Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

Prison was full of stories.

Sophie's back in her white dress still looked young, but she seemed heavier, and her hands hung awkwardly, showing her nerves.

I looked away from her and turned to Ethan. I was calmer now. "What's the truth?"

Ethan took a drag of his cigarette and reached for my hand. I tried to pull away, but he held on tight. "Let's talk in the car. I've been standing all night. I'm beat!" 'Standing all night?' I realized I couldn't ignore Ethan's issues anymore. His tired voice worried me.

We got in the back seat, and I leaned against the car door, keeping some distance between us.

"Why are you sitting so far away?" Ethan leaned back, giving me a tired smile.

I didn't answer, showing my stubbornness with silence and distance.

The car windows rolled down. Ethan took out a cigarette, lit it, and rested his hand on the window. "What do you want to know?"

"She's only nineteen. What's going on with you two? What's the deal with her baby? Why did you bring me here? Who did she visit?" I kept asking.

Ethan chuckled. "Emily, you care a lot. Have you fallen for me?"

My breath caught, meeting his calm, smiling eyes, and my heart raced.

I wondered, 'Why do I care so much? Have I really fallen for him?'

Ethan reached for my hand, pulling me closer. I didn't move.

"Come closer, it's hard to talk from so far away." He sounded amused.

After a moment, I moved a bit closer.

He suddenly tossed the cigarette, turned to face me, and straightened my shoulders. "What did you mean by that text?"

I tried to stay calm. "Exactly what it says."

"Emily, you're not playing fair," he said.

I looked at him, confused. He continued, "You're judging without a trial. Is that how you handle cases?"

I thought, 'Is he claiming to be wronged?'

His hand slid down to my waist, pulling me closer. "Emily, I can tell you the truth, but I have conditions."

I placed my hands on his chest, keeping my distance, and stared at him warily. "What conditions?"

Ethan flashed a mischievous smile and lowered his voice. "If I've done something wrong, you can do whatever you want with me. But if you've wronged me, I want comfort."

He seemed confident, like I had really wronged him. I knew his "comfort" had another meaning, but I was more eager to know the truth.

Seeing my silence, he probably took it as agreement. He released me and leaned back, pulling out another cigarette, playing with the lighter. "The person she visited is my half-brother, Richard Windsor. She's carrying his child." My eyes widened. "You're really a responsible brother, taking care of your sister-in-law so meticulously, buying things for her, and accompanying her to prenatal checkups!"

Hearing my sarcasm, he tugged at his lips helplessly. "I figured you saw us at the hospital. I didn't betray you!"

"Then why didn't you tell the truth when you were clearly taking her to a prenatal checkup?" I pressed.

Ethan gently pinched my face. "I didn't want to cause unnecessary misunderstandings. I didn't expect it to get worse."

I still couldn't understand. "No matter what, she's your sister-in-law. It's not your duty to take care of her, is it?"

"She's not really my sister-in-law," he said.

I was confused.

He lit the cigarette, took a puff, and continued. "Sophie got pregnant with Richard's child by mistake. But she's persistent, wanting to be with him even if he's in prison, and doesn't want to abort the baby. She's just a college student and has sacrificed a lot. Her family isn't well-off and doesn't want to take care of her. If I don't help Sophie, what will she do?"

So that was it. I really misunderstood him. He wasn't unfaithful; he was kind and loyal.

Just then, Sophie came out. Her eyes were red; she must have been crying.

Ivan had already driven away earlier. Ethan and I moved to the front seats, and she got in the car with us.

At first, no one spoke. The silence was awkward. After a while, Sophie finally spoke up. "Emily, I'm sorry for causing the misunderstanding. There's really nothing between me and Ethan, really. You have to believe me."novelbin

The more she said that, the more embarrassed I felt, especially remembering how I had followed them like a private detective yesterday, wasting a lot of money on cab fares. I felt really regretful.

Ethan glanced at me, his faint smile showing he fully understood my embarrassment.

I scratched my head. "What I told you yesterday, it was all real pregnancy advice. I didn't mean any harm."

