Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

At the bottom of a stack of papers, Emily discovered a newspaper with a photo of Faris and a pregnant woman. The headline stated he had acknowledged the child was his.

In the photo, Faris had a lollipop in his mouth and his arm around the woman, smiling with genuine happiness. Though he still smiled and even laughed these days, his expressions never matched the pure joy captured in that image.

Emily knew she had no right to feel hurt, yet she couldn't control the ache in her heart.

She replaced the newspaper and, without waiting for Faris to return, told Rafael she wasn't feeling well and needed to leave.

After leaving the club, Emily found herself drawn to the Emoire Artistry Group. Originally known as Emberlyn Beauty Retreat, it had become an influential national brand after acquiring the Moore Group. Whoever was behind it had to be formidable. The luxurious storefront made Emily feel inadequate the moment she walked in. She wasn't sure why she'd come-she knew she couldn't compare to such a successful woman. She simply wanted to see how that woman and her child were doing after these years, whether the child resembled Faris, and what relationship they maintained

now.

Instead of meeting Emily Russell, however, she was greeted by the store manager. Of course, as CEO of the group, she wouldn't be attending to ordinary customers herself. After leaving the Emoire Artistry Group, Emily went to Faris's home and prepared an elaborate dinner, confirming by phone that he'd be home to eat.

He arrived punctually, remarking that he could smell the delicious aroma from outside. She served his food and handed him clean utensils after he washed his hands.

During dinner, they chatted as usual. He mentioned hearing from Rafael that she hadn't been feeling well and asked if she was better. She said she was much improved.

At an opportune moment, she mentioned visiting the Emoire Artistry Group and becoming a member.

As she spoke, she carefully observed his reaction. He paused briefly before saying, "That's good. The Emoire Artistry Group has an excellent reputation."

His expression revealed nothing more.

After dinner, as he set down his cutlery, he said, "Buy whatever you want. Don't try to save money on my account."

Emily pushed the food around her plate and gave a non-committal response.

She desperately wanted to know about his relationship with that woman and why they weren't together now, but she didn't dare ask, too conscious of her place in his life.noveldrama

In the end, she said nothing more about the Emoire Artistry Group, afraid he might sense her true motives.

That night, he watched television in the living room until late before going out. She wondered where he went. Was he visiting her?

Despite spending nearly every day together and sometimes sharing a bed, she still knew so little about him.

Of course, she didn't need to know much-it was just a transaction, after all.

Yet he had never been intimate with her beyond kissing, and though this puzzled her, she didn't dare ask why.

One weekend evening, he invited her to see a movie. He hadn't taken her out alone in quite some time, so she was excited, taking special care with her outfit and makeup.

He drove himself that day, wearing an earpiece for most of the journey, listening to something unknown.

At an intersection, he suddenly turned onto a different road.

"This isn't the way to the cinema," Emily pointed out.

Faris glanced at her and said, "This route has less traffic."

Emily trusted him implicitly, believing he could do no wrong.

On a narrow two-lane road, he slowed down and suddenly turned to study her, making Emily feel self-conscious.

She asked, "What is it? Is there something on my face?"

Faris looked at her adoringly, told her she was beautiful, and leaned over to kiss her forehead.

The unexpected affection made her heart race, but suddenly there was a loud bang as the car jerked to a stop. Emily lurched forward from the impact. Another car had stopped in the opposite lane with flashing headlights.

"Did we crash? What should we do?" Emily asked worriedly, having never experienced this before.

Faris remained calm as he removed his earpiece and smiled at her. "Don't worry, I'll handle it."

He got out of the car, and a man emerged from the other vehicle, angrily pointing at Faris. "How the hell are you driving? Are you blind?"

Hearing the man's hostility, Emily quickly got out too, afraid Faris might be at a disadvantage, though she knew she couldn't offer much help.

Faris didn't appear upset. He looked through the open window at the other car, which was full of passengers. In the front passenger seat sat a bald man in his forties or fifties wearing sunglasses.

