Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

Richard tracked me down again, and this time he brought up Victor. He plopped down across from me, legs crossed.

"Look," Richard started, "I didn't want to come, but Dad said I should learn the ropes from you. So, you gotta give me a general manager spot, right? I mean, I'm your stepbrother. If you're too tough on me, what will people think?" Since he was eyeing the general manager position, I figured, why not let him give it a shot? If he was willing to turn over a new leaf, I was game to mentor him.

For this year's company annual meeting, we took the employees' suggestions and decided on a resort with hot springs.

I invited Emily and Faye, and thought about inviting Bella and Zachary too. I figured it was a good chance to get to know Zachary better.

The cops had always suspected Zachary was mixed up in a drug trafficking ring.

But Zachary was a tough nut to crack, always keeping his true self hidden. His casual conversations were actually pretty guarded, making it hard to get any real info out of him.

Out of the blue, Emily and Faye got into a spat by the cliff when Emily went to bring her some barbecue.

I was worried about Emily. Even though she was older than Faye, she was more naive and too kind-hearted. So Bella and I rushed over and saw Faye trying to jump off the cliff, but Bella managed to pull her back just in time. I comforted Faye and took her back to her room.

Knowing Emily might be feeling uneasy, I picked out a swimsuit and asked a waiter to call her to the hot spring pool. I heard soaking in a hot spring could help release negative emotions; I hoped it was true.

Emily took forever to change in the dressing room, and when I knocked and went in, I couldn't take my eyes off her. She must've had a lot to drink; her breath reeked of alcohol, and her skin was flushed, looking incredibly tempting. Desire surged through me.

A few days later, Victor invited Emily and me to dinner again. Not wanting to turn him down every time, I felt a bit awkward. But to my surprise, Emily accepted.

Her understanding made me feel guilty all over again. I thought, 'Considering what Victor did to her family, how could he deserve her kindness and understanding?'

During dinner, Linda showed up late, looking sickly. As soon as she sat down, she started nagging, saying that I had given the land to Faris, which had made her worry sick. When Richard heard about it, he had a strong reaction, even shocking Linda.

"Come on! You're just sick because of the cold weather and catching a cold; it has nothing to do with that damn land." Richard snapped.

Richard's outburst embarrassed and upset Linda, her face turning red.Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

"Richard, how can you talk to me like that?" Linda said, feeling wronged.

Furious, Richard got up and left.

"Richard, where are you going?" Linda called after him, but he didn't look back.

Victor sighed, "Richard has such a bad temper; you should really do something about it."

I had no appetite for the meal, and sitting there any longer felt pointless. Just then, I got a call from Faye's agent, saying she was emotionally unstable and had been crying. I found an excuse to leave.

When I got to Faye's hotel, only a dim light was on by the bedside. Faye was curled up on the sofa, her long hair covering her face. There was wine and glasses on the coffee table, and the room reeked of alcohol.

I walked in, neither too lightly nor too heavily, and stood in front of her.

Faye slowly lifted her head, looking at me through her messy hair.

Seeing it was me, she hugged me and broke down crying.

"Ethan, you finally came. I thought you wouldn't care about me anymore," Faye sobbed.

I gently removed her hands, sat on the sofa, lit a cigarette, and said, "Why would I?"

Faye scooted closer, clinging to my arm and resting her head on my shoulder.

"Ethan, I'm here all alone. I feel so lonely. I miss my mom and my sister." she said, her voice trembling.

She kept talking, her tears soaking through my shirt. "Ethan, please don't leave tonight. Stay with me, okay? I just can't stand being alone."

I gently pushed her away. "Faye, I understand that you're feeling lonely. Maybe spending time with friends or finding a hobby you enjoy could help. I need to get home to Emily. She probably doesn't want to be alone either." I stubbed out my cigarette and stood up. "It's getting late; I should go. Emily's probably waiting for me at home."

As I started to leave, Faye called out, "Ethan."

I hesitated for a moment but then quickened my pace out the door.

Faye's agent was waiting outside. When he saw me, he rushed over. "Is she feeling any better?"

"She's just homesick," I said lightly. "Keep her company; being alone makes it easy to overthink."

Leaving the hotel, I drove home, feeling an inexplicable urgency.

Listening to Faye's complaints had stirred something in me. I knew Faye was alone, but so was my Emily. She had nothing except me, so I had to go back to be with her.

The snow was coming down hard. I cracked the car window to let the cold wind in, keeping me alert.

When I parked and saw the light from the house, knowing Emily was there, it filled me with warmth.

I didn't realize I had left my phone with Faye. No, I hadn't taken it out there; she must have taken it on purpose. I also didn't know Faye had said hurtful things to Emily over the phone.

But I saw the hurt, jealousy, and sadness in Emily's eyes. What comforted me was that she was more calm and wise than before.

The next day, Dennis came to pick me up. "Zachary might be making a move," he said.

"Is he connected to Rhyns?" I asked.

"That still needs investigation," Dennis replied.

A few days before New Year's, we went to Greenfield Village to have dinner with Martin. We watched the fireworks from the rooftop. I took a photo of Emily and me and set it as my screensaver. At that moment, deep down, I feared something might happen one day, so I wanted a photo as a keepsake.

The day after returning from Greenfield Village, I got news about Zachary. If the information was correct, he was about to return to his old ways after supposedly retiring.

I told Dennis not to alert him and to keep monitoring.

The next day, Zachary invited us to dinner, and I gladly accepted.

Zachary mentioned wanting to take Bella on a trip. I had a good idea of his intentions.

I didn't expect to run into Oliver and his group. From his behavior and words, it was clear he was still hurt and hadn't moved on from his relationship with Bella.

Bella, on the other hand, was more decisive. After a drink, she considered it a clean break.

Honestly, I hoped they could cut ties completely.

After dinner, I took Emily to the Skyline International Corporation building to spend New Year's Eve on the rooftop.

People thought that the livelier it was, the better it would be at such times, but I felt that moment was best with just the two of us, undisturbed, welcoming the new year together, year after year. That night, I gave her a necklace I had made and another one for her to give to Bella.

Both necklaces had trackers. One was because Emily had repeatedly encountered danger, and I was scared. The other was because Zachary seemed to be planning an escape, and I needed to track his movements.

I admit I took advantage of her and Bella's friendship, which was wrong. But Zachary should have known that the law would eventually catch up with him.

The fireworks were dazzling, reflecting on Emily's smiling face, making her look especially beautiful. I couldn't help but kiss her.

It was our first New Year together, and we promised to spend every New Year there from then on. That was our promise.

At the time, I didn't know that promise would become a force that would pull me back from the brink of death.