Sophie laughed. "The moment I saw you yesterday, I knew you were a good person."

Her laugh was still childlike and innocent. Thinking about her situation, I felt even more sympathy for her.

When we arrived at her neighborhood, she waved goodbye as she got out of the car. I watched until she went inside.

"Do you feel that insecure being with me?" Ethan's voice suddenly came from beside me.

I turned and met his gaze, our eyes locking. After a moment, I looked away and said, "You're always so mysterious. How can I feel secure?"

Ethan casually rested his hands on the steering wheel, looking at me with a faint smile. "There are some things I don't tell you because I don't want you to feel distant. You're pretty smart, though, even following me?"

I felt too embarrassed to look at him and mumbled, "Following someone as smart as you, I have to learn a thing or two, right?"

Ethan laughed, reaching out to ruffle my hair. "Since you're so eager to know, I'll grant your wish."

Just yesterday, I thought such a warm gesture would never happen again.

As I had guessed, he took me directly to Skyline International Corporation.

The parking lot at Skyline International Corporation was enormous. I felt like I could get lost in it.

After getting out of the car, he held my hand and led me out of the garage, entering through the main entrance of Skyline International Corporation.

The attention on us was growing. Every passerby called him "Mr. Windsor," and the women glared at me like their eyes were knives. I was so intimidated that I didn't dare to breathe loudly. I wanted to let go of his hand, but he held on tighter, not giving me a chance to escape.

"Ethan, will I make it out of here alive today? I think those women want to kill me," I said as we entered the elevator.

Ethan smiled, raising his hand to press the button for the top floor. Once the elevator doors closed, cutting off the outside stares, he finally looked at me. "Do you remember? On the first day you became my wife, I told you that you should hold your head high when you're with me."

Without thinking, I suddenly asked, "Are you particularly popular with women in your company?"

I cursed in my mind, 'Damn! Why does that sound so jealous?'

Ethan pressed me against the elevator wall, his breath warm on my forehead. "I've never lacked women who like me."

I tensed up, silently giving him titles like "public lover" and "heartthrob."

I asked, "So did you pick the worst one?"

Ethan smirked, his eyes filled with amusement. "Yeah, pretty bad."

A wave of disappointment washed over me, but then he added, "But I like it."

With that, he unexpectedly kissed me. Just then, the elevator doors opened, and a few people outside stared at us, shocked. Ethan didn't mind, confidently holding my hand as we walked out. "Mr. Windsor!" They all stood up straight.

When Ethan led me into a large office, I was stunned because I saw a sign that said "CEO's Office."

"Doesn't your CEO work? Can anyone just walk into his office?" I asked.

Ethan crossed his arms, looking at me with amusement, "The CEO is standing right in front of you." I was dumbfounded.

He walked over to a large sofa and sat down, lazily looking at me. "Don't I look like one?"

From all the previous signs, it didn't seem like he was joking, so the difference between us was actually huge. After a long time, I finally said in a daze, "You don't look like one. What kind of CEO is as unserious as you?"

Ethan was amused and laughed. "Who can stay serious in front of their own wife?"

"Come here, sit." He patted the spot next to him.

I walked over and sat down, looking around the office, which was several times larger than usual. The feeling of unreality was overwhelming.

Ethan's arm naturally wrapped around me. "Emily, look into my eyes."

I turned to look into his eyes. "What's wrong? Got something in your eye?"

Ethan's gaze locked onto mine, his voice low. "Can't you see? I stood guard outside the hospital all night. My eyes are full of red veins."

Now that he mentioned it, I did notice the red veins and the traces of fatigue. Besides those, there seemed to be a spark of something called desire.

I lowered my head, avoiding his gaze. "I didn't ask you to stand guard."

He replied, "What else could I do? I was afraid you'd run away."

For some reason, seeing his suddenly angry and aggrieved expression made me laugh.

Ethan, seemingly embarrassed and angry, suddenly pinned me down on the sofa, his deep voice whispering in my ear, "Honey, you wronged me. How are you going to comfort me?"