Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

My back slammed into the tree, shaking off the snow. Before I could even blink, he was on me, lips locked on mine, stealing my breath. My brain just short-circuited. Even with the cold, Ethan felt like a freaking furnace, making me forget the pain from the tree.

He was rough, and the sting on my lips snapped me back. I remembered Jason was somewhere in the yard, so I tried to push Ethan away, but my arms were like noodles.

He didn't let go for what felt like forever. By the time he did, Jason was long gone. It was just us in the yard now.

We stared at each other, panting, as snowflakes drifted down around us.

His face was always so damn captivating, and his kiss was like a drug, impossible to resist.

Out of nowhere, Ethan's head dropped onto my shoulder.

"I missed you so much," he whispered in my ear, his breath hot.

My heart, already racing, went into overdrive.

Worried Martin and Jason might see us, I pushed him again. But he held on tight, his cheek brushing against my ear.

I forced myself to stay cool, not wanting to give in just because of a kiss. In a calm but sharp tone, I said, "Miss me? Is it 'cause no one's cooking for you? Or 'cause no one's warming your bed?"

The pressure on my shoulder eased, and Ethan slowly lifted his head, looking at me with a mix of helplessness and hurt.

"I don't have a heart anymore; you took it with you. Everything feels wrong, and when I come home, the whole place feels empty," he said.

I knew better than to trust a man's words completely. They often meant nothing.

Looking into his eyes, I said flatly, "No one sticks around forever. People need to get used to being alone, just like I need to learn not to rely on you."

Ethan's long arms propped up beside my head, his body leaning in, and he gave a faint smile.

"I like it when you rely on me. It's normal for a wife to rely on her husband. Why don't you?"

"Because I think one day I won't have anyone to rely on," I shot back.

"Bullshit," Ethan cursed. "I'm healthy; I've got plenty of years left."

He knew what I meant but chose to play dumb, changing the subject on purpose.

I lowered my eyes and stayed silent.

"I didn't specifically go to see Faye," Ethan suddenly said.

I looked up, and he had straightened up, like he was gathering all his patience to explain.

"We're investors in that movie. The opening ceremony invited me. I had just finished my schedule, so I went."

"Can you say you didn't meet her alone?" I pressed.

Ethan smiled helplessly, "I did. But I didn't sleep with her. She's like a kid to me."

"But her intentions towards you aren't that innocent," I said.

Ethan looked at me like he was at a loss. "Emily, I have my limits. I won't just sleep with anyone."

He seemed sincere, so I let it go.

After a moment, I said, "I ran into Faris after my driving test. He mentioned that piece of land, and I got curious, so I got in his car. Why did you give him that land? Do you know what he's planning to do with it?" Ethan's brows furrowed, and he bit his lip, staying silent.

"Did you sign an agreement with Faris for that land? Why? His threat was just extortion. You could've called the cops," I continued.

Ethan looked up at the sky, snowflakes falling on his face.

After a long pause, he finally spoke, "That piece of land is just a small part of Skyline International Corporation's real estate. Giving it away means nothing to me."

"It means a lot," I said.

"He's building a cemetery there. It's hurting Silent Grove Village's business and messing up your relationship with your dad. How can that not matter? You knew this would happen, yet you did it anyway."

Ethan raised his hand to gently brush the snow off my shoulder, saying, "Not every father is always right. Victor and I see things differently. I have my reasons for my choices. Even if Faris hadn't threatened you, I would've given him the land if he wanted it."

I stared at him, shocked.

I remembered Faris saying the Windsor family owed him.

But what exactly did the Windsor family owe that was worth Ethan giving up a piece of land? Just as I was about to ask more, Martin's voice suddenly came from the second-floor window. "Emily, come up and warm yourself by the fire. If Ethan likes getting snowed on, let him be." Martin cut in, and I felt my face heat up, thinking he might've seen everything.

We headed inside and upstairs together.

Jason and Martin were chilling by the fireplace, warming up and watching TV.

Just like that, the awkward moment between Ethan and me was over.

That night, I turned on my phone and saw a ton of missed messages from Ethan and Bella.

One of Bella's messages stood out.

After reading it, I was floored.

She and Zachary had already gotten their marriage license and were tying the knot tomorrow, asking me to be her bridesmaid.

Ethan noticed my expression and hugged me, asking what was up.

I quickly deleted the message and lied, saying Bella was feeling down and wanted me to keep her company.

Ethan had beef with Zachary before, and he might not let me go to their wedding. Plus, Oliver was his friend, and I was scared he might spill the beans about the wedding. Thinking about how distraught Oliver had been looking for Bella these past few days, I couldn't imagine his reaction if he found out Bella was getting hitched.

Suddenly, Ethan snatched my phone and placed it on the bedside table, then rolled over and pinned me down, kissing me fiercely.

After a long kiss, he stared at me, breathing heavily.

"Honey, these past few days without you have been driving me crazy."

With that, he suddenly lowered his head and bit my neck hard.

Early the next morning, we said goodbye to Martin.

The three of us, in two cars, left one after the other.

I saw Martin standing at the door, watching us leave through the rearview mirror.

I thought that even though Martin seemed optimistic and cheerful, he might feel a bit sad after the brief excitement faded away.

We arrived in Starlight City at eleven o'clock, and I asked Ethan to drop me off outside Bella's neighborhood.

After he left, I quickly took a cab to Bella's hotel. It was decked out for the wedding. I called her to get her room number. When I opened the door, she was sitting motionless in front of the mirror in a white wedding dress. She knew I was there but didn't turn around.

They say a woman is most beautiful on her wedding day, and I thought it was true. Bella looked especially stunning in the mirror, probably the most enchanting she had ever been.

But I couldn't see any happiness on Bella's face.

I gently placed my hand on Bella's shoulder. "Bella, have you really thought this through?"

Bella gave me a faint smile through the mirror. "Even without this wedding, Zachary and I are already legally married. I don't care about the wedding. But he doesn't want to wrong me." Bella tried to smile, but it was forced.

I was worried for her and couldn't bring myself to smile.

"Bella, I just want you to be happy."

Bella turned around and held my hand. "Emily, if I'm not afraid, why should you be? If a marriage doesn't work out these days, we can always get a divorce."

I spat a few times.

"Bella, today is your wedding day. Since you've decided to marry Zachary and have come this far, I hope you can be happy with him and grow old together. What bride says such harsh things on her wedding day?"

Bella laughed. "I'm just saying. If my words had that much power, I'd say I want to marry the most handsome man in the world."

Seeing Bella laugh, I laughed too.

Things had come to this point, and I couldn't overthink it. Sometimes, the most seemingly unreliable things turn out to be reliable. Maybe they really could be happy together?

I helped Bella put on her veil and adjusted it in the mirror.

After a while, Zachary arrived.

He was wearing a sharp suit today, the first time I'd seen him dressed so formally, looking very different from usual.

He walked up to Bella, pointed at himself, and asked with a smile, "Do I look good?"

I could see a hint of shyness and nervousness in his smile.

Bella nodded and smiled. "You look good."

Zachary took her hand, brought it to his lips, and gently kissed the back of her hand, complimenting her. "You look especially beautiful today."

I remembered reading somewhere that rough and tough guys may seem coarse, but if they find true love, they would save all their tenderness for their partner. If they seem ungentle, it's just because they haven't loved deeply enough. So I thought Zachary must really love Bella. I hoped he did.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang as the door was forcefully pushed open.

We all looked over to see Leonard storming in, furious.