Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

Right away, someone yanked my hair hard.

Faye yelled, "Bitch, what do you even have to be proud of? Let me tell you, Ethan has always loved my sister, always. So stop feeling so good about yourself."

It felt like my scalp was about to be ripped off. I wanted to fight back, but she was behind me, pulling my hair, leaving me stuck and unable to do anything. "Let go!"

Ethan's steady, angry voice rang in my ear.

I struggled to open my eyes, sticky with coffee, and saw Ethan gripping Faye's arm tightly. He looked furious.

Faye was startled by his shout but stubbornly refused to let go. A fleeting look of grievance in her eyes was replaced by fierce determination, like she was ready to risk everything. "Security!" Ethan called out in a deep voice.

Soon, hurried footsteps approached from all directions.

Several security guards quickly restrained Faye and carefully freed my hair from her grasp.

"Let go of me! Emily, you bitch, you stole Ethan, and now you're flaunting it to suppress me. I curse you to hell."

Faye struggled under the control of the security guards, shouting insults and attracting more and more onlookers. Ethan ignored her, bent down, and used a tissue to wipe my face.

"Did you get burned?"

I shook my head. Luckily, the coffee had cooled down.

But my clothes and phone were stained.

The receptionist found a small women's blazer, and Ethan draped it over me to cover my messy appearance.

Someone else brought wet wipes to help clean my face and hair.

I said, "Thank you," and took the wet wipes to clean myself up a bit.

I knew I looked a mess, but the real clown wasn't me.

I stood up and looked at Faye, who was still cursing me like a madwoman.

She had dressed up meticulously for the audition today. But now, after her tantrum, she looked like a crazy person with her disheveled hair and foul language. "Faye, shut up!" Ethan snapped coldly.

Faye finally stopped cursing, looking at Ethan with hurt eyes, her lips trembling, tears welling up.

Ethan gently held my shoulder, as if afraid I might get too emotional.

But I just looked at Faye and smiled calmly.

"You look like an ugly, crazy, foolish shrew right now."

Faye struggled, glaring at me through her messy hair, her expression as if she wanted to hit me.

I smirked. "What did you gain from this? My makeup can be redone, a hairstylist can restyle my hair, my clothes and phone can be replaced. I don't care. But what did you gain?"

Faye was momentarily stunned, no longer struggling, like my question had thrown her off.

I kept going. "I once read something: 'If you can't clean up the mess, don't indulge in fickle emotions. If your skills and abilities are limited, don't have a big temper and big desires, or you'll get in trouble and end up in pain.""

As I spoke, I watched her face. The fierceness in her eyes was fading, leaving only confusion.

"Everyone has dreams and desires, but I advise you to drop the tricks and take the right path. Don't be too eager for quick success, or those little tricks might end up ruining your future," I said, grabbing my bag from the sofa and turning to Ethan. "Let's go. I'm starving."

Ethan nodded and helped me leave.

As we walked past Faye, she looked at Ethan with tearful eyes, but he kept a stern face and didn't even glance at her.

First, we hit the mall, bought a new outfit, then went to a salon to wash my face and hair, and finally ended up at a Western restaurant for a meal.

I told him about looking for a spokesperson and recounted everything that happened today.

"I didn't hire her. Sure, I had some personal reasons, but mostly because she has a bad reputation. If I hired her, it would ruin my own brand."

Ethan elegantly picked up his knife and fork with his long fingers and started cutting.

After listening to me, he just smiled faintly. "I don't care."

"Then what do you care about?" I asked.

He forked a piece of steak and brought it to my mouth. I opened my mouth and took it.

He placed the cut steak in front of me and took my untouched portion to continue cutting.

"I only care if you found the right person."

"Why?"

"Because if you did, it would make you happy."

I looked at him, moved, and realized there was no need to explain anything. After going through separation and life-and-death situations, nothing could affect us anymore.

I thought of Martin alone in Greenfield Village, feeling lonely on weekends, and suggested we spend the weekend with him. Ethan agreed.

Since returning to Starlight City, I had been injured, recovered, taken over the Moore Group, and managed the Emoire Artistry Group.

I was so busy that I hadn't visited Martin. He only knew about his great-grandchildren from phone calls and hadn't met them yet. That weekend, we packed up the kids and a bunch of gifts.