"I apologize," Faris said with a relaxed smile. "I was taking my girlfriend to the movies and we were running late, so I was a bit hasty."

Emily felt a little thrill at being called his girlfriend.

Faris pulled out a business card and handed it to the bald man through the window. "Here's my card. Call me about any repair costs, and I'll cover them."

The bald man took the card but kept staring at Emily for a long time. Meanwhile, Emily was looking back at him.

After a moment, the bald man pocketed the card and smiled. "Since you're being so upfront about it, we won't make a big deal of this. You two go ahead, and I'll be in touch."

The man's voice carried a certain street-wise authority.

Faris nodded and returned to the car with Emily, driving away.

As the cars passed each other, Emily looked again at the bald man, who was still watching her.

Once they were far apart, Emily muttered, "Why do I feel like I know that person from somewhere?"

Faris smirked. "You recognize him even with sunglasses on?"

Emily nodded confidently. "Yes, even with the sunglasses, he seems familiar."

"Is that so? People can look similar," Faris replied dismissively.

At the cinema, Faris kept his earpiece in throughout the movie.

Emily couldn't help asking, "How can you watch a movie while listening to something else?"

Faris smiled and explained, "I'm just using it as an earplug to reduce the movie's volume. It's too loud for me."

That night, Emily said she needed to visit her brother in the hospital, so Faris drove her there.

On his way home, his phone rang with an unknown number. After the call, he tossed

the phone aside, a cold smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

He spent the night at the club. Early the next morning, he called Emily and asked her to join him for a business lunch.

Whenever Faris invited her to such events, Emily always dressed appropriately and did her makeup carefully. She knew he dealt with important people and didn't want to embarrass him.

At the club, as they were leaving together, a group of job applicants was entering. Faris suddenly stopped, his gaze fixed on one woman.

The woman moved with the crowd, looking around like all the other applicants. She noticed Faris too but showed no recognition, her eyes passing over him quickly. "What is it?" Emily asked, noticing his attention.

Faris shook his head, saying it was nothing, and put his arm around her shoulders as they left.

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The lunch location was a remote winery, a half-hour drive away. Emily was surprised, as Faris's business associates usually preferred upscale restaurants in the city center. Inside the winery, a server led them to a small cabin by the lake.

Emily immediately recognized the bald man from yesterday sitting by the window. Hearing their footsteps, he turned and motioned for them to sit across from him. Though the man still wore sunglasses, Emily noticed he kept staring at her. She stared back, that sense of familiarity growing stronger.

"Emily," the bald man called out.

The way he said her name made the feeling of recognition intensify, sending chills down her spine.

Faris showed no surprise but placed his cigarettes and lighter on the table, asking casually, "Do you two know each other?"

After a moment's hesitation, the bald man slowly removed his sunglasses. Emily stared at him in disbelief, her lips trembling. Tears came before she could speak.

The bald man looked away, seemingly unable to bear her reaction. With a deep sigh, he asked, "Emily, how have you all been these years?"

Emily finally broke down sobbing. "We thought you were dead! If you were alive, why didn't you come back? Mom died, my brother got sick, and you were never there! Do you know how hard it's been for me?"

Listening to her cries, the bald man looked guilt-ridden.

Faced with this situation, Faris stood up, offering to give them privacy, but Emily grabbed his arm.

The bald man said, "No need. Sit down. If you're Emily's boyfriend, you're practically family. From how you handled yesterday's situation, I can tell you're a decent young man. I wonder if you mind that I have served time in prison?"

Emily stopped crying and stared at him in shock.

Faris smiled. "That's not an issue at all."

The bald man nodded, seemingly satisfied with his answer, then turned to Emily. "I did make good money in those years and planned to come see you three, but I ended up

in prison. I just got out yesterday. Running into you is the best gift I could have received upon my release."

"Dad, what were you doing all those years?" Emily asked.

Ignoring her question, the bald man noticed Faris's missing finger and his expression

became significant.

Pointing at Faris's hand, he asked, "What happened to your finger?"