Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

Ethan's kiss knocked the wind outta me. I couldn't tell if he was hammered or stone-cold sober. My brain was a mess as I shoved him away, gasping, "Ethan, who am I? Look close, who are you kissing?" Ethan's big hand brushed my face as he grinned. "You serious? How could I mix up my own wife? I've always been loyal; you think I'd hook up with the wrong woman?"

I rolled my eyes. "Who was the one so wasted last night they couldn't even think straight?"

Ethan's eyes, still twinkling in the dim light, were full of joy. "How do you think she got your number?"

I was floored, guessing he had Lacey send the message last night. "You trust her that much? You were so drunk."

Ethan's lips curled up on one side. He must've been tired of holding his head up 'cause he suddenly collapsed onto me. "Tell me, did you crawl into someone else's bed when it thundered?"

I held back my retort and just huffed. "When I'm scared and you're not around, I go wherever I feel safe."

Ethan seemed to know I was joking and didn't get mad. He lifted his head, looking me up and down, and smirked mischievously. As he reached to unbutton my shirt, the TV suddenly turned on.

The sound from the TV startled me. I couldn't believe such a nice hotel would provide such low-grade porn. More importantly, how was it turned on.

Ethan seemed to get my confusion. He took off his shirt and pressed down on me with a wicked grin. "Babe, this film's got a brainwave sensing feature. As long as you think about it, it plays automatically. Be honest, were you just thinking about having sex?"

"No way," I denied.

Ethan leaned in, kissed me, and lowered his voice. "Well, I was thinking about it."

Everything that followed was under his control.

I remembered what he had mumbled last night. I thought, in his sober state, I might never hear him say it again.

Afterward, before dawn fully broke, Ethan picked up the remote to turn off the TV, held me in his arms, and asked, "Are you mad at me for not taking you to the anniversary party?"

That wasn't the most important thing at all. I pretended not to care and said, "I'm just curious. You bought an evening gown for your employee, but shouldn't you buy one for each of your employees? That would be fair."

His face tensed as he looked at me. I stared back, not missing any change in his expression. I thought I could tell if he was lying.

Then he broke into a bright smile and grabbed my face, before he could explain, his phone rang.

Ethan's smile vanished instantly, and his face turned serious as he listened in silence. I felt uneasy and asked him what was wrong after he hung up. He brushed it off lightly, saying it was nothing, then tossed the phone aside and hugged me. "Next time, can you get the facts straight before getting mad?"

He must have been referring to the evening gown issue. It seemed like I misunderstood him.

"You saw that dress in the office that day," he said with a helpless smile.

I was serious. "Yes, I saw it. So don't try to lie to me."

Ethan seemed amused by my anger. "That dress was hers. She bought it herself. She came straight to the top floor from the mall because she was in a hurry for a meeting. Her dress was just in my office for a moment." I was speechless for a while. "That's it?"

"That's it," he nodded.

"You danced with her so well, like you had rehearsed."

Damn, I said something that made me sound even more jealous.

Ethan seemed at a loss, sighed deeply, and a hint of helplessness appeared on his face. "I knew you were there that night."

I looked at him, skeptical. He picked up his phone and showed me a photo. I was stunned. It was a picture of Jason and me, capturing the moment when Jason pulled me.

I finally understood why Ethan had said I wasn't alone that night. "What do you think this photo proves?" I asked.

Ethan smirked bitterly. "Then what do you think a dress proves? You didn't investigate the truth and just got mad at me?"

He adjusted his position, held me more comfortably, and rubbed his chin against my forehead. "I trust you, and I trust Jason's character. Otherwise, I wouldn't have agreed to let him stay at our house."

I suddenly remembered the familiar number and quickly took out my phone to check the number that had sent the photo. Sure enough, it was the same.

After showing it to Ethan, his eyes darkened. Just as Lacey had said, the person trying to drive a wedge between us was either Andrea or Victor. Ethan knew this too.

Ethan pinched my face, not as gently as before, and it stung. "So don't be dumb and let others mess with you."