As we walked into the yard, we saw Martin exercising.

Ethan and I both called out, "Grandpa."

Martin saw us and immediately lit up with joy.

"You finally brought my two precious great-grandchildren to see me."

As we walked further in, I noticed someone else by the vegetable garden.

He had his white shirt sleeves half-rolled up and was using a small hoe to loosen the soil. Hearing the commotion, he straightened up and looked our way.

Martin smiled and said, "Jason arrived last night. He's been helping me all morning."

Because of what happened that night at the old house, I felt a bit awkward facing him now.

Martin had already taken Harper from my hands. "Come, let me see my precious great-grandson."

I smiled and said, "Grandpa, this is Harper, your great-granddaughter."

Pointing to the one in Ethan's arms, I said, "This is Hunter, your great-grandson."

Martin chuckled as he played with Harper in his arms. "I used to rush you to have kids, and now you give me two at once. Pretty good."

I could tell Martin was genuinely happy. But I noticed he didn't look as healthy as before. After holding the baby for a while, he seemed tired, with large beads of sweat dripping from his forehead.

I quickly took the child back and had Martin sit down to rest. Jason also walked over, concerned, to check on him.

Sitting in the chair, Martin smiled and reassured us.

"It's nothing, don't worry. People get older day by day; I can't be the same as before."

Martin's tone was optimistic, but our faces were all serious.

After that, I handed Harper to Ethan and went into the kitchen to cook.

We had brought our own ingredients, and I was familiar with Martin's kitchen, so cooking was easy.

Laughter and children's giggles occasionally drifted in from outside the window.

As I chopped vegetables, I couldn't help but smile.

"Do you need any help?" A voice suddenly sounded behind me.

My nerves tensed up instantly. Without turning around, I said, "No, you go keep Grandpa company. Dinner will be ready soon."

The person behind me didn't move.

After a while, he spoke again, "Emily, I..."

Suddenly remembering something, I turned and asked, "By the way, why didn't Lacey come with you?"

Jason had his hands in his pockets, head slightly lowered. He seemed caught off guard by my question, awkwardly pulling his hands out and walking to the sink to help with the vegetables. "She's on a business trip these days," he said. I nodded and kept chopping vegetables.

Jason finished prepping the vegetables, put them in the sink, and turned on the faucet. Water splashed over the fresh, green leaves.

His long, elegant fingers reached into the basin, and he slowly said, "Emily, you've managed the Emoire Artistry Group really well. I didn't expect you to achieve your dreams so quickly. I'm genuinely happy for you." "Thank you," I said.

"No matter what you do, the most important thing is to be happy. Wealthy people, powerful people, they're not necessarily happy. Are you happy?" he asked me.

I put the chopped vegetables on a plate and responded with a question.

"And you? Are you happy?"

"I'm not happy," he said bluntly.

I

I was taken aback, and he repeated. "I'm not happy. So this time, when the medical school invited me back to be a professor, I agreed. Maybe I'm more suited to a simpler environment, doing simpler things."

I smiled and said, "That's great. You may not be an angel, but you can train countless angels."

Jason looked at me, and we shared a smile.

That one smile seemed to make everything clear.

After that, we didn't speak again. He prepped and washed the vegetables, while I chopped and cooked. The kitchen was filled only with the sounds of running water, chopping, sizzling oil, and the crackling of food hitting the pan. The aroma of the food filled the small kitchen.

When the meal was ready, everyone gathered around the table.

"Emily excels both in her career and in taking care of the home. Ethan, you're so lucky to have a good wife!" Grandpa praised me as he looked at the spread.

Ethan's smile was gentle, and his gaze was intense.

Ethan answered, "Yes, I must have saved the galaxy in my past life."

Martin laughed heartily.

Jason also laughed, but his smile was bitter.

After dinner, we all sat in the yard. Martin played with the two kids and even gave them pocket money.

"Jason, once you get married, you should have a child soon. You're not getting any younger. Don't wait too long, or your kids might miss out on my pocket money."

We all understood what Martin meant, but he said it with a smile, as if he was indifferent to the matter of life and death.

Jason just smiled and didn't respond.

After a while, there was a knock at the gate. I opened it and, to my surprise, found Victor and Linda standing there.