Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

I didn't have any regrets about the big stuff, but I did feel pretty bad about Emily and her best friend Bella.

Emily took Bella to the guest room, and she didn't come back to our room that night.

Outside, a thunderstorm was going wild. I was lying in bed, wide awake all night.

I didn't know when it happened, but I had turned into someone who got super insecure. I had gotten so used to having her around that without her, it felt like a part of me was missing. Around four in the morning, I got a call from the cops.

They had found Arthur.

It turned out that Arthur had been hiding in a rented house in the suburbs for the past few days. He probably knew he'd get caught eventually, so he was ready for it. When the cops nabbed him and grilled him about his crimes, he spilled everything. But they found him mentally unstable. After a hospital check-up, they confirmed he had a mental illness and sent him to a psych ward.

I didn't know if his mental illness was legit or just an act, but at least I could give Emily some closure.

The next day, Emily and I went to the psychiatric hospital.

I had no clue what Emily felt when she saw Arthur was it relief, regret, or sympathy?

I thought the old grudge between Arthur and me was finally over. He'd be spending the rest of his life there.

After we got back from the psych hospital, Faye showed up at my place again. But I was really worn out, and Emily was too. I couldn't let Faye keep causing trouble. I didn't want her to hurt Emily anymore.

I said, "Faye, people have to grow up and stand on their own. You've achieved your dreams now, so don't come messing up my life anymore. I have my family, and I have people I need to protect." Faye tearfully brought up Fiona.

I had promised at Fiona's grave that I'd take good care of Faye. And I had done my part. I felt guilty towards Fiona back then, but with Faye, my conscience was clear.

I said, "You should be independent. Even parents can't take care of you forever. You have to walk your own path."

Faye ran out of my house in tears.

I was scared that Emily would get even more upset because of this, afraid that Faye's appearance would bring back the despair she felt that night. So I couldn't wait any longer; I proposed to Emily.

I was really terrified Emily would leave me, a fear that overshadowed everything!

After a couple of days to recover, I went back to Skyline International Corporation to tackle the mountain of work waiting for me.

I was feeling pumped and full of energy, thinking about the upcoming wedding. Every time I thought of her, I couldn't help but grin.

The assistant came in to hand over some documents, and I looked up and smiled at her. "Thanks!"

She looked at me, surprised. Maybe I used to be so serious that my reaction now shocked her?

After the assistant left, I glanced out the window.

Winter had passed, and spring was here.

Our winter would pass too, and one day, I'd see the flowers bloom in spring, right?

There was a light knock on the door, and Dennis walked in. He placed his hands on the desk and asked seriously, "Are you really going to have the wedding right away? Rhyns is a vengeful guy. He knows he can't escape Starlight City, so he'll definitely try to get back at you before he gets caught."

Dennis's words were like a bucket of cold water dumped over my head.

I wasn't unaware of the threat Rhyns posed, but lately, I was so wrapped up in the happiness of planning the wedding that I didn't want to face it.

It was like I was living in a beautiful dream, and even though I was awake, I still wanted to close my eyes and keep dreaming.

But in the end, I couldn't fool myself. After a brief period of self-deception, I had to face the truth.

I opened my phone, squinting at the photo on the screen, gently stroking her face with my thumb.

After a long while, I said gravely, "If he's going to take revenge, then the wedding could be an opportunity."

A few days before the wedding, I took Emily to pick out a wedding dress and take wedding photos.

Emily looked stunning in her wedding dress, and I couldn't help but kiss her.

At that moment, I tried not to think about what might happen on the wedding day. I just wanted to spend these few days with her. Because happy times were too short, I didn't want to waste a single moment. Even if it was just a dream, let me dream a little longer.

When the beautiful dream ended, my body would still carry the weight, and my soul would be tied to the gallows, in unbearable pain.

Maybe I was destined never to be happy in this life because I had to atone for my father's sins. I would never deserve happiness; this was my father's just punishment.

I had my assistant announce the wedding on the official social media account, and the news of the wedding quickly spread throughout the city.

I knew that once this news was out, there was no turning back.

But when I chose this path back then, I knew it was a road of no return.

The day after the announcement, I got a call from Faye at the office.

"Ethan, I need to see you."

Her voice was shaky, like she was on the verge of tears.

I rubbed my temples and sighed, "I'm really busy."

She suddenly got all worked up, her voice rising sharply.

