Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

I bit my lip, trying not to make a peep, scared any noise might blow my cover.

Ethan chimed in again, "Babe, how am I supposed to survive this long night?"

I rolled over on the big bed, hiding my blushing face, and mumbled, "Just go to sleep."

On the other end, I heard his frustrated sigh. "I should've come back tonight. I regret it so much."

I held the phone to my ear, picturing him. 'Where's he calling from? The couch? In bed? Or maybe he's on the balcony, leaning on the railing, staring at the night sky? He's probably frowning, maybe even holding a cigarette. Bet he looks super hot.'

"Go to bed early. Come back early tomorrow." Right then, I felt like a wife waiting for her hubby to come home, and the longing made my heart ache.

I heard the flick of a lighter on the other end, and then he said, all helpless, "Alright, you sleep too. Be good, don't miss me too much."

I wanted to laugh, so I did. "Didn't you tell me I had to miss you when you left?"

He shot back, "Missing someone is torture. Like now, I miss you a lot."

I don't know how long we talked, but the phone was burning hot by the time we finally hung up.

After that, I tossed and turned, couldn't sleep a wink. Without his warm hug and familiar scent, my heart felt so empty.

At that moment, I realized I was getting more and more dependent on him. It was scary. The more you rely on someone, the easier it is to get hurt.

I don't know when I finally crashed, but when I woke up, it was already seven in the morning.

I tried calling Ethan but couldn't get through. At nine, he called me back, saying he was back in Starlight City and had to hit the office for an important meeting.

I felt like my issue couldn't wait, scared that dragging it out would mean missing a good shot, so I decided to go to his office. Bella was right; I needed to be more proactive. When I got to the top floor of Skyline International Corporation, Piper said Ethan was still in a meeting, so I waited for him in his office.

After sitting around for a bit and flipping through some magazines without really reading them, I got restless and stood up, feeling anxious and needing something to do.

I tidied up Ethan's desk, dusted everything with a feather duster, and watered a few plants. Then I grabbed his glass, filled it with water, and placed it on his desk. Looking around, I saw the half-open blinds and, after some thought, went over to close them completely.

Just as I wrapped up all that, I heard footsteps and voices outside. The meeting must've ended.

Soon enough, the office door swung open. After a few days apart, Ethan looked as tall and handsome as ever, though he had a bit of fatigue in his eyes.

He must've known from Piper that I was here, so he wasn't surprised to see me. He tossed the files onto the desk and flashed me a heart-melting smile. "Did you miss me?"

He walked over to hug me, but I dodged and went to lock the door.

When I turned back, his gaze was intense.

Locking the door was a hint, and I guessed he got it.

I stood there, my hands awkwardly at my sides, my face heating up as I remembered the bold words I had said on the phone yesterday. I fidgeted with my fingers to distract myself. "You came back and went straight into a meeting. You must be busy. You should get back to work."

Ethan, with his hands in his pockets, looked at me calmly. His polished shoes reflected the light as he took a step towards me and pulled me into his arms.

Such a strong embrace made my heart race, like a couple reuniting after a brief separation.

After a while, he lowered his head to kiss me. As the kiss deepened, his arms tightened, and his breathing grew heavier. Such a kiss made me believe he might have had a tough night.

When he pressed me against the desk, I saw the obvious bloodshot in his eyes.

"You didn't rest well, did you?" I asked, feeling it was a rhetorical question.

"No, because I missed you and couldn't sleep." Ethan's hand moved up my back, unfastening my bra.

"Why don't you take a nap first? Flying is tiring." I thought we shouldn't make love while he was exhausted.

He kissed my earlobe, his voice a bit muffled. "This is the first time you've been so proactive. Of course, I have to fully cooperate."

His strong masculine scent overwhelmed me, and I leaned against his shoulder. I heard the sound of a belt being unbuckled, and then he pressed me onto the desk.

"Last night, I took two cold showers and still couldn't calm down. Do you know how that feels?" Ethan's voice carried a hint of complaint, and everything he did now seemed like he was seeking compensation.

I lay passively on the desk, my fingers gripping the edge. When I turned my head, I saw the glass of water I had poured earlier, the water inside gently swaying rhythmically.

Half an hour later, he was already sitting in the chair behind his desk, looking at documents with a focused expression that exuded a strong sense of restraint, as if nothing had happened.

I plopped down on the couch, remembering what the doc had said, and lay back, lifting my legs against the wall.

From my upside-down view, Ethan looked at me, puzzled. "What are you doing?"