But absolute trust? Man, that's tough. 'Cause when you care, you worry.

Leaving the hotel, I noticed Jason's car still parked out front.

I walked over and knocked on the window, which rolled down quick. "Why didn't you head back?" I asked.

Jason straightened his seat, rubbed his eyes, and gave a tired smile. "I was worried you might need a ride in the middle of the night, so I waited a bit and ended up crashing here." Knowing Jason had slept in the car all night made me feel kinda guilty. Afterward, Jason drove us home.

Once Ethan changed his clothes, Dennis came to pick him up.

As the car drove away, I stood at the door, watching Ethan inside, talking on the phone with a super serious look.

I thought about the call he got at the hotel. 'Who could it have been? What was it about?'

When Ethan got back from Skyline International Corporation that day, he suddenly said he wanted to take me on a trip to Sunhaven City.

I was pretty surprised. "Isn't the company swamped? You got time to travel?"

Ethan hugged me. "No matter how busy I am, I gotta make time for you. Work's important, but so is family."

No matter how old a woman gets, she still loves hearing sweet stuff.

On the day of departure, Oliver, Bella, and Frank all tagged along. I realized this trip wouldn't be lonely.

Ethan asked Jason to take a few days off to join us. Jason smiled and said, "I can't go. There's an academic discussion at the hospital I can't miss."

While I was packing in the room, Jason came in and handed me a set of sunscreen, jokingly saying, "The UV rays in Sunhaven City are killer. Don't come back all crispy."

I laughed and took it. "Thanks. Sometimes you're more thoughtful than a woman. Whoever marries you will be super lucky."

Jason's smile was faint. "Unfortunately, that woman hasn't shown up yet."

"How about we bring one back for you from Sunhaven City?" Ethan's voice suddenly came from the doorway.

I looked up and saw everyone standing at the door.

"Yeah, Jason, it's nuts that a great guy like you is still single. I heard girls from the Harmonians ethnic group there are all smokin' hot. How about we find one for you?" Oliver said, slinging his arm over Jason's shoulder. "Really? All smokin' hot?" Bella suddenly chimed in.

Oliver's face changed slightly, and he cleared his throat. "Even if they're goddesses, I wouldn't look at them."

Everyone in the room burst into laughter.

I didn't know when Bella and Oliver got together, but they didn't seem bad together. Oliver seemed to have been tamed by Bella.

Frank pretended to be conflicted. "I'm still thinking about whether to go with you guys. I'm worried you'll be flaunting your love the whole time."

Oliver laughed and patted Frank's shoulder. "Frank, don't worry. You'll get used to it."

Frank huffed in frustration. "If you push me too far, I'll bring back a girl from the Harmonians ethnic group."

Oliver pointed at him and laughed. "Go ahead, if you can. Don't just talk."

When we arrived in Sunhaven City, I immediately felt the warmer climate.

Starlight City was already in autumn, and on rainy days, we had to wear long sleeves, but it was still hot here.

The place we stayed was unique and beautiful, with a lovely environment. The hotel only had three rooms left, one of which had two beds. Bella quickly claimed that room.

I got her meaning; she and Oliver probably hadn't reached that stage yet. She looked a bit embarrassed.

Frank laughed and said, "I get it. You think one bed doesn't have enough space, so you want to push the two beds together for more fun, right? Sounds exciting." Oliver laughed and cursed, "Get lost."

We each went to our rooms, showered, changed clothes, and had a simple meal at the hotel. By then, it was already dark.

Ethan suggested we go out to see the night view of Sunhaven City. The streets had a different cultural vibe.

Ethan seemed very familiar with the place. When we took a cab, he could accurately give the addresses, and we hardly took a wrong turn.

"Have you been here before?" I asked Ethan.

Ethan held my hand and smiled at me. "I've been here a few times, but each time feels different."

Our destination was a luxurious entertainment center. From the outside, it looked grand and high-end, probably the best in the area.

We walked in together. Under the flashing neon lights, my gaze swept through the swaying people and suddenly froze. 'What a coincidence!'