Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

At that moment, I wasn't thinking about anything else. Fueled by a wave of hatred, I acted without a second thought.

The car window rolled down slowly, and Victor glanced out, looking totally uninterested.

"Need a ride?" he asked, his voice dripping with indifference. "Sorry, I'm heading somewhere else, not your way." His gaze was as arrogant and dismissive as ever.

He was the murderer, no doubt about it. How could he still act so smug in front of me?

Maybe he thought with Benjamin gone, the truth would stay buried forever.

I clenched my teeth, my eyes practically shooting daggers at him.

"Good deeds get rewarded, and bad deeds get punished. It's not that there's no payback, just that it hasn't come yet."

Victor's face tightened, a flicker of surprise and panic flashing in his eyes.

The next second, I was pulled into a tight embrace. Ethan held me close, like he was trying to comfort me and plead with me at the same time.

I glared at Victor, feeling the urge to strangle him.

But then I thought of Martin, and I forced myself to swallow my rage. My grip on the car door handle slowly loosened, and finally, I let go.

The window rolled up, and the car sped away, disappearing from sight.

Ethan held me, his hand gently rubbing my back.

His breathing was heavy. I knew he was anxious and nervous. Maybe he wasn't scared of my recklessness, but he probably thought it wasn't the right time.

Lacey flew abroad the day after Benjamin's funeral. Before she left, she just said, "This time, I really have no more ties."

After coming back from Benjamin's memorial, I forced myself to calm down.

The next day, I went back to the office.

I talked to the lawyer handling our company's legal stuff, pretending I was asking for a friend. I told him the whole story, mainly to see if we could still press charges after seventeen years, and if there was a statute of limitations. The lawyer said a diary alone wasn't enough evidence.

His words hit me hard, like a mountain blocking my way. Bringing the murderer to justice seemed like an impossible task.

In the days that followed, I tracked down some workers who had been at the quarry back then. But when I asked about the incident, they all claimed they didn't know anything.

Maybe they really didn't know, or maybe they had heard something but were too scared to talk, afraid of getting into trouble. I couldn't get any useful info from them.

I felt helpless, desperate, hopeless.

I decided to visit Silent Grove Village alone this time, without calling Dakato. I walked down the road to Silent Grove Village, stopping at the spot where my dad had his car accident. The kapok tree was still there. The flowering season was over, and now the branches were full of kapok fruits, many of which had split open, with the fluff drifting in the wind.

I paced back and forth a few times, noticing it was a long slope, with a warning sign nearby.

[Sharp turn and long slope ahead. Multiple traffic accidents have occurred here. Please drive slowly!]

Looking around, I remembered that snowy night that turned my world upside down. I remembered my father's cold body, his face covered in snowflakes.

Thinking about it all, I felt my heart ache again, and all my hatred surged up within me.

I kept walking forward, arriving at Silent Grove Village, the old quarry site.

Looking at the now desolate Silent Grove Village, I slowly closed my eyes, picturing what it looked like years ago when it was still a quarry.

When I opened my eyes again and turned my head, I saw a man and a large black dog standing next to Silent Grove Village. He must have been standing there for a long time, staring at the tombstone without moving. The black dog beside him stood quietly as well.

I walked up behind him. He heard my footsteps and turned around, not surprised to see me.

Faris's father's grave had been rebuilt, with a bouquet of fresh lilies in front of it, likely brought by Faris.

"What really happened back then?" I asked him.

Faris seemed surprised. He looked at me for a moment, then turned to look at Uncle Sam's tombstone, a smirk forming on one side of his mouth.

"What's the matter? Did you discover something?" he was smiling, but I couldn't tell if he was mocking my foolishness or my belated realization.

I didn't smile. I stared at the tombstone for a while, then suddenly looked at him.

"Did Uncle Sam's accident happen on the same day as my dad's car accident?"

Faris reached into his pocket, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and lit one. "And it was also the same day my mom committed suicide by poisoning." It seemed that Faris knew the exact date of my dad's accident.

"How much do you know about the details?" I grabbed his arm, feeling a glimmer of hope.

He exhaled a puff of smoke and glanced at my hand gripping his arm. Realizing I was too agitated, I slowly let go.

Faris said with a blank expression, "I wasn't there. How much detail could I know? I heard about your dad's accident, but I was numb from losing both my parents in quick succession. Death no longer surprised me. Two bodies were carried out of my house in one funeral. My grandmother's hair turned half white overnight. My family was falling apart. How could I care about anything else?"