"My legs are a bit swollen. This helps reduce the swelling," I lied with a straight face.

He didn't say anything more.

After a bit, he made an internal call.

"Mr. Windsor?" The speakerphone was crystal clear.

Ethan said, "Book a private room at Forest Restaurant for tonight."

"Okay, Mr. Windsor, I'll arrange it right away."

After the call ended, I asked him, "Got another dinner meeting tonight?"

He looked at me and said, "Tonight, I'm having dinner with the judge and lawyer handling Richard's case. You're coming with me."

I quickly put my feet down, looking at him with reluctance. "I'd better not go. I don't know how to socialize or talk. I might mess things up."

Ethan gave a faint smile, walked over, and sat beside me, his hand gently caressing my face. "You don't need to do anything, just be with me."

It wasn't until we got out of the car at the entrance of Forest Restaurant that I saw Lacey and realized she was also attending tonight's dinner. Since it concerned Richard, she would naturally do her best.

Lacey was dressed in a very elegant white short dress, perfectly showing off her long legs. Her hair was loosely draped, and she wore a pair of sapphire earrings, looking very alluring and sexy. She nodded at us when she saw us. Ethan didn't rush in, saying we should wait a bit. Just as he finished his cigarette, another familiar car pulled up at the restaurant entrance, and Jason got out, walking towards us. "Sorry, there was a bit of traffic." "Let's go," Ethan said, stubbing out his cigarette.

At these kinds of dinners, everyone had their role. Jason and Lacey were the social butterflies, and I was probably just there to eat.

Two people came later. After shaking hands with each of them, Ethan introduced one as the chief judge, Mark Bryant, and the other as the lawyer, Paul Sanchez.

Lacey sat next to Mark, Ethan sat next to Paul, I sat on his other side, and Jason sat next to Lacey.

Influenced by the stern image of judges on TV, I was pretty nervous.

After the dishes were served, Ethan ordered two bottles of the most expensive wine.

They talked about politics, economics, social issues, and even entertainment gossip, but not a word about Richard's case. Although they didn't mention it, I think they all understood each other well. I didn't dare say a word the whole time, scared of saying something wrong.

Paul didn't smoke, so Ethan personally stood up to light a cigarette for Mark and poured drinks for them.

It was the first time I saw Ethan doing something so ingratiating. He was usually a pretty laid-back guy and probably didn't like these fake, worldly scenes, but sometimes life forced him into situations.

The scar from Richard's stab was still there, yet now he was humbling himself to help Richard gain freedom.

I thought, 'So, is there brotherly love between them? There probably is. But what about Richard? From the few words Richard said that day, I could tell he hated Ethan. So if Richard really gets a chance to get out early this time, will he feel any gratitude towards Ethan, or will he still be as reckless and indifferent as before?'

After a few drinks, they were all a bit tipsy, and their demeanor became more relaxed.

Lacey was very adept at socializing, able to join in any conversation, unlike me, who became completely mute in such settings.

Paul, sitting next to Lacey, kept urging her to drink, but she skillfully maneuvered her way out, not drinking much. But Mark, after a few drinks, whether truly drunk or pretending, started to act a bit more brazenly.

Lacey took the opportunity to bring up Richard's case, and Mark filled her glass, saying meaningfully, "Ms. Thomas, if you drink this, we can discuss anything."

Only then did I realize they hadn't mentioned it earlier because the timing wasn't right.

Mark had poured a high-alcohol wine, not beer, and most people couldn't drink a whole glass in one go. Lacey stared at the glass, looking a bit troubled.

Unexpectedly, Mark picked up the glass and put a hand brazenly on Lacey's shoulder. "Ms. Thomas, if I feed you this drink myself, you wouldn't refuse, would you?"

Paul chimed in, "Exactly, Ms. Thomas, you have to accept this drink."

Lacey's smile became stiff as she moved away slightly. "Mr. Bryant, I'll drink it myself."

But Mark wasn't planning to let her off that easily. His flushed face moved closer to Lacey's, almost touching hers, and he said with a wicked smile, "I never feed anyone a drink myself."

These people, usually so well-dressed, revealed their true nature after a few drinks.

Mark brought the glass close to Lacey's mouth, and in the scuffle, the wine spilled on her dress.

I felt worried for Lacey. She clearly disliked Mark but couldn't afford to offend him.

"Mr. Bryant, she has limited drinking capacity. Let me do it." A steady male voice suddenly came.