die. Maybe she's right. I had some savings. I could have used my mortgage money to help him... but I didn't. I couldn't. And he paid the price."

"You can't blame yourself for that," Jane said, gently placing a hand on his back. "You tried. You really did. You were just trying to help him become a better version of himself."

William gave a hollow smile. "It still eats away at me. That guilt. That helplessness. After Nito died, I swore something. That from that moment on, I would never hesitate again. I would treat people with sincerity. I would help anyone who truly needed it. No more regrets."

William said without blushing.

"You've done that, Tom," Jane said, her voice soft. "You've already helped me more than I could have ever asked. You kept me safe. You supported me. You selflessly returned my life's work to me, despite enduring a significant injury in the process, without expecting anything in return. You're already living up to that promise."

"Thank you, Jane," William said, looking into her eyes. "It means a lot coming from you."

"And I'm happy to have been helped by you," she replied, holding his gaze.

The two sat there in silence for a long moment, the breeze playing gently with Jane's hair. Their eyes locked, and the air around them grew heavy with unspoken emotion.

"Jane," William said at last, his voice barely above a whisper, "do you... feel something? Like a strange impulse in your heart?"

Jane swallowed, her voice shaky, "Yes... I do. Do you feel it too?"

"Can I... release it?" William leaned in slightly, their faces just inches apart.

Jane's heart pounded in her chest as she mirrored his movement, their lips slowly drawing closer. The world seemed to fall away around them, and the moment stretched out endlessly, the space between them shrinking to a mere breath—less than a whisper.

Plop!

A loud thud echoed suddenly, shattering the silence like a dropped stone in a still pond. Jane flinched and immediately pulled away. A piece of wood had fallen from the roof, and behind it stood Pepper, her arms crossed and her expression unreadable.

"I'm so sorry," she said, her voice tinged with both mock apology and subtle satisfaction. "Did I... interrupt something?"

There was a strange gleam in her eyes, as if she took pleasure in ruining the moment—though deep inside, even she wasn't sure why a bitter sting had taken root in her chest. A nameless irritation in her heart.

"N-No, not at all, haha..." Jane stammered, clearly flustered. "Tom and I... we were just talking. Nothing happened."

"Of course," Pepper said, her tone sharp and faintly amused. "Just talking."

"Just passing by. Don't let me interrupt." Pepper said casually, her tone light, but her eyes gleamed with a subtle satisfaction. Then, without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and walked away.

William and Jane exchanged glances. William chuckled softly and leaned closer to her, lowering his voice. "I think she did that on purpose. She knew exactly what she was doing."

"Y-you think so?" Jane stammered, her voice barely audible. Her cheeks flushed crimson as she looked down, her gaze fixed on the tips of her shoes. Her hands fidgeted in her lap. She wanted to disappear into the ground. In her head, she could only repeat the same words over and over: So embarrassing, so embarrassing, so embarrassing...

William tilted his head, noticing her nervousness. "Jane, are you okay? You look like you're about to pass out."

"No, no! I'm totally fine!" Jane blurted out, her laugh high-pitched and awkward. "Haha... really, it's nothing... haha..."

An awkward silence fell between them like a thick curtain. The moment that had nearly happened was now buried beneath a mixture of embarrassment and confusion. Jane could feel her heart pounding. The longer the silence stretched, the more she felt she had to say something—anything.

Desperate to steer the mood back to normal, she grabbed at the first topic that popped into her mind. "Um... so, uh... do you really think Thor is the God of Thunder? I mean, the actual one?"

William leaned back, allowing the question to take the tension off their shoulders. "It's very likely," he said thoughtfully. "The way he and that hammer showed up together... it doesn't feel like a coincidence. I think they're connected—and not in any ordinary way."

"But... he couldn't even lift the hammer," Jane replied, brows furrowed. "Shouldn't that be proof he's not the real thing?"

William gave a small shrug. "Maybe it's not about strength. Maybe it's about timing—or a change in the heart. I don't think he's a lunatic, Jane. Deep down, I believe he is Thor, even if he hasn't proven it yet."

Jane looked toward the horizon, eyes wide with wonder. "If Thor really is from another world... I'd love to see what those other worlds look like. I wonder if they have skies like ours. Suns. Stars. Do they dream like we do?"

William turned toward her, voice calm and assured. "You'll get the chance one day."

Jane blinked. "Wait, what?"

"I'll take you there," William said with quiet certainty. "To see those other worlds. You'll walk among them. Do you believe me?"

Jane let out a small laugh, but it wasn't mocking. It was warm, filled with a strange trust. "I believe you, because you're not the kind of man who breaks promises. You don't say things you don't mean. Because you are a real man, you will do what you say, you must take me to see other worlds. So yes... I believe you'll take me there one day."

Just then, William turned his head, nodding toward a group approaching in the distance. "Look. They're back."

Jane followed his gaze. "It's Thor! And Eric! Oh, Eric actually pulled it off!" she said joyfully—then paused as her smile faded. "Wait... what happened to Eric?"

Thor was carrying Eric slung over his shoulder. The older man's face was flushed red, and he wore a dopey grin.

"He drank too much," Thor said with a wry smile. "Then he tried to challenge me to another fight."

Eric groaned from Thor's shoulder and muttered drunkenly, "I still don't believe you're the God of Thunder... Let's fight again!"

Jane let out a helpless sigh and shook her head. "Better take him to lie down before he decides to duel a tree or something."

Thor nodded, chuckling, and carried Eric inside to rest.

Jane turned to William, still a little stunned. "I really didn't think they'd be able to bring Thor back. I thought it was too risky."

"They probably didn't act alone," William said casually, his tone a bit too calm.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sure someone was sent to follow him. Monitor him closely. The government types wouldn't just let him go unsupervised."

Jane's face darkened with unease. "That's... not comforting. I don't like that feeling. It's like being watched through a keyhole."

William placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. They're just watching. And they won't find anything... not yet."

A few minutes later, Thor returned, sitting down heavily in front of them. His posture was weary, and his eyes carried a weight far older than his face. "I messed everything up," he muttered. "Everything. I spoke to my brother Loki... He's taken the throne. He told me things I didn't want to hear. I've made so many mistakes. I finally understand why my father cast me out... I was arrogant. Foolish. I thought I knew everything, but I knew nothing."

Jane's expression softened. "Loki?" she echoed. "He's your brother?"

Thor nodded grimly. "I didn't listen to anyone. Not even my father. And now... now I have to live with the consequences. I finally understand why my father exiled me. I really, really don't understand anything."

Jane leaned forward, voice gentle. "Thor, you don't have to do this to yourself."

William's eyes met Thor's, and he smiled slightly. "When you come to understand who you really are... when you know what you truly stand for... then you'll be worthy again. That's when your power will return."

Thor looked at him, intrigued. "What do you mean by that?"

William's eyes narrowed. "Whosoever holds this hammer—if he be worthy—shall possess the power of... Thor."

Thor straightened slightly, eyes narrowing. "Where did you hear that?"

William only smiled. "Does it matter? What matters is... do you deserve it. Are you worthy?"

As he spoke, his thoughts drifted to the hammer, still resting where it had fallen. There was a glimmer of thunderous energy in it, quiet but undeniable—waiting to be awakened. William had a theory: if he is right, then he would at least have the power of thunder in his hands!

Thor stared at him, the weight of those words pressing down on him more heavily than the hammer itself ever could.

*****

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