So many years had passed, and although Faris spoke calmly, it wasn't hard to detect the lingering pain and hatred in his voice.

"Later, my uncle took me to another city to study, and then I worked hard to build my career. With hatred in my heart, I always thought about one day making a name for myself and avenging my parents."

He suddenly let out a bitter laugh and said, "Actually, when I left Starlight City, I went to look for you. You were just walking out of Broadway Alley with a backpack. Despite the upheaval in your life, it seemed someone was helping you, and you could still sit in your old classroom. Although you had your burdens, you were still a girl, different from me. We both lost our closest family, but the burdens we carried were different. At that time, I knew clearly that my shoulders bore the weight of hatred."

I also bore the weight of hatred, but I didn't realize it back then.

"I don't know how your dad happened to have that car accident on that particular day, but my intuition tells me it has something to do with the Windsor Family, doesn't it?"

I bit my lip and said nothing.

Of course, it had everything to do with them. They caused all of this.

A few days later, I suddenly received news that Martin was critically ill.

Jason had already taken Martin to Grace Hospital.

When we arrived at Martin's ward, his eyes were open, and many people were gathered around his bed.

Victor, Linda, Ethan, Jason, and even the hospital director and several doctors were there.

Martin had been the hospital director before, and many of the older doctors knew him well. It was only natural for them to come and see him off.

Martin didn't say a word, just looked around at his circle of descendants, his cloudy eyes glistening with tears.

I thought that although he had come to terms with life and death, at this moment, he still had attachments to this world. At the very least, he would miss these family members.

Finally, Martin's gaze fell on Hunter and Harper, and he managed to show a faint, contented smile. Martin passed away with a smile, peacefully, without much pain.

I couldn't help but shed tears. Ethan and Jason seemed calm, but their eyes were red. At that moment, I was surprised to see pain in Victor's eyes.

Could he feel pain too? Only those with a heart could feel pain, but did he have a heart?

When Martin was alive, he didn't express his love. Now that Martin was gone, no matter what he said or did, no matter how much he regretted or felt heartache, what use was it? I attended Martin's funeral with the kids. Victor glanced at me but didn't give me the cold shoulder like he usually did.

At that moment, my heart was heavy with the sorrow of Martin's passing, and I temporarily set aside my hatred for him.

Richard showed up too. Even though Martin never acknowledged him, he was still his grandson by blood. It made sense for him to come and pay his respects.

I didn't expect Sophie to come. I hadn't told her about Martin's passing. I thought she had never even met Martin, yet she came.

Sophie held Abby, who was also dressed in black.

She glanced at me, nodded, and then walked straight to Martin's tombstone with Abby, bowing in respect.

Since Sophie's arrival, Richard's gaze had been fixed on her, transitioning from surprise to calm.

Neither Victor nor Linda reacted to my or Sophie's presence this time. It seemed they had tacitly accepted it.

Victor had no right to oppose my presence because he knew very well that Martin wanted me and the kids there. He couldn't go against Martin's wishes.

My enemies were right in front of me, and of course, I couldn't help but think of their crimes. As soon as I thought about it, the hatred in my chest surged uncontrollably. I glared at him with deep-seated hatred, trembling all over. Ethan, who was standing beside me, held my hand and calmly whispered, "Emily, promise me, calm down. After we handle Martin's affairs, I will give you a result."

Under his soothing words, I gradually calmed down.

After the funeral, we laid Martin to rest.

Just days ago, we were still having meals with Martin, laughing and joking. Martin was holding the kids, playing with them. When we parted that time, I was looking forward to seeing Martin again.

But now, Martin was buried under a tombstone, separated from us by life and death.

Some people said "goodbye" when they parted, but in the end, they never met again.

Regarding the evil deeds of Victor and Linda back then, I'd thought it through these past few days. I couldn't kill them. I couldn't irrationally sacrifice myself. I could only gather evidence and use the law to seek justice for my father's wrongful death.

Although Ethan didn't know what I was busy with, he must be aware of my determination for revenge.

A week after Martin's burial, he said he hoped I could accompany him to the Windsor Family for a meal.

I was eager to poison that couple, and he wanted me to have dinner at their house?

His request was unbelievable. I couldn't do it.

But Ethan held my hand and said, "Trust me, okay? I will give you the justice you seek."