"Ethan, if you don't come, I'll kill myself."

I had no idea what had gotten into Faye, but a girl in her twenties threatening suicide over and over again was seriously troubling. Dying was easy; living was hard.

In the end, I went.

As soon as I stepped into her hotel room, the smell of alcohol hit me.

Faye was sprawled sideways on the sofa, holding a bottle and humming some incoherent song. She looked like a mess.

I walked in, and when she saw me, she gave me a silly smile.

"Ethan, you came after all."

I didn't say anything. I walked up to her, and she struggled to get up, grabbing my clothes and swaying as she stood up to hug me.

"Ethan, are you really getting married?"

Her face was covered in tears, and her eyes were swollen. It looked like she had been crying for a long time.

I calmly said, "I got married a long time ago. This is just a wedding ceremony."

Faye shook her head, grabbed her hair messily, and closed her eyes, as if forcing herself to calm down.

After a while, she opened her eyes, wiped the tears from her face, and seemed much calmer.

"Ethan, you still love Fiona, don't you?"

"No," I answered decisively. I didn't want Faye to have any more illusions. I didn't want her to exploit my guilt towards Fiona.

Maybe my feelings for Fiona were never love. I didn't know if time would have turned those feelings into love if it hadn't been for that incident. But there were no ifs; that incident was an unchangeable fact, and it turned all my feelings for Fiona into guilt.

Faye cried hard, shaking her head in disbelief.

She said, "Do you love Emily?"

I replied, "Yes."

She said, "Do you love her more than you loved my sister back then?"

She was extremely heartbroken, tears streaming down her face.

If she was fixated on an answer, I could only repeat more firmly.

I replied, "Yes, I love Emily very much."

Faye suddenly lunged at me, hooking her arms around my neck and pressing her lips to mine.

I pushed her away, but she stubbornly clung to my neck, refusing to let go.

"Faye, you've had too much to drink."

I pried her arms off forcefully and turned to leave.

Faye hugged my waist tightly from behind.

Faye said, "Ethan, I love you. I've loved you since the first time I saw you. Didn't you feel it at all? What does Emily have that I don't? She's just a tramp..." "Shut up!"

I yanked her hands off me and threw her onto the sofa. I was pretty pissed and stormed out without looking back.novelbin

Behind me, Faye's heart-wrenching cries echoed, but all my patience and sympathy for her vanished the moment she uttered those words.

Leaving the hotel, I called Dennis and asked him to keep an eye on Emily's outings.

These past few days seemed calm on the surface, but a storm was brewing. I was worried about her safety.

The day before the wedding, I went to the Grand International Hotel, where our wedding was being prepared.

The hotel was already meticulously decorating for the wedding. The lobby manager introduced their designs to me one by one.

The lobby manager said, "Mr. Windsor, rest assured that tomorrow our hotel, in collaboration with the largest wedding planning company in Starlight City, will host a wedding that will be the talk of the town." I smiled faintly, feeling a tinge of bitterness.

On one side of the stage was a large wedding photo.

I walked over and stood in front of the photo, looking at her in the picture. The more I looked, the more my eyes stung.

Not long after returning to the office, Dennis came over.

Dennis said, "Emily just went to the airport to see off her friend. But don't worry, I made sure she got home safely before coming here."

I nodded, feeling uneasy about the wedding tomorrow.

Dennis continued, "The police have indeed spotted suspicious individuals around the hotel these past few days. It seems Rhyns knows he can't escape and is planning to go down fighting."

I actually hoped Rhyns would go down fighting, so my efforts wouldn't be in vain.

Just then, my assistant knocked hurriedly and entered.

"Mr. Windsor, several media outlets have sent emails or called... saying they received your... your photos."

The assistant lowered her head, her voice shrinking, as if afraid to speak.

I couldn't help but frown.

"What photos?"

The assistant cautiously handed over an iPad. On the screen was a photo of me and Faye, capturing the moment she kissed me.

I smiled bitterly inside, wondering where Faye had learned these tricks. Why were she and Fiona so different in personality?

Seeing my silence, the assistant carefully suggested, "Mr. Windsor, I think since these media outlets didn't immediately publish the photos but called first, it shows they still have some fear of you. Their goal is probably to make some money. Tomorrow is your wedding; we can't afford any mishaps. Maybe we should just pay for some peace."