Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

Before long, we were both naked. Ethan's kiss was more intense than the storm outside. Something felt off about him.

That stormy night, we went wild in the bathroom. I thought I might die from his madness.

Afterwards, Ethan carried me to the bed. The thunder still roared as he pounced on me again.

I didn't know how long it was before he finally collapsed beside me, his breathing slowing down.

In the morning, the pain in my body reminded me of last night's craziness.

I turned to see Ethan's sleeping face close to mine. He looked tired but still handsome.

Knowing it was my first day at work, I carefully moved his arm, trying not to wake him.

As I was fastening my bra, he suddenly grabbed my hand. I turned around, shocked to see him awake.

Seeing his half-exposed chest, I remembered last night and felt anxious. He grabbed my hand, steadied me, and helped me with the clasp.

I quickly got dressed, but he hugged me from behind. Ethan rested his head on my shoulder, his messy hair tickling my face.

"Did I hurt you last night?" His voice was husky.

I didn't answer. From the window reflection, I saw he was completely naked and froze.

He gently kissed my ear, saying, "I'm sorry. I'll be gentle next time."

His touch made me weak, which was frustrating. I turned my face away. "Stop it. It's my first day at work, and I don't want to be late."

He let go and said, "I'll drive you."

"No need," I replied quickly. "Taking a Maybach to the hospital as a receptionist will make people talk."

Ethan insisted on driving me but parked a bit away from the hospital. As I got out, he said he'd pick me up after work and told me to wait for his call. I walked towards the hospital and looked back to see his car still there. After reporting to HR, the director took me to the emergency hotline center and arranged for another operator, Lisa Thomas, to show me around. She was a few years older and very nice, patiently teaching me everything.

I learned that a pregnant operator had resigned, which was why they urgently hired someone new. That colleague would come in tomorrow for a check-up and to complete the resignation process.

Operators couldn't leave their posts for 24 hours, so we worked in shifts without lunch breaks.

Around eleven, Bella called. Remembering she was taken away by Oliver last night, I quickly answered.

Bella's voice sounded groggy. With people around, I couldn't ask directly about Oliver, so I asked for her address.

Lisa noticed I had something to do and told me to go ahead.

I hurriedly left the hospital, took a cab to the Grand International Hotel, and went to the 21st floor, following Bella's room number.

The door to room 2105 was ajar. I pushed it open and saw Bella curled up on the bed, her hair a mess, and the sheets in disarray. Seeing this, I was almost certain something bad had happened.

"Bella, are you okay?" I asked softly.

Bella slowly turned her head, looking out of it. "No."

"What happened?" I sat on the edge of the bed.

"My head still hurts."

I looked around and didn't see Oliver. "Where's Oliver?"

Bella handed me a note from the bed.

The handwriting wasn't elegant: [Here's the presidential suite you wanted. Sleep well. If you don't, it's a waste of my money.]

I was stunned. 'What does he mean by this?'

"He didn't touch me," Bella said, her head falling back onto the bed, her hair covering half her face.

"What?" I was completely surprised.

Bella rolled around on the bed a couple of times, then lay there spread-eagle, sighing constantly. She looked almost disappointed.

I poked her. "You didn't really want something to happen with him last night, did you?"

"Of course not," Bella laughed, slapping my hand away. "It's just embarrassing to be taken to a presidential suite by a guy and have nothing happen."

She kept laughing, rolling around like a madwoman, her hair covering her face. I couldn't see her expression, but I guessed she was conflicted.Content © NôvelDrama.Org 2024.

I thought, 'If Oliver had slept with her, there'd be no chance for them. But he didn't. She was drunk, and he took her to a hotel room but did nothing. That must've had a big impact on Bella.' "Aren't you starting work today? How's it going? Anyone giving you a hard time?" Bella asked.

"It's fine. My job isn't exactly coveted. No one's bullying me, and the person teaching me is nice."

"Good. You should go. If you ever leave Ethan, you need to rely on yourself. But he seems good to you. Hold on to him." Bella rolled over, putting her feet on the headboard, showing no intention of leaving. Mentioning Ethan reminded me of him talking to that editor behind my back yesterday. I wondered, 'What were they discussing that I couldn't hear? Ethan is great and treats me well, but he's so hard to figure out.' Seeing Bella was fine, I returned to the hospital. The HR director told me I wouldn't have to work night shifts for now because emergencies at night are usually more urgent, and I needed more training. This was good news. Although I used to work night shifts often as a nurse, I hadn't done it for a while. A buffer period was nice.

Just as my shift ended, Ethan called, saying he was waiting where he dropped me off in the morning.

After getting into the car, I noticed Ethan was driving in a different direction from home, so I asked where we were going.

He didn't answer but asked, "How was your first day at work?"

"It was fine," I said.

Ethan drove into the parking garage of a luxury mall. After parking, he held my hand and led me inside.

"Are you buying clothes?" I asked.

He glanced at me. "For you."

I stopped him. "I still have a lot of clothes from last time that I haven't worn yet. Don't waste money. Even if you have money, you shouldn't be so reckless."

Seeing me so serious, he was amused and tapped my nose. "On August 14th, aren't you attending a wedding? Don't you want to dress nicely?"

I was about to respond when I heard a familiar voice.

"What's wrong with your staff? Customers can't try on clothes here?" Vivian was pointing at a sales clerk, very rudely.

Arthur was tugging at Vivian's clothes, looking embarrassed.

I didn't expect to run into them here. This mall only sold international brands, and everything was expensive. Arthur wouldn't bring Vivian here voluntarily. She must have dragged him.

The sales clerk was holding a dress and patiently responding, "Madam, that's not what I meant. I just meant that since you're expecting, this dress clearly won't fit. We were just trying to save you time."

The clerk was holding a beige one-shoulder long dress. It was beautiful and elegant but had a fitted waist, and with Vivian's slightly protruding belly, it probably wouldn't fit.

"Vivian, I also think this dress isn't suitable for you. Why not look at something else?" Arthur tried to persuade her.

Having lived with Arthur for two years, I could tell from his expression what he was thinking. It wasn't that the dress was unsuitable; he just didn't want to spend the money. Vivian said, "How is it not suitable for me? Do you have any taste? I can't fit into it now, but I can save it for later, can't I?"

I couldn't understand people like Vivian. 'Why doesn't she feel embarrassed causing a scene in public? Does she have no sense of shame?'

"Honey, I think this dress would look great on you. You'd look beautiful in it," Ethan suddenly whispered in my ear, loud enough for Arthur, Vivian, and the sales clerks to hear.